Every year, the team at BeaconHouse delivers over one hundred events across the whole of the UK, and never one to miss out on a trend we’ve put our heads together to share what we think will be shaping events and what events look like in 2025…

IN:  AI and digitally enhanced experiences

This year let’s make tech work hard for us so we can share real, human experiences. From personalised attendee journeys, chat box customer service platforms, augmented reality, unique calendars and itineraries, digital assistants, and gamification; we are going to see tech being used to enhance the human experience, streamline admin tasks and create space for connection and creativity. We love working with our clients in the tech space and are constantly learning how we can use advances in technology to take events to the next level and simplify our processes back in the office, giving us more time to focus on strategy, creative thinking, and building relationships.

OUT: Greenwashing

There’s no place for greenwashing in 2025 so let’s leave wasteful events and big promises firmly in the past. Drop the disposable, plastic event swag, put down the single use marketing materials, and step away from wasteful menu choices. Sustainability is firmly on our agenda, we think this year more clients and event agencies will be exploring how they can have a positive impact on people and the planet with the events they are designing. Sustainable thinking comes into every step of the event journey and this year we expect to see more people focusing on low-carbon travel options for events and looking at how to make more ethical decisions when it comes to catering options, including vegetarian and vegan menus and reducing food waste.

IN: Putting wellbeing on the menu

Forget the Kris, Kim, Kylie, and Kendall – this year the Ks we’re going to be talking about are Kimcho, Krout, Kefir, and Komucha! As an office of foodies, we’re always keeping an eye out for new food and drink trends that our clients will love, and these fizzy and fermented favourites are not only tasty, they are good for you too. Fermented foods like these have been associated with a range of health benefits, including better digestion and stronger immunity. This year we think we will see an increase in people building menus that not only taste good but make delegates feel good too, with an all-round focus on well-being outside of the quiet room.

OUT:  Diversity and inclusion as buzzwords

Diversity and inclusion are often on the agenda, this year though, more businesses are going to recognise that a robust and meaningful DEI strategy for events is a strategic imperative. Attendees expect to hear from a range of voices in the room, bringing a fresh perspective – leading to innovation, richer conversations, and better problem-solving. Forbes notes that inclusive events drive higher engagement and innovation, with 83% of attendees favouring events with diverse speaker lineups but it goes beyond who is speaking. In 2025 event strategies will focus on new ways to make everyone feel welcome and included, whether that’s considering how neurodivergent people consume information before, during, and after an event, food and drink choices that cater to religion, allergies or recovery, and creating spaces where everyone can participate and have their voices heard.

IN: Making memories

Events are about bringing people together, creating connections, and building environments that create lasting impact. This year events are going to be focused on designing experiences that meaningfully engage attendees and give people an opportunity to create lasting memories. Creating connection in your team is proven to lead to more trust, increased productivity and reduced levels of burnout so look out for more events focusing on immersive experiences like field trips or choosing more venues that align with interactive, hands-on moments, and unique, visually appealing environments.

Thinking about doing events differently in 2025? We would love to discuss your ideas in more detail. To speak to our team contact info@beaconhouse-events.co.uk or call 0191 691 3456.

However, with marketing and HR budgets being asked to work harder than ever, what is the best way to pitch an event strategy at your next budget meeting? Don’t worry, we’ve got your back…

1. Have a solid idea and set a clear business purpose

If you are excited about the opportunity presented by events, other people will be too. Don’t go into your meeting with a half-baked idea, really think through the concept and link your plan to the company’s broader objectives. Whether the focus is on increasing brand awareness, lead generation, or customer retention, make sure your event aligns with what you know is important to the business this year. When the decision maker sees that your plan supports the company’s mission and goals, they’ll be more inclined to support your budget request and you can get to planning.

2. Fail to plan, plan to fail

Come prepared with a detailed breakdown of your strategy. Include aspects like the event theme, location, targeted audience, marketing tactics, and a comprehensive timeline. Make use of visuals where possible—a well-designed presentation can make a world of difference. Clarity and organisation not only make your plan more understandable but also demonstrate your enthusiasm and commitment to making it happen in a realistic way.

3. Explain how you’ll increase team morale and purpose

People want to know that their role and hard work have a purpose, not just a pay cheque. A well planned and timely event can increase morale across the team, and offers the opportunity to share and celebrate everyone’s hard work, reiterating the essential role that everyone plays in achieving the overall vision for the organisation. Well executed events with a clear purpose serve as a platform for brainstorming and innovation. For instance, hackathons or brainstorming sessions during retreats can give you valuable insights and foster collaborative thinking. By creating opportunities to collaborate in an informal setting, businesses can inspire idea generation that may not have a chance to surface during typical office hours.

4. Show how events bolster collaboration, culture, and connection

Events are an amazing way to bring people together and help colleagues connect, especially if you have a remote team or offices that span different cities or countries. Creating moments for meaningful connection leads to more innovation, lower levels of burnout, and increased attraction and retention of talent, all things that business leaders will be keeping a close eye on in 2025.

5. Display cost vs impact

Here comes the crucial part – conveying value. Provide a detailed breakdown of anticipated expenses and highlight areas where you can save costs. Be prepared to justify every line item and highlight what the return on investment will be. Focus on how your event will reduce employee turnover, increase productivity, attract bright new team members, establish your brand in new or key markets, create a network or add value to existing stakeholders, generating revenue, make memories, and give you great content for your socials! Transparency is key. If your event plan is well thought through and isn’t just a vanity project, your pitch will be more likely to be backed.

6. Focus on learning and development potential

Thriving teams are productive, innovative, and dedicated – and they all have one thing in common; they are focused on growth through learning. Events offer a unique opportunity to be inspired by and learn from external speakers while gaining knowledge from colleagues in the business who you might not interact with day to day. Team up with the ‘Learning and Development’ lead for your business to present the opportunity that investing in events could bring to the organisation across the coming year.

7. Discuss risk management

Show that you’ve thought through any potential challenges and your strategies to mitigate them. Showing that you’ve considered possible hurdles and have backup plans will boost confidence in your approach and it will be more likely that you’ll get the go-ahead over a riskier proposal.

8. Know your numbers

Understand the financial metrics of previous events. Gather data on costs, revenues, attendance, and ROI. Having a clear understanding of the numbers shows you’re serious about planning events that are not only fun but financially sound. Get in touch with the team and we’ll be more than happy to have a chat about your vision and work with you to develop a quote to guide you through where we can offer support, as well as establish figures around external costs like venues and catering, where there is opportunity to save money, and the internal time and resource needed internally to make it happen. Going in armed with all the facts will make everyone around the table feel much more confident that there will be no nasty surprises along the way.

After you’ve talked through your idea be ready for questions. Decision makers may ask more detailed questions about ROI, previous event success, or specific budget lines, all of which we are happy to support you in answering in advance so you go in fully prepared with all the info you need. Answer confidently, and don’t be afraid to admit if you don’t have an immediate answer, offer to find the information and follow up promptly after the meeting.

If you are planning on building events into your 2025 strategy, we would love to discuss your ideas in more detail. To speak to our team contact info@beaconhouse-events.co.uk or call 0191 691 3456.

It’s time to ditch trying to muddle through creating experiences in-house and embrace working with experts to bring your vision to life and take your events to the next level. The event landscape is constantly shifting and there is a lot to think about when it comes to staging an event with impact – not only is there the logistical planning of making sure that you have all of the right people in the right place at the right time (and they’re all fed and watered), it’s also important to consider strategy, diversity and inclusion, sustainability and accessibility, all things that will make sure that you are delivering an event with purpose. Partnering with a creative events team will enhance your delegate’s overall experience with you and make sure that you get true value out of your investment in bringing people together.

Whatever the size or scope of the event brief, at BeaconHouse we endeavour to become an extension of your internal team, pairing our skills with your internal expertise to bring your event to life. So, other than less stress and fewer sleepless nights, let’s discuss the benefits of outsourcing the design and delivery of your event to experts…

1. We know how to save you money

A common misconception is that hiring an event planner is an unnecessary expense. However, experienced planners often have established relationships with vendors and can negotiate better rates, saving you money in the long run. They are adept at working within budgets and can allocate resources in a way that maximises your event’s potential without overspending. An experienced event planner will also be a pro at spotting loopholes in contracts and tackling challenges before they become an issue and cost you unnecessary expenses in the long run.

2. Innovation and creative thinking

Whether this is your first foray into creating events or you have been delivering events in-house for years, getting fresh eyes on your strategy from an outside perspective will help you to consider new ways of doing things. Event planners bring fresh, creative ideas to the table and help you consider your brief from a new perspective. Our exposure to diverse events and industries enables us to suggest innovative concepts you might not have considered and we keep our finger on the pulse of future trends so our clients are ahead of the game. Whether it’s interactive elements, unique themes, new ways to attract sponsors, or cutting-edge technology, the creative input of an expert team can elevate your event and leave a lasting impression on attendees.

3. The power of a whole team

Professional event planners possess a wealth of experience in orchestrating a whole range of corporate events, from large conferences to small-scale meetings so this isn’t our first rodeo! We’ve spent years cultivating the skills and experience to make sure events run smoothly from the planning stage right through to evaluation after the delegates have headed home. By partnering with an expert team like the one here at BeaconHouse Events, you get over a century (!) of tried and tested event expertise joining your team without the overheads of bringing in an internal team member, plus we can hit the ground running right away.

4. Continuity and consistency

We’re experts in events, and you’re experts in your sector and making sure your organisation is running smoothly. Planning and executing an event is exciting, but when done well, it is incredibly time-consuming, distracts away from the day job, and leaves teams feeling like they are spinning a lot of plates, especially if there is not a dedicated events role within the business. Experienced event managers streamline the process by handling logistics, coordinating with vendors, and managing schedules, which significantly reduces the burden on your team and ensures the event is executed smoothly and efficiently. Let us get our hands dirty and focus on the details so you can focus on what you do best in the lead-up, and then enjoy extending your network, connecting with your team, and being inspired by the energy in the room on the day.

5. We’ve got your back

Don’t worry, you’ll still retain full ownership of your event and we love to talk through creative ideas and strategy as we go through the journey together. We’re always fully transparent about our process so you feel informed and excited every step of the way. While you can have as much, or as little, involvement as you would like, we will always be your biggest team of cheerleaders, administrative support gurus, health and safety experts, sustainability superstars, and financial wizards.

6. Risk mitigation

Organising an event comes with a certain level of risk, and we are pros at identifying where things might go wrong and nipping it in the bud right away. Your dedicated manager will anticipate potential issues and have contingency plans in place, ensuring that problems are swiftly resolved with minimal impact. Expertise in risk assessment and management provides peace of mind to our clients, allowing you to focus on other important aspects of your business and get excited about your event.

7. Attention to detail and personalisation

With the best will in the world, it is hard to have your finger on the detail when you have a day job to concentrate on too. We’re here to make sure that no ball gets dropped and pay meticulous attention to detail, ensuring every element of your event aligns with your vision and values. We work with you to customise each aspect according to your company’s brand and culture, creating a bespoke experience that resonates with the people in the room, and even throwing in some surprises along the way too…

7. Our supplier networks

Our little black book of contacts is chocka block with the best in the business when it comes to venues, photography, lighting, catering or sustainable goodie bag giveaways. Not only do we know who will be a good fit for your business, but we only work with suppliers who do good business and share our values when it comes to working sustainably. Over 10 years, we’ve done the research to source high-quality services and products that will fit your budget and our relationships are invaluable in securing venues, catering, technology, and other necessary components swiftly and without the back and forth.

Event planning can be fraught with stress and uncertainties but by partnering with an expert external team you can alleviate the pressure on your people and ensure a stress free and enjoyable experience for everyone involved.

We’d love to hear from you about your event plans for 2025 and beyond. To speak to our team contact info@beaconhouse-events.co.uk or call 0191 691 3456.

Every event we create combines thousands of unique moments, all combining to create one shared experience. It is a real skill to notice, capture, and share those moments in a way that tells the story of the event long after delegates have gone, that’s why it’s important to partner with a photographer who understands what it means to capture an event engagingly and interestingly. We’ve worked with Thomas Jackson, founder of TyneSight Media, a creative content capture agency, for over eight years on a whole spectrum of different events. Over his career he’s photographed everyone from Michelle Obama to Prince Harry, so we thought it was time to pick his brains on what goes into creating great event photography (and why, no, you can’t just snap some pics on your iPhone)…

Hi Thomas! You’ve been capturing BeaconHouse events for over eight years now, how did that relationship start?

The first event I ever shot for BeaconHouse was the Dynamites Awards back in 2016, and we just worked together on the 2024 awards so it’s safe to say I think they liked what we produced! From there the relationship has flourished and I feel like part of the team. The majority of my work centers around capturing “people on stages”, whether that is at corporate events and conferences, live music events, or festivals, so it is a natural partnership with the team at BeaconHouse.

Capturing ‘people on stages” is what you do best – how is event photography different from other types of photography?

Event photography isn’t predictable. With studio or PR photography you have control over the location, lighting, and styling and you can pose your subjects to a certain extent. With event photography, you are capturing what is in front of you and you are tasked with making what is there look as good as possible. Often what is there on the day doesn’t translate into a great photo – I have a lot of friends who are lighting designers and we often joke that it is my job to make all of their hard work disappear to make the photos look better.

You don’t have control over the scene, you only have control over how you shoot it. That is one of the things that I enjoy most about it – the unpredictability keeps my work interesting and I have always enjoyed telling the story of a live event, rather than creating more clinical or standardised images.

How important is it for that unpredictability to be underpinned by a great photography brief?

A solid brief is hugely important at the start of a relationship with a new client, while you are learning what they want and how you work together. A brief gives clarity to what you are trying to achieve, and the timings and ensures that the client receives all the shots that they need. A great brief includes a must-have shot list, a realistic running time, and space for some flexibility in the agenda if things don’t run perfectly to schedule. Ideally, it is good to talk through the photography brief in advance and have a conversation about what is realistic and possible in the time that we have, it’s all about collaboration and listening to each other to get the best results.

The best event photography comes from a combination of a relationship with the client based on trust and a realistic and detailed brief to keep everyone right on the day.

How do you make sure you capture a variety of images across events?

It can be difficult to stop event photography from looking ‘samey’ if it is in a popular venue, or it is a traditional stage set up, but really comes down to experience and ‘working the room’ pre-event to make sure you have a variety of backdrops and angles. Each event has its nuances and it is our job to capture the individual moments that make that event unique, which comes down to planning and immersing yourself in what is going on around you.

When you are shooting a conference it is about watching how speakers react in real time and adapting your style to it; are they pinned to the lectern or walking around? Do they have certain mannerisms that would make a good shot or is the lighting hitting them in a certain way? It’s those details that tell the story of individual events and create interesting, unique images.

Talk to me about lighting!

Lighting is as important as music or venue dressing in creating the atmosphere that you want, both in real life and in content, so it should never be a last-minute thought. Lighting is crucial to our ability to get the best photographs and building a good relationship with the lighting director on site makes any photographer’s job much easier. A good lighting director makes a photographer’s job so much easier and being able to have honest conversations to discuss issues in real time saves a lot of time and energy later.

Organising an event is a busy time but be mindful of lighting when you are setting up at a venue. Take time to step back and take a look at the stage or the networking areas to see if it looks dark, if there are lots of shadows, or if a speaker is going to be backlit. We are all working together for the same goal, so speak to your photographer if you’re not sure or ask venue managers for their advice – if it looks weird in real life, chances are it will look a little odd in photos too.

A good photographer will arrive on-site early to walk around and check the lighting in each space, trust their process and if they ask for something to be tweaked it will usually be for a good reason.

How do you capture ‘in the moment’ shots without being intrusive?

A lot of it comes from judging the vibe of what is going on and making a judgment of how warm people are to photographs being taken. I’m quite visible as a photographer, which means it’s less about trying to covertly take photographs and more about being part of the moment so you can capture it from within. I always take time to have a chat with delegates or share a joke to make them feel comfortable, rather than trying to blend into shrubbery to get a candid shot.

There is a lot of crossover between great event photography and great street photography. The best street photographers don’t try to hide, they are there, front and center of what is happening on the ground. It comes down to having the confidence to know that you should be there, which relaxes delegates enough that those unique, candid moments come naturally.

You, of course, need to be unintrusive when people are speaking on stage, but again this comes down to taking the time to know the space and where you can get a good view without changing or damaging the audience experience.

How do you work with the event team to manage the consent of those being photographed?

It is important to have a process in place pre-event to know who can and can’t be photographed, whether that be different coloured lanyards or stickers etc. I don’t like the term ‘can’t’ be photographed, which implies a serious need to protect this person’s identity, simply that they don’t want to be is enough. There are always reluctant subjects, and I don’t need to know why someone doesn’t want to be in a photograph, maybe it is a bad hair day or they spilled coffee on their jacket on the way to the venue, I just need a way of identifying who those people are on site. If someone lets me know that they don’t want their picture taken, that’s not a problem at all, usually, I will just make a joke of it and delete the image.

Identifying people, especially children, who don’t wish to be photographed by giving them a certain colour lanyard to everyone else automatically makes them stand out and creates a point of difference which can be quite damaging. Try giving out a seemingly random selection of lanyards or stickers, where only the event planner and photographer know which colour means don’t photograph to avoid making a certain group of people stand out.

There is a gulf of practice between what you legally have to do and what is best practice and usually it is about finding somewhere in the middle that is not negatively going to impact the experience of attending the event. Blanket signage saying that there will be photography at the event is one end of the spectrum, all the way through to explicit consent from every attendee, both have their pros and cons.

Last but not least, how do you make sure that you tell a good story with your images?

Again it comes back to collaboration and understanding the purpose behind the event and how they will be using the images afterward; a lot of the time it is about creating FOMO in the people who couldn’t attend! Events are an amalgamation of lots of little moments, from the calibre and enthusiasm of the speakers to the water cooler conversations and little moments of delight that BeaconHouse Events do so well. A great photographer will be right there alongside the delegates, capturing those as they happen.

People worry about disturbing photographers, but I really welcome people telling me what is going on in other areas of the venue, or what they are enjoying about the event – it all helps to add layers to the images and creates something completely authentic and new.

To find out more about TyneSight Media visit www.tynesight.co.uk and to speak to the team at BeaconHouse Events about creating your next event email info@beaconhouse-events.co.uk or give us a call +44 (0)191 691 3456.

An event might just seem like a fun way to wrap up the year, but getting your team together to share a positive experience is a powerful way to engage and excite your people, inspire innovation, retain top talent, and improve productivity. According to Gallup’s ‘State of the Global Workplace’ report, only 23% of employees feel engaged at work, and 1 in 10 employees don’t feel “valued at all,” according to a report by Workhuman. Well-planned and executed events, that have a clear purpose, are an important part of the puzzle when it comes to addressing these issues and fostering a positive workplace culture in the coming year.

End-of-year events are a well-honoured workplace tradition, but more organisations are looking to go beyond drinks after work at the pub and create a positive, shared experience and really say thank you. We have been working with a range of businesses to invest in engaging their teams through events, including CF Fertilisers and Leighton. Earlier this autumn we partnered with CF Fertilisers to deliver a leadership conference at Wynyard Hall as part of their annual staff engagement series. Now in its second year, the conference centred around the theme of ‘Inclusive Leadership,’ with a focus on inclusion, collaboration, and empowerment, and gave the leadership team a way of recognising and rewarding success across a large team.

Just recently we had the pleasure of planning a company day for Leighton after a record year for the organisation. Leighton wanted a day that blended business updates, team bonding, and celebratory fun and we brought that to life with a mini internal awards ceremony to acknowledge outstanding team contributions, a lively quiz, complete with themed rounds and friendly competition, capping off the evening with laughter and tasty food. The result was a company day that strengthened their company culture, celebrated achievements and left a lasting impression on the team.

Events don’t have to be run of the mill and can range from team-building retreats and workshops to annual parties and corporate celebrations. When businesses invest in these gatherings, they provide employees with opportunities to step away from their routines and engage in unique experiences. These experiences often help cultivate camaraderie, thereby strengthening relationships across departments.

So, how can events make your team feel more motivated in 2025?

1. They give an opportunity to say thank you

We all like to know that our hard work has been noticed and appreciated, and sometimes simply saying thank you is all it takes to make teammates feel appreciated. Simple words of gratitude can transform organisational culture and getting everyone together allows leaders to personally show their thanks to for hard work and dedication in a really personal way. Making time to organise an event to say thank you shows that every team member is valued and plays a vital role in the future success of the business, creating a sense of shared purpose.

2. Increase productivity

A well-timed and thoughtful event can lead to increased productivity across the whole business. When teams are given the chance to recharge and bond outside of the conventional work environment, they return to their tasks with renewed energy and creativity. Well-executed events with a clear purpose serve as a platform for brainstorming and innovation. For instance, hackathons or brainstorming sessions during retreats can give you valuable insights and foster collaborative thinking. By creating opportunities to collaborate in an informal setting, businesses can inspire idea generation that may not have a chance to surface during typical office hours!

3. Attract and retain the best talent

In an era where talent is at a premium, retention is more critical than ever. Events present the perfect opportunity to engage teams and instil a sense of belonging within the business. Regularly scheduled events – such as monthly check-ins, recreational activities, or professional development workshops – can all enhance job satisfaction. It doesn’t always have to be a big celebration either, getting into the habit of recognising birthdays or work anniversaries through small celebrations or acknowledgment events can significantly boost morale. These gestures show appreciation and encourage loyalty, making teams feel more like family. When colleagues feel appreciated and connected, they are more likely to stay with the business and contribute to continued success and growth.

4. Give people a chance to connect

How we make space to connect defines the culture of a business and provides the foundation to achieve almost anything – this could be through a fun day out, an outdoor adventure, an awards ceremony, a charity event, or a cooking class. Modern working patterns and alternating shift patterns might mean that some team members never have the chance to meet or get to know each other. This could lead to cliques forming or teams being unaware of priorities across the business.

5. Reward effort, achievements, and value-led behaviours

Designing an event that everyone across the business can enjoy and be part of, is a fun way to reward not just commercial success, but also give a pat on the back to those who best demonstrate company values too! Why not create a poll where people can choose what they want to do at the event so everyone feels involved, or make space to celebrate people who have gone above and beyond?

6. Create positive shared experiences

Events can range from team-building retreats and workshops to annual parties and celebrations, but at BeaconHouse we always do things a bit differently…so teams are surprised, engaged, and entertained for the whole event.  When businesses invest in bringing people together they provide opportunities to step away from routine and engage in unique experiences – especially important for hybrid teams or those with mixed shift patterns. These experiences help to strengthen relationships across departments and allow people the space to get to know each other.

Ultimately, when a business prioritises the experiences of their team and actively recognises their contributions, they cultivate a thriving workplace and set themselves up for sustained success. Harness the power of events, say thank you, and watch the positive ripple effect across the whole business in 2025 and beyond.

To speak to the team at BeaconHouse Events about creating a meaningful experience for your team or to simply chat through your staff engagement plans. Email info@beaconhouse-events.co.uk or give us a call +44 (0)191 691 3456.

You and the BeaconHouse Events team have gotten involved with a range of charitable initiatives over the past few years – which ones have you enjoyed the most?

I love being outside, and earlier in the year a few members of the team got the chance to support The Children’s Foundation, planting trees at their inner-city allotment, which was a real highlight. It was a cold but crisp spring day and the team from the charity told us about the projects that they deliver from the site and the difference that our support was making for young people in the region. We helped to tidy up the space and then took oak seedlings and planted them in a border foundation around the allotment which felt like we were leaving a legacy for the young people that are using the allotment today and in the future too.

With Groundwork North East, we went up to Hebburn and litter-picked around the local area before heading over to the salt marsh, a re-wilding part of the bank of the Tyne. We learnt about what the team was doing with the space and counted some of the species that were being protected in the space so that the Groundwork team could assess how the patch was growing.

Sustainability is a key priority for us here at BeaconHouse Events, so while this project was ultimately about supporting young people in our community to thrive, it also aligned with our green credentials!

How important do you think it is for businesses to support charities in this way?

When you look at a busy calendar, there is sometimes the temptation to think you’re too busy to take time out to do projects like this, but you can really see the difference in the team when we are back in the office. We carve the time out of people’s available capacity to go and take part in these charitable initiatives like this, which means people can really turn off, take time away from their emails, and get immersed in the task they are doing. While there is the philanthropic element of supporting charities that are close to our hearts (we recently chose to partner with ten charities as part of our 10th birthday celebrations), it also has a strategic business impact too. The team always comes back more creative and collaborative after working together to deliver something for a charity; it is a real morale boost and makes us an even closer team because of those shared experiences.

You have a busy calendar – tell us about what you get up to outside of work?  

I love living in the North East because you have the coast, countryside, and city all nearby, so there is plenty of opportunity to get out and explore. I love cold water swimming with Katie (Whitehouse), another event manager here at BeaconHouse, and alternate going early morning or at lunchtime depending on the weather! I find it helps with managing stress; we work on complex, busy projects, and it can be difficult to take time to totally switch off. Being that cold takes up all your brain capacity, so it is impossible to think about anything other than what you are doing, which can be very addictive! I would recommend it to anyone, especially people who work in the events sector – we tend to be quite tough and resilient anyway in this business, so it’s a great way to push yourself out of your comfort zone and decompress. As a business we acknowledge that the events sector is a busy one, so we make time to check in on each other and share tips on how to focus on wellbeing in and out of the office. I used to do longer walks quite a lot, but I’ve reigned it in a little recently after I contracted Lyme disease from a tick bite!

That sounds nasty! Has it made you think more about your health and well-being?

Yes, it took a a very long course of strong antibiotics to get me feeling like myself again, and it is one of those things that might flare up again in the future. It left me feeling pretty drained and lethargic which isn’t like me at all, and while I feel much better now, it made me think about my health in a way that I haven’t had to consider before. Due to global warming, there is a increase in ticks, and therefore an expected rise in Lyme disease cases over the coming years and there is so much uncertainty and confusing information out there. I would like to take my personal experience and see how I can use my skills to benefit organisations that raise awareness about the disease in the UK in the future, and support people who have also been impacted.

Are there any other causes that you looking forward to supporting in the coming twelve months?

Christmas is just around the corner and we’ll be Christmas wrapping again in Eldon Square for The Children’s Foundation which is always a highlight in our diaries. You get to meet such a range of different people, who either need a bit of a hand to make their gifts look lovely or are looking for their way to support a local charity. We’ll  be donning our festive jumpers and heading down as a team this December to get stuck in.

I love reading for pleasure and find it a great way to relax. One of my ambitions for 2025 is to use some of my free time to start volunteering for a charity that supports children and young people to get more confident with their reading ability. Alongside being a fantastic way to turn off at the end of the day, I’m a big believer that reading for pleasure makes you more creative, more curious about the world, and more able to explore and talk about complex issues; if I can help more children and young people find joy in that I think it would benefit them as individuals, and our future region as a whole.

From the very first conversations with our co-creators at Dynamo and Sunderland Software City, we knew we had to do things a little differently to ensure that accessibility, inclusivity, diversity, and sustainability were the golden threads that ran throughout the whole experience. So, the ‘Good Festival Ambition’ was born.

This ambition meant working hard to deliver a diverse events programme to make our core events truly accessible, considering those with different protected characteristics, ensuring we meet a wide range of needs, and making everyone feel as welcome as possible.

We sat down with Jamie Hardesty, director of communications at Sunderland Software City, to discuss his experiences of collaborating with the team here at BeaconHouse Events, how the festival has evolved since the inaugural year, and why the team was keen to focus on tech for purpose.

Hi Jamie! Now that the dust has settled on a second successful TechNExt festival, how has it evolved from 2023?

In that first year, we had an ambition to do something fun and inviting, and we knew that we wanted to connect what we have here in the region with the rest of the world and celebrate the work that is being developed here. That foundation remained for the second year, but we challenged ourselves to generate more value by introducing themes or golden threads that ran through the whole events programme that would resonate with our delegates.

Early in the planning process, we worked with the team at BeaconHouse Events to interrogate what that theme could be for the main stage conference. We were conscious that we didn’t want it to be something too generic or overdone, and in the end, we settled on ‘Tech for Purpose’. In the tech sector, the concept of ‘Tech for Good’ is already a well-established idea, but we wanted something that was more agnostic – a theme that cut through the noise and would really matter to people regardless of the sub-sector they are part of or the touch point they have with the tech ecosystem. I’m proud that together we developed a subject matter and curated content that resonated with the audience.

It takes a lot of content to fill a busy five-day festival programme; how did you collaborate with the team at BeaconHouse Events to bring that content to life in an accessible and engaging way?

The relationship was a natural extension and evolution from year one – the team at BeaconHouse Events is so easy to work with and is very strong at generating ideas and making things happen. No matter who you work with in the team, there is a lot of energy. Being such key members of the TechNExt development team, Sarah and Catherine espouse enthusiasm for the project, and that is modelled across the whole team. It was a real privilege for me to work with Katie McNeill for the first time on the festival this year; she is incredibly detail-orientated and diligent, which is key for a project as sprawling as TechNExt.

We would have regular biweekly and monthly touchpoints where we could look at key priorities, but we started by taking the time to look at our levels of audiences and what matters most to them. We broke down each audience and questioned what we meant by each group, what we thought would be interesting to them, and where there might be some gaps in the programme that we could creatively develop if we wanted to get these people interested and engaged. It very much boiled down to being able to have regular sessions where we could generate ideas, positively challenge each other, and have really frank conversations about what was possible. While the team at BeaconHouse is very creative, they are also experts at understanding what is realistic and achievable to specific deadlines and budgets.

There are a lot of different stakeholders involved in making TechNExt happen; logistically, how did that work?

We had a multi-channel process in place to make sure that everyone felt connected and aware of each moving part; from email chains to group chats and regular in-person meetings, there was a feeling of being one large team pushing towards a shared goal. Alongside the scheduled catch-ups, as the festival got closer, I appreciated how flexible, agile, and contactable Katie and the team were to address more time-sensitive decisions. That could be a quick WhatsApp message to iron something out or jumping on a call with a speaker to answer some last-minute questions, it made it much easier to keep the project moving forward.

Events can be stressful situations, and there are lots of moving parts, but having a transparent and honest relationship with the BeaconHouse team meant that we could problem-solve effectively. Running orders change last minute, key messages need to be communicated to delegates about new opportunities or logistics need to be tweaked, and having Catherine on-site and available on WhatsApp at the Main Stage conference meant that we could manage different parts of the room and address things in real time. The support during the week was incredibly valuable to me and the rest of the team and is a testament to the skills within the team at BeaconHouse to keep everything going smoothly in the lead-up and during the event itself.

What were your highlights from the festival?

I might be biased, but my highlight of the week was the Main Stage conference. Seeing a couple of hundred people being exposed to technology leaders who were there to share ideas, be thought-provoking, and inspire our delegates was very special.

I was delighted to see some of the feedback that we have received for the event. It really felt like we were doing something different and adding value to the region and the sector. This festival wasn’t about delving into generic topics or showcasing shiny things; we were talking about how technology can have a real-world impact on people here in the region and beyond. We talked about how tech can support people living with dementia to how digital can intervene in and prevent child labour crises – these are hard-hitting issues where yes, we are talking about innovation, but ultimately, we are talking about people and how tech can improve lives through purposeful intervention. It was a real privilege to put together.

How did you make sure that the event was open to as many people as possible and did as much good as possible?

I have expertise in the technology field, and I’m confident creating content around those themes, but where BeaconHouse really shined was curating a purposeful festival that is fit for everyone. We were passionate about reducing the carbon footprint of the entire festival, and the team at BeaconHouse led on that sustainability drive. Equally, we had speakers and delegates from a wide range of backgrounds, and BeaconHouse was strong from an audio-visual point of view making sure that everyone was able to access and engage with the content in a meaningful way. Accessibility and equity were just as key a theme as sustainability and formed a key part of the Good Festival Ambition.

The Good Festival Ambition was something that BeaconHouse developed and championed from TechNExt 2023, and we took away a lot of feedback and learnings from year one, and we were keen to put those into play this year. Those learnings meant that we were able to work together to produce an even more accessible and enjoyable festival in 2024, and we’re already starting to pick up that discussion on how the festival will look in 2025.

TechNExt is a fantastic example of how the public and private sector market focusses can collaborate and support one another to support the region and help people better understand the technology sector, how they connect to it, strengthen it, and ultimately grow it.

The team at BeaconHouse Events is very understanding of their client’s overall goals and ambitions and was incredibly supportive in collaboratively working together with us to ensure that we achieved success. Their flexibility, open communication, and critical feedback are really healthy and a key reason why they have long-lasting relationships with their clients.