Insights
Insights for event founders and professionals who want to launch, scale or sell event businesses. Learn best practice across the full lifecycle — from validating a concept and building your first edition to raising capital and preparing for exit — plus practical advice from senior leaders across the global events industry.
Launch. Scale. Exit: "Travel Changed My Father's Life – So I Built an Event Around It"
Serge Dive launched This is Beyond after a safari to Africa in 2005 changed his perspective. A decade of building later, he sold it. Along the way, he learned that in the luxury events world, the rules of conventional business don't always apply – and that the most counter-intuitive decisions are often the right ones.
Inside Manta Middle East: Doug Emslie and Toby Duckworth on why the region's events ecosystem is ready to scale
Doug Emslie and Toby Duckworth lay out their vision for Manta Middle East, including why they believe the timing is right, what the team brings to the founders they back, and what the next chapter of the region’s events industry could look like.
What metrics are important to build event value?
Building an event business and building a valuable event business are not the same thing. Unfortunately, many founders discover this distinction too late.
Launch. Scale. Exit: "It Was an Accidental Business" with Jimmy Vestbirk
Jimmy Vestbirk never meant to build an event business. A decade later, he sold it. Here's what he learned about credibility, community, and preparing for exit.
Launch. Scale. Exit: What Buyers Really Want with Mary Larkin
Nineteen Group's Mary Larkin shares what she looks for when acquiring an event, from founder chemistry to financial readiness — using SubSummit as a case study.
Launch. Scale. Exit: What It Really Takes with Aldo Mazzocco
From the decisions that made the difference, to the challenges nobody talks about, we sat down with Aldo, Chairman and Co-Founder of Data Center Nation, to hear the story behind the build.
What are the common first-founder pitfalls, and how can you avoid them?
In this post, Pablo Martin shares the lessons that usually only come the hard way: the venue contracts signed too soon, the dates that clashed with a public holiday nobody checked, the first hires that set the wrong tone. Read on to discover the most common founder pitfalls to avoid.
Launch. Scale. Exit: "Spinning 20 Plates at Once" with Dan Cockerton
Dan Cockerton is the co-founder of Digital Accountancy Show — the leading technology conference for accountants, bookkeepers and finance professionals. In this blog, we sat down with Dan to talk inspiration, the metrics that really matter, and what he'd do differently next time.
From Idea to Exit: Joshua Bull on Building and Selling EPC
What started as a conference in a hotel had grown in just four years into a tradeshow attracting 6000 visitors and over 400 exhibitors and sponsors. We sat down with EPC founder Joshua Bull to hear the story behind the business — from the spark of an idea to a successful exit.
Launch. Scale. Exit: Terrapinn CEO Greg Hitchen on the Digital Health Festival
Terrapinn recently acquired the Digital Health Festival (DHF), Australia's premier healthcare technology event. We sat down with Greg Hitchen, Group CEO of Terrapinn, to find out what drew him to DHF, what he looks for in an acquisition, and what the future holds for the event.
Launch. Scale. Exit: Getting the ‘Tonne of Bricks off Your Shoulders’ with Toby Walters
In this blog, we sat down with Toby Walters to talk inspiration, juggling commitments, and what expedited the exit process for Elite.
How Can Technology Help Build an Events Business? An Interview with Marco Giberti
The events industry is often associated with logistics, from venues and stages to registration systems and apps. But the most successful event founders recognise that an event alone isn’t enough, they must build a community around it. Technology can help with this when used appropriately. We discuss how with industry veteran Marco Giberti.
How to Build a Business for Exit: A Practical Guide for Founders
Learn how to build an exit-ready business with strong systems, financial discipline, and leadership depth. A practical guide to creating long-term value buyers recognise.
How to Scale Your Events Business: A Founder’s Practical Guide
Learn how to scale your events business with the right strategy, financial foundations, and systems. A practical guide for founders to grow sustainably and avoid common pitfalls.
Funding an Events Startup: A Practical Guide for Founders
In this guide, we explore how venture capital works, how event founders can use it to scale faster and how Manta Media Capital stands out.
