Where We Work: ICS-digital, Leeds

Matt Roche, co-founder and director at ICS-digital, introduces us to the Leeds office…

“We moved across to our current office on Park Lane in mid-2019, after working with Absolute Commercial Interiors to design the new space. They understood our brief very well – our goal was to have an environment that reflected our international team, and supported our collaborative ways of working.

“They were great at taking our ideas and desires and turning them into something that worked on a practical level, as we knew we needed a space that would incorporate our relaxed working culture, international reach and collaborative nature.”

Where is it? 

2 Park Lane, Leeds, LS3 1ES

How big is it?

Our office is nearly 11,000 sq ft and is on the fourth floor of 2 Park Lane (opposite Joseph’s Well) which includes a barrier-operated car parking facility. The building was previously occupied by Hammonds Solicitors and was totally refurbished when they left. Located on the west side of the city, the office is surrounded by a number of local amenities. 

In terms of decor, we’ve got hundreds of flags across every storage locker and company brand colours flowing through the soft furnishings, as well as more subtle nods to the international element of our service offering. 

The office has breakout areas for quiet working, a great collaboration space kitted out with a football field carpet for workshops and company updates, and a wide variety of locations where people can get together and chat. 

This includes comfy booths and a well-stocked kitchen, private meeting rooms, and 20+ audio studios that are ideal for calls – because we work across so many time zones we’ve always had a need for the ability to communicate remotely so these facilities help massively.

What happens there? 

ICS hosts a number of fun and collaborative events year round, alongside the hustle and bustle of our everyday services. Given the collaborative nature of our office space, it is easy to host celebration days, charity events and workshops for our team members.

Over the past year alone we have hosted Cinco De Mayo celebrations, a visit from a masseuse, a Wii Sports Wimbledon competition, our annual Easter Egg hunt and so much more. Despite the hybrid nature of working, we feel that it’s important to provide social activities for those who do choose to work in the office, as well as encourage team members to take time away from their desks. 

Our collaboration room is arguably the forefront of our social events, a large open space with surround seating that has hosted industry talks from professionals in the worlds of journalism and digital PR, alongside hosting our own in-house education sessions. That’s before we even get to the clothes and book swap days! 

ICS employees are often spotted at industry and university events, too. From hosting panels at international conferences, to encouraging the next generation of digital marketers to consider part-time roles with us in one of our many service areas. 

What sort of work goes on?

We are an award-winning digital agency, offering multilingual marketing services for a wide variety of clients in a number of competitive sectors. 

Since launching in 2008, our aim has been to achieve highly targeted results, and our services are designed to boost rankings, acquire links, earn top-tier media coverage and engage global audiences. We work with clients across a number of sectors and industries, including iGaming, finance, travel and lifestyle, E-commerce and tech. 

We also have a new podcast service, allowing companies to further extend their brand reach, and have experience in the paid media market, which continues to grow on an annual basis. 

Why is the workplace appropriate? 

Comfort and modernisation is something we wanted to ensure were reflected across the new office, not only for team members, but clients who visit us. We regularly host client visits, meaning our large meeting rooms, communal kitchen and overall comforting feel are important in making clients feel welcomed, and like an extended part of our team. 

Alongside that, the office is situated right in the heart of Leeds, just a 15-minute walk from the train station and with close access to the M62. With all of the modern amenities that you’d hope for from an office in the post-covid world, including coffee machines, breakfasts and free healthy snacks, working from our Leeds base puts emphasis on comfort and collaboration. 

Close to some excellent restaurants, bars and activity centres, the office also allows for social events across teams to take place after the day is done! 

Who works there? 

ICS is home to over 100 digital and language experts, a team that is continually growing and adapting with the ever-changing digital climate. What started off as a team of fewer than 10 has now advanced into multiple digital services, and we also work with over 1000 freelance specialists. 

We are proud to boast the cultural diversity of ICS, with team members from across the world assisting in our translation, copywriting and Digital PR services. Alongside traditional managerial and executive roles, we’re also continuously assessing our roles in order to maintain our status as a modern agency. 

Our PR Managers, for example, have recently undertaken roles focused on either client delivery or campaign management, while our design team is structured in a similar way, offering the chance to become specialists as opposed to project managers.