Running A Live Event? Here’s Why It’s Tougher, But Worth It

You make unforgettable connections, new friends and memorable experiences for your audience.

It creates opportunities and lets you leave your mark by saying, ‘I brought everyone together.’ No platform can take that away from you.

I have seen so much change from delivering a big day event (I don’t want to always use the word ‘conference’) since 2018.

Let me share the differences between 2018 to today and what I have learned from delivering year after year about what makes people feel present and excited to return.

2025 presents a unique set of challenges. The landscape has shifted dramatically.

These are the biggest changes I have seen since 2018 for in-person events.

There has to be a clear reason for people to make that commitment.

A generic conference of speakers doesn’t cut it anymore. You could spend a huge amount of budget on industry celebrities but that doesn’t necessarily mean that people will still attend. People know today that they have time on their side. Travel and spend add up, there needs an event more valid reason today to make that decision. 

As we came back after Covid, we shifted to hybrid events in the theatre, using cinema screens as giant Zoom screens. I found it very hard and also somewhat demoralising. We gave people a choice to come back together in the room, or stay where they are and watch online. While I wanted to bring people together, most preferred to stay at home.

You can take the mundane route of booking a hotel for a conference or you can push the needle. 

The trade off with creativity is cost.

The biggest factor is venue fees and catering. To tell people they have to head over the road, away from the venue to buy drinks from a coffee shop is shocking, but it does happen. To have trays of sandwiches and crisps can also leave people feeling hungry and carbing them up may not be the best move before an afternoon session.

The challenge isn’t just finding cost-effective solutions, it’s ensuring that financial limitations don’t dilute the impact of the experience.

It is tough, we have seen first hand the year on year increase in costs for the necessities. At the same time, you have to keep an event value for money without passing on the full in-costs. This is why we have gradual price increases for Creator Day intending to get people booked in early, so we can plan numbers.

When we delivered the first YATM conference in 2018 and 2019, I was oblivious to any other event, particularly on a national level. 

As the YATM audience has grown it now attracts people from around the UK and overseas. However, people are faced with choice that affects budget allocation. 

Creator Day is May 15th and we want to avoid scheduling it too close to other events with which we have a close relationship, such as our friends at UpLift Live. There next event is 26th March 2026 (check it out here).

There is now greater choice with Marketing MeetUp (March) and Atomicon (June). What I like is that it encourages everyone to raise their game. 

Securing suitable venues has become more challenging due to increased demand and limited availability (we use a theatre where performers book years in advance). Additionally, more venues now require significant upfront deposits, which can strain budgets even further.

You cannot just keep posting about your event, especially if you want to start promoting it months in advance. People today are more likely to tune out.

Promoting an event without being intrusive is a delicate balance. Over-promoting can deter potential attendees, while under-promoting risks obscurity. Crafting messages that resonate without overwhelming your audience is a nuanced art. This balance was important in the past, and it’s even more crucial today.

The reason you are delivering the event is to be in tune with someone else. The challenge isn’t just about visibility, it’s about standing out and convincing people why your event is worth their time, energy and money. 

Back in 2018 everything was built around belief of wanting to deliver an event, in 2025 people have to believe in you that you won’t let them down.

When we started the day event format, a lot didn’t go according to plan, I recognised that people are forgiving. That meant a lot.

Today, when people put time away from their business there needs to be a return for that investment, especially given the current economic climate.

Travel can be significant for many, and that deserves respect and consideration. When attendees come to Creator Day, I want to ensure they don’t have to spend extra money.

For the commitment from attendees, significant time, energy, and financial investment is invested from the organiser. From securing venues to coordinating speakers and managing logistics, the workload can be overwhelming, especially for teams with limited resources.

Despite these challenges, success is achieved with strategic planning and understanding your audience.

Articulate the reason for hosting the event. Whether it’s to share knowledge, build a community, or showcase ideas, a well-defined reason guides all subsequent decisions and communicates value to potential attendees. Without a clear purpose, even the most well-executed event can feel aimless.

Creator Day 2025 has two main objectives. First, it aims to recognise the effort required to stay relevant and avoid fading away. Second, to maintain relevance, it’s essential to have support from others. Creator Day focuses on fostering connections and building closer relationships among attendees.

Every YATM event is designed with our community in mind. It’s a continual conversation to understand preferences and add ons, ensuring our events resonate and provide value. We don’t create events for an abstract “market” but for real people who we know and care about.

You have to deeply understand who you’re trying to reach. 

Tailor the event’s content, format, and promotion to align with their interests and needs. This alignment increases relevance and engagement. For YATM, we know that our audience values interaction over passive learning, so we design our events to encourage conversation and connection.

The more you create and commit, it helps to build familiarity and trust. This makes people more inclined to participate in our events. I’ve realised over the years that persistence can become your biggest place of learning that you won’t find in a book. You start small and gradually build.

An event shouldn’t exist in isolation. A content ecosystem helps to support and amplify the event. 

This could include blogs, podcasts, or social media discussions that build anticipation. This also means that promotion is not just centred around a main event, which helps prevent overwhelming your audience.

To explain what I mean around creating an ecosystem, the YATM year is scheduled like a school year. From September to April we have Lunch Clubs (2025 to 2026 will be in Poole, London and Bristol). In May we have Creator Day and in July we have an end of year party. 

By bringing people along for the journey, it helps to show them a commitment and a continual narrative. Plus it’s good to head out, become familiar with others and make friends. This just heightens the whole experience.  

Events should be viewed as part of a larger narrative rather than isolated experiences. Additionally, a genuine community-driven approach resonates more effectively than aggressive marketing.

The success of an event isn’t just in its planning but in the execution. 

You have to create an immersive experience where people feel engaged. It doesn’t mean that the focus is all on the main event. This could mean interactive sessions and the networking before and after the main event.  

I am starting to lean more into the full experience of people being around each other, to chat, to learn and to build friendships.

It’s not about the people on the stage, but the importance of knowing that we are better together.

The best way to do this is make it a living, breathing entity. YATM has now become the platform that welcomes people and encourages our own creative efforts to be seen and amplified. For instance, we close Creator Day ’25 with a live podcast, with an audience, for Indie Business Club with Mel Berfield and Ben McKinney. 

Instead of chasing bigger numbers, you focus on depth of connection.

This commitment to continuous improvement is what makes makes a worthwhile experience. We never assume we have it all figured out. Each event teaches us something new.

The biggest lesson from delivering YATM events is that trying to do everything alone. This is what has led to my own burnout.

The best events happen when you ask for help and lean into partnerships, connections, and friendships. 

YATM has always been built on collaboration, whether it’s the speakers who bring their expertise, the venues that open their doors, or the people who step up to support behind the scenes. Asking for help isn’t a weakness; it’s what makes YATM events work. The right people make the impossible achievable, and that’s what keeps this community strong.

Creator Day support this year, has been from reaching out to friends. FOUNDRY, Baggette + Co. Wealth Management, Yammayap, La Mias and Wire & Cable Supplies, they have made the added pressures feel bearable. We all need the people can rely on, not the strangers who are not familiar.

Event planning in 2025 presents significant challenges. 

However, by understanding the hurdles, implementing strategic practices, and staying attuned to our community’s needs, we’ve developed a framework that transforms challenges into opportunities. 

As we gear up for Creator Day this May, we’re confident that our approach, refined through experience and community-driven insights, will make it an event to remember.

Delivering an event in 2025 isn’t easy. 

Costs are rising, expectations are higher, and attention is harder to capture. 

What works is centred around a clear purpose, a strong community, and an experience that feels personal and immersive.

When you build something with the right people, for the right reasons, the challenges become part of the journey, not the obstacle.

Creator Day isn’t just another event, it’s a reflection of everything YATM stands for. Hope to see you in May.