The Event Launchpad, a workshop designed to help those looking to launch their own event, was unveiled by FM Future at International Confex, 25 February. The programme has support from Mash Media and the NEC.
FM Future is a consultancy run by Frazer Chesterman (pictured left) and Marcus Timson (pictured right).
The workshop’s aim was to help guide attendees through launching an event, as ‘bringing new events to life is the toughest endeavour any event organiser can undertake’. FM Future also wanted to support those who may be launching new events as ‘launching is hard, and there is a strong fear of failure. [The] aim [is] to help organisers manage this fear, while minimising risk and igniting growth through innovation.’
Chesterman stated that the number one thing to consider when launching an event was solving an issue. He said: “An event should solve a problem for a market and create a mission, cause or reason for it being there. You remember pain four times more than gain, as son solving a problem is more useful to the market than giving it something to gain.”
Timson added: “I hope it inspired some people with the confidence to take their idea forward, and equipped them with education and insight they didn’t have before, as I believe there isn’t much education and insight surrounding launching events.”
Chesterman added: “I hope those attending got some ideas and the chance to think about and plan for the process of when they want to come up with a show idea.”
Portfolio director for Mash Media, Simon Farnfield, said he thought the workshop was “excellent”, adding, “it was a really good insight into how an event organiser can take that risk and launch their ideas.”
