During the inaugural edition of SXSW London — the European offshoot of the renowned South by Southwest (SXSW) festival traditionally held in Austin, Texas — the global creative community gathered in Shoreditch, East London from June 2 to June 7, 2025. Spread across multiple venues, the festival brought together thought leaders, artists, innovators, and industry professionals for a week-long celebration of music, film, technology, and cultural dialogue. Among the many panels and discussions, a standout session explored the timeless principles of emotional storytelling in entertainment.
On this occasion, we had the possibility to hear directly from Emma Bartholomew, a London-based PR, Events and Brand Strategist, who continues to bring her expertise in entertainment and audience engagement to international stages. Originally trained as an actor, she now works with a wide range of global clients in the music and television industries. Among her many ongoing projects, she manages the Press Offices at MIP LONDON and MIPCOM CANNES, while also playing a key role in connecting the global TV industry with emerging formats from the MENA region. In addition, Emma serves as an Advisory Board member at the creative agency Paradise, where she also hosts the podcast The Secret To, and is a regular moderator and speaker at industry events.
This week, Emma moderated an engaging panel at London’s inaugural SXSW event, titled Lessons in Entertainment from The Stone Age. The session explored a timeless truth: while technology and platforms may evolve, the fundamental emotions that connect humans — and by extension, audiences — have remained remarkably consistent through history. Wonder, strangeness, rivalry, risk, laughter, and endearment continue to serve as the core elements that elevate entertainment from transactional to truly meaningful experiences.Speaking to an audience at Shoreditch Town Hall, Emma was joined by a distinguished panel featuring Chloe Martin, Senior Commercial Manager at Paradise; Dan Chard, SVP Commercial at Legends ASM Global; Kyle Thomas, the UK’s most-followed TikToker; and Richard Wise, Brand Anthropologist. Each offered unique perspectives on how today’s creators, brands, event organizers and marketers must move beyond metrics to foster genuine emotional connections with their audiences.
Echoing many of the conversations she leads on The Secret To podcast, Emma Bartholomew emphasized that successful engagement stems from authenticity and purpose-driven storytelling. Whether conveyed on screen, in print, through music, or across digital platforms, stories that resonate emotionally have the power to build lasting and loyal communities — something that has remained essential since the very beginnings of human society.
"Our conclusion was simple," Emma noted. "If the stories we tell are authentic and purposeful, and if they genuinely touch those we speak to, then we have a real chance to entertain, connect and build enduring relationships. At its core, the need to belong and to feel part of something meaningful is what humanity has always sought."
