About

The great resignation, quiet quitting, virtual meetings, the four-day working week, the battle between home- and office-based working – in the last few years, the lives of many ordinary employees have fundamentally changed.

Now, more than ever before, the ability of organisations to attract and retain great people – indeed their very survival - depends on the experiences they create for their employees, experiences that can no longer be left to chance.

This brave new world – what we’re calling the ‘EX Era’ - requires a fresh way of thinking and operating for people professionals – a new approach that puts your employees at the heart and unlocks employee engagement one experience at a time.

At the heart of The EX Space is a passionate and like-minded learning community focused on raising the professional bar in employee experience and engagement.

We’re on a mission to enable the EX Era by equipping a new generation of people leaders to create better employee experiences; experiences that unlock engagement and drive organisational success.

For the first time, we’re bringing together all the elements of employee engagement and experience in one place – a shared space where professionals from diverse backgrounds can meet, learn, collaborate and, together, transform the workplace.

Built for professionals from the fields of HR, internal communication, employee engagement, organisational development – and anyone else who wants to improve the experience of employees inside their organisation – The EX Space is the go-to site for EX learning, bringing together certified courses, practical tools, peer-to-peer support, networking and much more.

The EX Space is spearheaded by two of the world’s leading authorities on employee experience, engagement and communication. Co-founded by Emma Bridger and Lee Smith in London in 2022, the pair set out on a mission to equip a new generation of people leaders to create better experiences for their employees and, in doing so, unlock engagement and drive organisational success.

With more than 50 years combined experience in the employee communication, engagement and experience space, Emma and Lee are two of the most experienced practitioners in the field, having advised senior leaders at dozens of global organisations over the last three decades.

Lee is an employee communication, engagement and EX professional with more than three decades experience spanning both consultancy and senior in-house roles. Formerly co-founder and co-owner of the highly respected UK employee comms agency Gatehouse – now part of Gallagher’s Employee Experience practice – Lee co-created the annual State of the Sector research survey and developed and led the Accelerate strategic internal comms learning programme. He is a fellow of both the Institute of Internal Communication (IOIC) and Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) and holds an MSc in Corporate Communication & Reputation Management.

Introducing our inspirational global advisory board

Comprised of some of the most prominent thinkers, practitioners, leaders, and influencers operating in the field, this authoritative group will guide, challenge, and support us as we pursue our mission to ‘enable the EX Era’.

Specifically, our esteemed board will work alongside co-founders Emma Bridger and Lee Smith, to shape our accredited learning and events programme, flagship research, and premium content. Additionally, they will help spark further discussion and debate about the changing world of work and the need for organisations to reinvigorate their relationship with employees.

Our vision was for a small and diverse group made up of the world’s leading EX pioneers. With representation from some of the most progressive human-centric organisations in the world, leading academics, professional bodies and thought leaders, we are delighted with the team we have on board.