Launching your own event can be a powerful way to build your brand, connect with your community, and potentially create a profitable business venture. Whether you’re considering a small workshop or aspiring to create the next major conference in your industry, thoughtful planning and strategic execution are essential.
Andrew and Pete, who run ATOMICON—one of Europe’s largest business growth conferences—have demonstrated that events can be both successful and profitable when done right. Their journey from expecting just 80 attendees to hosting over 1,500 offers valuable insights for aspiring event organisers.
1. Start with your audience, not your idea
The biggest mistake people make when organising events is focusing on what they want to create rather than what their audience needs. This creates “an uphill slog.” Instead:
- Build an audience and community first.
- Listen to what they’re asking for.
- Create an event that solves their problems or fulfils their desires.
When people attend, they’re not just there for you or the content—they’re there for the community. This shift in perspective makes marketing significantly easier.
2. Budget for multiple scenarios
Financial planning is crucial for event success. Create detailed budgets for:
- Worst-case scenario (minimum viable attendance)
- Break-even point
- Best-case scenario (maximum capacity)
Andrew and Pete planned their first ATOMICON with a worst-case scenario of 80 attendees while ensuring they could still deliver a great experience. When they sold 350 tickets in five days, they were prepared to scale up. For each major decision, maintain a clear profit and loss projection to keep your event financially sound.
3. Create a standout experience
The most successful events deliver more than content—they create memorable experiences:
- Invest in quality speakers who have proven experience genuinely engaging an audience.
- Include unexpected elements that surprise and delight attendees.
- Focus on facilitating valuable connections between participants.
- Consider adding implementation workshops so attendees leave with action plans.
Andrew and Pete attribute much of their success to investing “a lot of time and money on hiring the best speakers possible.” They look for successful business owners who are also confident and energetic presenters.
4. Consider a hybrid approach
While in-person events offer irreplaceable networking opportunities, virtual components can expand your reach and accessibility:
- Create virtual experiences that complement rather than duplicate in-person offerings.
- Include online networking opportunities like speed networking and breakout rooms.
- Consider matchmaking services to connect attendees with similar interests.
- Allow speakers to interact with online attendees in private rooms.
As Andrew and Pete say, “virtual events can also be frigging awesome and change businesses,” especially with advancing technologies.
5. Build your team
Events require significant logistical coordination. Andrew and Pete have an “incredible team” helping them plan ATOMICON over an entire year.
For your first event, consider:
- Hiring an events team to handle logistics.
- Recruiting volunteers to help on the day.
- Partnering with others who have complementary skills.
- Outsourcing technical aspects if hosting virtual components.
6. Marketing your event effectively
Creating buzz around your event requires strategic marketing:
- Collaborate with community hosts to reach established audiences.
- Encourage early registrants to spread the word.
- Use pricing tiers that increase as the event date approaches.
- Sell tickets to your next event while at your current one.
Andrew and Pete advise, “When promoting your event, go big, create a buzz and sound excited. If you’re not, you can’t expect other people to be.”
7. Learn from others
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Andrew and Pete recommend attending events outside your comfort zone and local area. Pay attention to:
- How speakers engage with the audience.
- Solutions to common problems like lunch queues.
- Registration processes and attendee experiences.
- Post-event communications.
This research pays dividends when planning your own event.
8. Collect and implement feedback
Continuous improvement keeps attendees coming back. Andrew and Pete conduct a big survey after each event and make improvements based on that feedback.
You can ask about:
- Speaker quality and relevance.
- Venue comfort and accessibility.
- Networking opportunities.
- Overall value for money.
- What could be improved for next time.
9. Pricing strategy
Thoughtful pricing helps with both cash flow and attendance:
- Use tiered pricing that increases as the event date approaches.
- Offer early-bird discounts to reward prompt decisions.
- Consider offering group discounts to encourage companies to send teams.
- Sell tickets to your next event at your current one with special pricing.
This approach helps generate upfront revenue to fund initial expenses while creating urgency for potential attendees.
10. Embrace the unexpected
No matter how well you plan, something unexpected will happen. Andrew and Pete’s first ATOMICON sold far more tickets than anticipated in just five days, requiring them to book the biggest venue in Newcastle. Build flexibility into your plans and maintain a problem-solving mindset. Sometimes, these surprises lead to your greatest successes.
Launching an event requires significant work, but the rewards can be substantial. Beyond potential profits, events build community, establish authority, and create lasting connections between attendees.
As you begin planning, remember Andrew and Pete’s core advice: build your community first, go big with your marketing, learn from other events, implement a tiered pricing structure, and consider bringing in experts to handle logistics. With proper planning and execution, your event could grow from a small gathering to something much bigger—perhaps even becoming the next must-attend conference in your industry.
