From the National Gallery to the restaurant door

The brief #

Merck Serono is a global science and technology company developing medicines and devices for conditions such as cancer and multiple sclerosis. Its UK office in Feltham is a convenient meeting point for colleagues from around the world.

After an intensive two-day meeting for managers from Italy, Germany, France, the UK and Switzerland, the company asked us to provide some light relief to close the event.

The walk #

We met the group outside the National Gallery one late September afternoon and began with Trafalgar Square. From there we walked to the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey, with plenty of hidden curiosities along the way: the site of the Embassy of Texas, the grave of a German ambassador's dog and the Duke of Wellington's mounting block.

At the end, we escorted the group to the door of the restaurant they had booked.

The result #

One participant told us he had travelled all over the world on business but rarely had the chance to explore the cities he visited. The walk, he said, was a great way to find out more about London, unwind after a run of intensive meetings and chat informally with colleagues.