Ditch the lanyard. Grab your trainers.
Design festivals are designed to bring people together.
Yet ask most creatives where they had their best conversation during Milan Design Week, London Design Festival or Copenhagen’s 3daysofdesign and it probably wasn’t during a keynote, panel session, or networking drinks.
It was probably somewhere on the move.
That’s the insight that inspired Out of Office (OOO) Run Club. Co-founded by TDC PR and Morrama, the initiative was created as an alternative to traditional networking, bringing together designers, founders, journalists and creatives through movement, conversation and shared experience.
Since launching at Milan Design Week in 2025, OOO Run Club has expanded to London Design Festival and Copenhagen’s 3daysofdesign, growing into a community that continues to attract people looking for a more human way to connect.
Ahead of our LDF 2026 run next week, TDC founder Tim Duncan sat down with Andy Trewin Hutt, who helped establish the initiative during his time at Morrama, as well as design writer and this year’s LDF OOO Run Club captain, Roddy Clarke, about why the format continues to resonate with the creative community.
Heading to London Design Festival? Why not join TDC PR and Morrama for the next OOO Run Club on 17 September? Sign up here.
Tim Duncan // Founder, TDC PR
Q: What sparked TDC and Morrama to launch Out of Office Run Club?
A: Most people have experienced the traditional networking event. You’re standing in a crowded room trying to introduce yourself to people you’ve never met before.
We wanted to create something we would genuinely want to attend ourselves.
Movement changes the dynamic. Conversations feel more natural when you’re walking or running alongside someone rather than standing opposite them. The original idea was never really about running. It was about creating a better environment for connection.
Q: Why do you think it’s continued to be such a success and established itself as a recurring fixture at design festivals?
A: Because community matters.
As communicators, we’re constantly helping clients participate in conversations and bring people together around ideas. OOO is an extension of that thinking. It’s proof that some of the strongest communities aren’t built around promotion, they’re built around shared interests and experiences.
Q: The event has now run across multiple festivals. What have you seen people get out of it?
A: We’ve seen people make friends, find collaborators, discover job opportunities and build business relationships.
But I think the biggest thing is perspective. Creative industries can be surprisingly siloed. OOO brings together students, journalists, founders, designers, strategists and brand leaders who wouldn’t normally spend an hour together.
Some conversations have gone on to become partnerships, client relationships and creative collaborations. Others have simply introduced people to new ideas and perspectives they might not have encountered otherwise. That’s where the real value sits.
Roddy Clarke // Design Writer & OOO Captain
Q: You’ve hosted several editions of OOO. Why do you think it resonates?
A: People often join a run club for exercise but stay because of the people.
OOO taps into that same idea. It creates a shared experience that removes barriers. Whether you’re a student, founder, journalist or designer, everyone starts from the same place.
That’s why the atmosphere feels different.
Q: Why do you think movement is becoming such an important part of creative life?
A: Creativity requires space.
So much of modern work involves screens, notifications and constant input. Running gives people the opportunity to step away from all of that.
Sometimes the solution to a problem appears halfway through a run. Sometimes a conversation sparks a new idea. Sometimes you simply return to your desk with a clearer head.
That relationship between wellbeing and creativity is something more people are beginning to recognise.
Q: Why Run Clubs, why now?
A: The popularity of run clubs extends far beyond the creative industries.
At a time when many of our interactions happen online, people are increasingly looking for opportunities to connect in the real world. Running communities offer a rare combination of wellbeing, community and accessibility.
It also reflects a wider shift in how people want to build relationships. Increasingly, communities are forming around activities and shared interests rather than formal networking structures.
Andy Trewin Hutt // Former Morrama Associate Director
Q: You were instrumental in establishing the OOO Run Club between Morrama and TDC. What was your original vision for it?
A: The idea came from a simple observation: some of the most valuable conversations at design festivals weren’t happening inside exhibitions or networking events. They were happening while walking between venues, grabbing a coffee, or bumping into people unexpectedly.
The team at TDC and us at Morrama agreed we wanted to create a space where those interactions could happen more naturally. Moving alongside someone removes a lot of the pressure that can come with traditional networking and creates a much more relaxed environment for conversation.
Q: Having attended multiple editions, what makes this format different from traditional networking events?
A: There’s no agenda beyond showing up and being part of it.
Most networking events tend to revolve around introductions, job titles and what people can do for one another. OOO starts from a shared experience instead. Everyone is there for the same reason, whether they’re a student, designer, founder, journalist or creative leader.
Ironically, that often leads to stronger professional relationships. I’ve seen people meet future collaborators, discover new opportunities and build relationships that continue long after the festival has ended.
Q: Why do you think the format resonates with people working in design and creative industries?
A: Creative people are naturally curious. We love meeting new people, hearing different perspectives and making unexpected connections.
At the same time, design festivals can be intense. You’re constantly jumping between talks, exhibitions, launches and social events. OOO offers a different pace. It gives people a chance to step outside, clear their heads and connect without feeling like they need to be “on” all the time.
The conversations feel more genuine because they aren’t driven by a specific outcome. Yet people often leave having made valuable connections, discovered new ideas and expanded their networks naturally.
Beyond the Run
What came through in every conversation was that OOO isn’t really about running.
The run simply creates the conditions for connection to happen.
For Tim, it’s about creating a better environment for connection. For Roddy, it’s about the link between movement, wellbeing and creativity. And for Andy, it’s about creating space for more natural interactions during busy design festivals.
Over the years, we’ve seen casual pavement conversations turn into creative partnerships, client relationships and lasting friendships. Not because people arrive with a networking goal, but because they arrive curious and open to meeting new people.
What started as a simple experiment ahead of Milan Design Week last year has grown into a community that now travels between some of the design industry’s most important events.
The best conversations aren’t always the ones planned in advance. They’re the ones that happen somewhere between the start line, the finish line and a coffee afterwards.
Want to experience it for yourself? Join us at the next edition of Out of Office Run Club during London Design Festival on 17 September. Reserve your spot here.
