Microsoft Accelerator Founders' Summit

Microsoft wanted to bring together tech company founders and graduates of its Accelerator programme from across the globe, to build relationships, swap stories and help solve each other’s business challenges. The event was seen as a catalyst in building a connected, alumni community.

Historic Chicheley Hall was our home for 24 hours, with a packed agenda covering funding, talent and culture, negotiation and listening, as well as intimate ‘founders’ dilemma’ storytelling sessions. Yoga, poker and laser clay shooting also provided opportunities to relax and unwind.

Proud moments:

  • Achieving a net promoter score of +93; with 83% scoring the event ‘excellent’ and 17% scoring it ‘above average’. The highest our client had ever seen for an event.

  • Working with Microsoft as true event partners. With the stakeholders based in Israel and the US, we took an active role in shaping the agenda, recruited all external speakers, found the perfect venue and added all the finishing flourishes to create the feeling of a cosy, family-style gathering.

  • Completely re-styling Chicheley: bringing in vintage furniture and gorgeous flowers to provide an authentic country house environment.

  • Challenging the status quo of a typical tech event, with a female-dominated speaker line-up, including Jane Reddin from Balderton and Nancy Fechnay from Flight Ventures.

Praise:

"This was our inaugural founders’ event, the first of its kind and another step in Microsoft Accelerators’ efforts to help our alumni, and connect our global alumni. It was crucial that it went well. As I am not based out of the UK, I needed someone that knew the tech ecosystem, best facilities and local vendors - Forgather came highly recommended and they did not disappoint. They were partners every step of the way, connected us to the best speakers and content and helped construct the schedule from A to Z.

We sprinted from the idea for this event to delivery in less than two and a half months and I felt like I had great support from the Forgather team. This truly was a wonderful event, and I’m thrilled with the results. The numbers speak for themselves – a net promoter score as high as +93 is a huge achievement. I couldn’t have done it without you".

Toni Hasson - Global Alumni Program Manager, Microsoft Accelerator

Snowball

Snowball is one of our lovingly crafted Forgather owned event properties. Over the years we’ve built up an exclusive business community of well connected, inspirational thought leaders. They are the tech entrepreneurs, investors and business leaders on a course to change lives, and the world.

Each March, we meet for our annual ski event. An invitation-only, informal, private retreat set in a ski resort, designed to facilitate transformative introductions. We weave a rich thread of content throughout the event, tackling thought provoking issues from AI to genome sequencing, but there’s not a PowerPoint slide in sight. In short we meet, we eat, we ski, we learn. We’re proud to say the relationships we help build through Snowball have often proved life changing.

Praise:

“If you get invited, don't even think twice - just go”. – Harry Briggs, BFG Ventures

After each Snowball event I walk away with new friends, genuine connections, bold ideas and massive inspiration to go out and change the world. – Melinda Lee Ferguson, CA Technologies

“Like Davos. But way funner”. – Gabbi Cahane, Investor

“This must be the best technology networking event in the world”. – Robin Voogd, OLX

“Only Joseph's Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is brighter and more colourful than this crowd. A truly remarkable experience”. – Martin Fincham, LANSA

“An event full of energy and a catalyst of business relationships…Snowball is a nuclear reactor”. – Priya Lakhani, CENTURY

 

Microsoft Accelerator: The Pitch

The Pitch: demo day with a difference 

Microsoft Accelerator is a global initiative to help entrepreneurs build great companies. Forgather was brought in to run the startup demo day of the first official cohort of the London Microsoft Accelerator, their mentor-driven three month programme. We have since been retained to run the event a further three times, building on the success and scale of ‘The Pitch’ and developing the event brand to fit the founders it serves.

Proud moments:

  • Creating the overall event concept and format and re-branding the event The Pitch.

  • Leading the marketing and audience generation resulting in sell out events.

  • Finding stellar venues to inspire and delight - from stunning views at Millbank Tower's Skyloft, to the home of Europe's largest disco ball at Camden's KOKO, to the opulent Café de Paris. We were also the first commercial booking at WPP's building Sea Containers House, ensuring that we could effectively showcase startup/corporate collaboration on a grand scale.

  • Throwing a great party - with a live band to 'play on' the startups and lead the revels post presentation, a cyr wheel artist, massage therapists, a yellfie booth and branded cupcakes.

  • Developing the content for each event to showcase the expertise of the founders. Our event at Sea Containers House featured stars from the business world - Metro Bank and BMW to bring their stories to life.

Praise:

"I have worked with Belinda and her company, Forgather, for the past year and a half in my capacity as Startups Lead for Microsoft in the UK. She and the team have worked tirelessly to pull off The Pitch, our Microsoft Ventures London 'demo day' event three times - and each time, the event got better and better. Their real strength lies in end-to-end event management from event design and marketing to venue sourcing, logistics, connections with investors and on-site event management. Forgather are a joy to work with and we have always been in safe hands with them".

Diane Perlman - Global CMO at MassChallenge / former CMO Microsoft Ventures

Young Enterprise

Young Enterprise, the UK’s leading enterprise and financial education charity, appointed us to deliver an events programme that would help re-invigorate and shift perceptions towards the brand. We have continued to work together since 2013, including producing their annual Company of the Year Awards Ceremony, and driving an audience of over 400 leading influencers in the start-up and business communities. 

Proud moments:

  • Injecting some extra glamour into the ceremony by making it a red carpet awards do at the Southbank's BFI.
  • Pulling in some inspiring speakers with great youth appeal and social reach including Dragons' Den's Piers Linney, SBTV's Jamal Edwards, Glamour Editor Jo Elvin, The Voice winner Jermain Jackman, WAH Nails Founder Sharmadein Reid, and The Apprentice star Bianca Miller. Plus brands including Facebook, LinkedIn, Buzzfeed and Jack Wills.
  • Gaining the support of BBC Breakfast Reporter Steph McGovern, who hosted the awards, and secured Young Enterprise live coverage on BBC Breakfast in front of 7 million viewers.

Praise:

“Belinda and her team at Forgather have designed and managed many events for Young Enterprise. The results for each one exceeded my (high) expectations and all our guests & sponsors went away inspired and excited by what they had seen, heard and done. Belinda is a great team leader that inspires confidence and re-booking!”

Michael Mercieca, CEO, Young Enterprise

Mindfulness Summit

Building a business case for mindfulness 

Forgather co-founded London’s first Mindfulness Summit with Calmworks. Stylish east London venue The Trampery opened its doors to 100 business leaders and HR Directors from companies such as BBC, Pret a Manger, IKEA, Linklaters and Harrods who were looking to explore mindfulness and build it into their company culture.

Our role:

As producer and co-creator we took the event from concept to delivery. This included shaping the agenda, initiating partnerships to drive attendance, event marketing and recruiting speakers from the likes of BBC, Google Ventures and Entrepreneur First. We also took care of all the finishing flourishes – from hand calligraphed name badges to olive trees. 

Praise:

 “I just wanted to thank you for an astonishingly good conference.  It had all the magic ingredients - a wonderful ambiance in a cool space with simply beautiful touches...It's the first conference I have ever been to (and believe me I must have attended hundreds by now either as attendee or speaker or panelist) where I felt uplifted, relaxed and energised as I left. I think you made a lot of people happy today and fostered the conditions for both learning and inspiration.  Thank you.’”

Kerensa Jennings, Director at Office of HRH The Duke of York, KG

Criteo Collective

Designing a bespoke customer relationship programme

Global digital performance marketing company Criteo needed a way to better get to know their top clients and prospects. We partnered with them to create the Criteo Collective, an exclusive club for business leaders in eCommerce and technology, brought together through a series of invitation-only experiences - including race sailing on the Solent, a trip to the Euros, and an access all areas visit to the Web Summit. All designed to attract senior level folk and help Criteo build meaningful relationships, a greater understanding of their clients' businesses, with the happy result of increased revenues. 

Our role:

Our work on this project spanned a year as we became an extension of the Criteo team. We  developed the concept and brand identity, built and delivered the event programme, managed the logistics and production, and took care of the event marketing – from the microsite to invitation materials, including creating a beautiful coffee table photobook which served as a direct mail piece inviting people to join the collective.

We also took care to add extra special touches wherever we could – on our sailing trip we equipped guests with Helly Hanson sailing jackets and sun cream and laid on a gourmet picnic lunch; and for our ‘digital builder’ day we took over a stunning Grand Designs loft-style conversion of a former violin factory.

Praise:

“A truly eye opening and inspiring event. Organised seamlessly and faultlessly. Great hotel, great company, great programme. I particularly enjoyed the start-up shark tank session but it would be wrong to single out one thing because it was across the board awesome.”

Joel Brandon-Bravo, Managing Director, UK, Travelzoo

"Thank you for an incredible experience. The company, game and organisation was phenomenal. Great memories that reflect the strength of the relationship with the Criteo team.”

John Bovill, IT and eCommerce Director, Monsoon Accessorize

FUSE Conference

High-growth technology and digital recruiter La Fosse Associates partnered with Forgather to create a half day conference that would showcase the wealth of opportunity in startup-corporate collaboration.

In 2015 we created FUSE, which brought together 300 C-level executives from leading blue chip organisations and scaling tech startups. We ran FUSE again in 2016, moving the agenda on to tackle the unique challenges faced by the CIO in today’s new business landscape.

Proud moments:

  • Shaping the agenda, and pulling in speakers from John Lewis, Barclays, Unilever, Freeformers, N Brown, MassChallenge and more.

  • Championing innovation, by identifying three fast-growing startups to pitch during at each event.

  • Infusing the event with new event technology including Grip, for intelligent match making, Glisser, for audience participation, and Skignz, for an AR powered view of the skyline.

  • Facilitating vital funding conversations between our startup pitchers and investors, and connecting them with leading brands.

Praise:

"As a company that straddles both the corporate and startup/scale-up worlds, La Fosse Associates was uniquely placed to bring them together. We approached Forgather to work side by side with us to create an event that would bring business leaders together to share insights, create conversations and build relationships.

Forgather took the lead on developing the event brand and driving content, which allowed us to focus on developing the FUSE audience and enjoy a partnership that played to our strengths.

Amazing conversations happened not only at the event but before and after. It allowed our team to reconnect with our clients, brought our approach to company culture to the fore and made us stand out in a crowded market. 

Every time we work with Forgather they do an amazing job for us. In addition to their talent and expertise, they have a genuine passion for what they do and, in my view it’s this combination that makes them really exceptional".

Simon La Fosse, CEO, La Fosse Associates

Level39

Forgather produced the exclusive launch event for ClubLounge39 – Europe’s largest technology accelerator’s private members club.

The launch, which hosted the movers and shakers of London’s tech scene, featured:

  • A promenade presentation with Level39 alumni and key technologists.
  • Personalised welcome text message powered by RFID technology from Level39 member, Reward Technologies.
  • A carefully curated collection of the latest tech-enabled art from across Europe.
  • Gastronomic delights including edible mist orbs and liquid nitrogen ice cream.
  • The first drone-enabled video featuring guests partying. 

Praise:

"Last night was a roaring success. There are some very happy faces around Level39 today - and we certainly couldn't have done it without your hard work, advice and energy. I was very aware of the hours you were pulling to make it all come together - incredible stamina and I, for one, and extremely grateful for it!"

Sarah Paul, former Head of ClubLounge39

Billionaire

An event on a shoestring to launch Billionaire.com - a luxury lifestyle guide for high net worth individuals with online content on topics from philanthropy to super yachts.  The audience of London influencers and luxury brands included senior folk from Alexander McQueen,  American Express, Princes Trust, Royal Academy, Tesla and Burgess Yachts.

Held at the down-at-heel Martinspeed Warehouse in Vauxhall, where works of art are packed and shipped, the event’s hook was Billionaire’s sponsorship of Encounter: the Royal Academy in Asia, featuring UK artists like Tracy Emin, David Hockney, Gillian Wearing and Grayson Perry. 

We embraced the raw warehouse environment and let the art speak for itself, with minimal draping, strategic use of builders' lights and packing cases for seating made comfy with a healthy supply of cushions. Branding inside and out: urban style stencils using chalk-based spray paint that was 100% biodegradable.  Food from the Black Dog pub next door and gallons of Bolly bought on offer from the local Majestic Wine warehouse.

Proud moments:

  • Hanging the pick of modern British Art and seeing this rather special event dressing bought off the wall - in this case a Grayson Perry print for £20,000. 

  • Getting one of the first Teslas in the UK to ferry a sprinkling of VIPs and then park up outside.

  • Our friends at The Sound Agency providing one of their innovative soundscapes played live by a computer, using probabilities programmed by experts to create a living, organic soundscape that never repeats itself and plays forever.

  • Producing a launch event for the London elite for under £20,000.