Why do we have events?
It’s an age-old question that surrounds any career path, but events are something that the need never seems to go away for. Why do we spend our time, energy and resources on planning and delivering these as companies? Simply put, it brings people together for fun, learning, networking, entertainment or to share business updates. Events are a rare occasion to get everybody in the same room to hear everything at the same time.
I’ve spent most of my career working in events and I take great pride in making those moments happen and ensuring each moment is exactly how the client wants it to be. As an events perfectionist, when I first met the team at Get Further, there was instant relief in knowing we were going to get along swimmingly and I would be able to plan and deliver exactly what they were after.
Get Further had never held a conference before, this was part of their 5 year strategy to bring together teachers, sector leaders and policymakers for an inspiring day focussing on post-16 English and maths. Their aims were to make the day optimistic, energetic and to offer opportunities to learn from colleagues across the sector and, what can I say? Challenge accepted.
I had experts on the topic easily on hand from the Get Further Team who had a clear idea of what the day should look like and communicated that well, as well as a great line up of speakers who would help shape the event. The rest, however, was down to the Bright Events team.
Time to bring my many years of experience and events skills into play and focus on positive energy whilst creating an event that could make a lasting impression. How, I hear you ask? Here’s my list of must-haves to make this achievable:
Be bold with branding.
Set regular updates with the team, suppliers, speakers and venue to ensure consistent communication across all areas.
Produce documents, shared files, up-to-date budget trackers and action plans that are simple for anybody to follow and understand.
Be open to suggestions and think outside of the box to make the event ‘pop’.
Focus on a created ‘legacy’ and allow spaces for guests to network, relax, chat and grab that all important coffee!
Don’t be afraid to use the skills of the people around you.
Always be warm, welcoming and, above all, stay positive!
With all this in mind, I’m pleased to say that the Get Further Forum 2026: Never too Late to Learn was a truly fantastic day. That atmosphere was warm, welcoming, positive and there was a great energy from start to finish. We managed to hear from 29 speakers and hosted 300 delegates who turned up eager to learn, network and share their ideas, all led by a team who were hyped up and ready to participate. But don’t just take my word for it:
“The people here are very open to hearing, talking and expressing themselves. If this is something you feel passion for and feel like you can connect with, do it.” - Arthur Moore
“The forum’s been amazing and I would highly recommend it. I’m hoping next year I can come back and do it again! Wink wink!” - Adrian Benn
So, to bring it back to the start, why do we do events? Because people benefit from interacting with each other.
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