Introducing Co:Lab - a creative space for exploring the future of internal comms

At Cosy Meerkat, we love a good conversation. Not just a chat, but the kind of conversation that frees ideas, challenges assumptions, and sparks something genuinely new.

That’s why we’re really excited to launch Co:Lab, our new partnership with the Institute of Internal Communication (IoIC).

Co:Lab is a creative exploration space. A place for people who care deeply about internal comms to come together, think big, and shape what’s next. It’s not a lecture series or a one-way broadcast. It’s a collaborative experiment. And we’re inviting you to be a part of it.

Why we’re doing this

Internal communication is going through a moment of change – and we think, opportunity. With organisations navigating complex shifts in the world of work, culture, tech, and trust, the role of internal comms has never been more critical.

But the pressures are real. Budgets are tight. Expectations are high. And the pace never seems to slow down. So how do we create space to step back, zoom out, and think about the craft of comms, not just the calendar? That’s where Co:Lab comes in.

Together with the IoIC, we’ve built a programme that will bring people together across the profession to explore big, thorny, human questions like:

What does real listening look like inside organisations?
How can AI support comms without replacing the empathy at its heart?
What happens when internal comms becomes the driver of culture change, not just the amplifier?

Each theme will be tackled in a spirit of collaboration, creativity and curiosity and the learning will be shared along the way.

What to expect

We’ll be kicking things off at the IoIC Festival in June with a deep-dive opening session that will bring together comms professionals from across sectors to explore five challenge statements. These sessions will blend insight, storytelling and creative problem-solving (with maybe a few post-its and sharpies thrown in for good measure). 

We will be splitting people into teams to work on one specific challenge statement. How can it be solved? What other challenges arise from it? You’ll make new friends and hear different perspectives as you work out how to solve the issues set - together. 

On Day two of the Festival, we will come back together to resume discussions in groups. We will workshop the challenges and develop a two minute pitch to share  towards the end of the Festival.  

Teams will then pitch their ideas in a Dragon’s Den style climax to Co:Lab with judges choosing their favourite ideas and a winning team being awarded. 

We want these sessions to provide practical tools and ideas that people can take back to their own teams.

Want to get involved?

If you’re curious, creative, and care about the future of internal comms, we’d love you to join us. 

Last week, The IoIC shared the first of four polls sharing the challenge statements - these need to be voted down to five - so join the experiment and get involved!

You can find out more through the IoIC website and keep an eye on our socials for updates, event invites and more.

At Cosy Meerkat, we believe that the best ideas happen when people, from any business, any sector, come together in the right space, with the right energy and a bit of curiosity. We’re so excited to see what Co:Lab will spark.

And it won't end at the Festival. We hope that Co:Lab will continue at future IoIC events. 

Find out more…Email hello@cosymeerkat.co.uk for more information.