What’s the biggest challenge for any leader?

“Events, dear boy, events!”

So said former chancellor Harold Macmillan, supposedly.

He may have been talking about world events, but anyone involved in business events knows what a huge challenge it is to make them successful. And that’s what this podcast is all about. The highs and the lows of organising, and speaking at, business events.

We’ll be talking to event organisers, from corporates, agencies and conference producers. What’s the secret of their success? How do they keep up with the changing demands of the market? How do they wind down? And what do they do when it all goes wrong?

And, we’re going to be inviting in some of the top speakers that we know to share their side. How do they prepare for big events? Have they ever completely flopped!? Who are their favourite speakers? And who are the coolest people they’ve met in the green room?

The podcast is available on all your favourite platforms. Click below to subscribe.

Tom Cheesewright Tom Cheesewright

Holly Moore, Make Events

In this high-energy episode, the brilliant Holly Moore, founder and CEO of Make Events and creator of Anything is Possible, joins us to share her experiences and insights as an event organizer and creator - and a speaker!

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Tom Cheesewright Tom Cheesewright

Vimla Appadoo, Design Thinker

In this episode, we're joined by the brilliant Vimla Appadoo, a speaker, service designer and culture consultant who quiets crowds with her open and vulnerable approach to public speaking.

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Tom Cheesewright Tom Cheesewright

Nikki Kitchen, Purple Riot & Riot House

In this episode we welcome Nikki Kitchen, founder and director of Purple Riot and Riot House, twin agencies that offer events production, media and marketing to a whole range of clients across the consumer and business space.

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Tom Cheesewright Tom Cheesewright

Phil Lewis, Agent of Change

In this episode, Phil Lewis, a corporate change expert, shares his expertise on the difference between the capability of humans and organizations. He discusses the challenges of change and growth in organizations and the importance of understanding the human dynamics within them.

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Tom Cheesewright Tom Cheesewright

Herb Kim, TEDx & Thinking Digital

In this episode, Herb Kim, the founder of Thinking Digital and curator of many TEDx events, shares his experiences and insights in organizing successful business events.

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Tom Cheesewright Tom Cheesewright

Katie Treggiden, Crafting the Future

Katie Treggiden is an author, journalist and podcaster who found her own ‘defiant hope’ in the face of the climate challenge. Today she speaks about sustainability, design and the role of craft in restoring our future.

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Tom Cheesewright Tom Cheesewright

Julia Phillips, Potting Shed Events

Julia Phillips has founded and sold one successful events agency and now she's on her second, Potting Shed Events. In this first episode of Season 2 of Event's Dear Boy!, the business events podcast, she tells us about the secrets of her success. What does she love about events? And what does she put off? What have been her most successful events, and have there been any disasters?

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Tom Cheesewright Tom Cheesewright

Season 2: Trailer

Season two of Events Dear Boy! is nearly here!

Events Dear Boy is our podcast for the business events industry. Each week, we interview a speaker or event organiser, learning about their highs and their lows, their best tips and tricks, and the occasional disaster!

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Tom Cheesewright Tom Cheesewright

Season One Wrap-Up

In this little wrap-up mini-episode, we look back at what we've learned and some of the laughs - both from our guests and our own failures.

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Joe Gilliver, The Chameleon Agency

In this final episode of our first season of Events Dear Boy, we make do without Katharine and I (Tom) speak to Joe Gilliver from The Chameleon Agency.

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Paul Spiers, Principles & Leadership

Paul Spiers is the founder of the New P&L Institute, on a mission to change business for the better with a focus on principles and leadership.

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Tom Cheesewright Tom Cheesewright

Dan Sodergren, AI Evangelist

Dan Sodergren joins us to share his tips and experiences as a speaker and broadcaster, frequently called up to address the hot topics of the day: AI, technology, and the future of work.

Dan tells us about having to build his own projector screen, warns us about the risks of letting AI write your intros, and shares some top tips from his own books on public speaking - for both speakers and event organisers alike.

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Tom Cheesewright Tom Cheesewright

Joseph Charlton, Planit

Joseph Charlton is the founder of Planit, an end-to-end events agency and an online sourcing platform for busy event organisers looking to source venues and more. In his time in the industry, he’s worked for multiple events agencies and as a freelancer, and organised many events and awards from fifty people up to 31,000!

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Tom Cheesewright Tom Cheesewright

Grace Marshall, Struggle Strategist

Grace Marshall is the author of ‘Struggle: The surprising truth, beauty and opportunity hidden in life's sh*ttier moments’ and an incredible speaker. She works with teams and leaders around the world to build a future-ready culture, innovate in adversity, lead in uncertainty and build strong relationships in challenging times.

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Tom Cheesewright Tom Cheesewright

James Goad, Owen James Events

James Goad founded Owen James Events 18 years ago after six years’ experience in the events industry, running giant gatherings on cruise ships. Today Owen James runs highly curated community events for the financial services industry, bringing around 100 senior leaders together at each gathering under Chatham House rules to connect, learn, network and strategise.

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Tom Cheesewright Tom Cheesewright

Jamie Klingler, Changemaker

Jamie Klingler is very much a one-off. The ‘accidental activist’, changemaker, and creator of National Burger Day (we kid you not) talks to us about NOT being on Game of Thrones, getting undressed on live TV, and why we should all “be more Philly!”

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Caroline Moran, Clear

In episode three of Events Dear Boy! we talk to Caroline Moran, MD of Clear and a ‘lifer’ at the company who has been there for over 20 years and worked her way up.

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Tom Cheesewright Tom Cheesewright

Penny Haslam, Motivational Speaker

Events Dear Boy! is the podcast for the business events industry and we want to examine it from every angle! So we're alternating guests between amazing events organisers and the brilliant people they put on stage - like Penny Haslam.

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Tom Cheesewright Tom Cheesewright

Abi Humayun, People Activation

In this episode we speak to Abi Humayun, co-founder of the incredible People Activation, a business with a 17 year track record of creating engaging and educational employee experiences.

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