🎙️ Scaling Service x Advita Patel: how to start a conference
It's a labour of love. A *labour* of love. But running a conference can unlock a huge amount of growth for your agency
Scaling Service is a newsletter from The Family. We interview founders in the PR sector and ask them about everything from funding to sales to exits.
This month we’ve got Advita Patel, director of CommsRebel. She tells us all about how - and why - she launched the Unleash Your Inner Rebel conference.
Frustration is one of the most creative forces in the universe.
According to urban legend, Isaac Newton got so annoyed at his pets interrupting his important thinking with demands to be let out, and then to be let back in a few minutes later, that he invented the cat flap.
Advita Patel is the director of CommsRebel and the creator of Unleash Your Inner Rebel, an annual conference in Manchester and online. And that, too, was born of frustration.
“Once you get past a certain point in your career, you start seeing the same types of people talking about the same types of topics,” she explains. “And rather than whinging about it on LinkedIn or Twitter - which I sometimes do! - I thought: put your money where your mouth is.
“Create something that moves away from these echo chambers and information bubbles, and has fair representation on stage."
Because different isn't just interesting, she emphasises. Different is useful. “It's amazing how much you can learn when you bring in people with different experiences, backgrounds and expertise, and how much you can apply into your own working practice."
And this isn't just a question of content, but of the whole guest experience. "I often heard people say events were cliquey, that they weren't connected to the community. I wanted to create an inclusive event for anybody, regardless of their background or demographic or industry. We think of it like an employee or customer experience: from the moment you buy a ticket until you leave the event."
So at Unleash Your Inner Rebel, there are retailers outside, quiet rooms, workspaces, career clinics. “It all goes down to the inclusive culture. I always say to people that I don't expect you to sit in this room all day. I want you to be able to go outside, go for a walk, watch the livestream or do your own thing. Get some rest! We have to have a timetable, but you should have a choice in how you learn and listen. If you can't sit for more than 20 minutes, I want you to get up and walk out. "
Step one: build a community
For any agency or consultancy owner thinking about getting into events, Advita advises them to first spend some time building a community.
“I started to build my community in 2018 with the Comms Hive dinners. At the dinners comms and PR folks can connect over some lovely food, with no pressure to perform.”
“You need fans, supporters, people who like what you do,” she says. “You are competing against big event organisers who have thousands of people on their lists, so you need to be able to answer questions. Who are you in this industry? What gives you your credentials?”
Step two: find a partner
You'll also need a partner. '“Find someone that aligns with your vision and values,” she says, “because you can't do it all on your own. A partner will allow you to sponsor the speakers, cover travel, accommodation, venue costs and accessibility."
When it comes to finding a partner, Advita says she's had a lot of success with tech companies, “who often have a product that they want to raise awareness of, and a separate budget for things like this.
But have to build relationships with the people that control that budget - you can't just cold call, or show them a flashy brochure. And I always encourage them to sit in the room, to get involved, to bring their humanity into the event."
Step three: differentiate yourself
Perhaps most importantly, you'll need a clear vision. '“My mantra was: how do we do things differently in the world of work? I had that written everywhere, and always in my head.
You need that as an anchor, because it's hard work, hosting an event of this scale. You've got to believe in it. If you're just thinking that this is going to be a great place for a bit of marketing, or perhaps an opportunity to sell your services, that's not going to be enough. You need to understand your core values and your mission.”
Step four: put your community to work
You need to shift the tickets, too. “I talk about the event constantly,” says Advita, “to the extent where I worry that I'm doing too much. But there's so much noise and distraction now that if you don't show up and tell your story, nobody's going to know you exist.”
She points towards social channels as her biggest drivers. “I've got a really tight network on Twitter and on LinkedIn, and also my personal Instagram.”
But she's clear about one thing: “It has been tough to sell tickets. We're all busy. We're all expected to do more with less. And we all want to have a work-life balance. People are protecting their time like never before, and if you're asking someone to take an entire day out of their schedule to come along to an event, that's going to have a knock-on effect on their deliverables at work. What if they don't learn anything? What if they waste a day?”
The answer, she suggests, is to flip the questions. "I try to turn it around. Imagine meeting people who can help you achieve your goals and objectives. Imagine hearing from a speaker who gets you to think differently. Imagine having a space where you can connect with others. You have to be willing to tap into that person's mindset a little bit, to see what they are doing.”
Step five: don’t just chuck anyone on stage
One of the stand out features of Unleash Your Inner Rebel is the quality of speakers. When it comes to choosing those who to put up on stage, Advita focuses on “what a speaker brings to the community. I approach people, and I have worked with people that have approached me.
“But you have to be really intentional if you want a representative line-up - sometimes speakers from underrepresented demographics don't put themselves forward, because they don't think the opportunities are there. So I have to go out there and look for the representation."
What’s the worst that could happen?
And if you've got the inkling of an idea, Advita has one last piece of advice for you: "Do it. Don't let the demons in your head stop you. Our brains try to keep us safe, to talk us out of silly things."
She suggests confronting your fears head-on. "Write it down. Write down the worst things that could happen - you won't sell tickets, you won't get sponsors - and then work backwards from there. How are you going to make sure you sell tickets, get sponsors. You've got to do your own due diligence."
Because, she says, it can be life-changing, both for organisers and attendees. "Last year we had an email from a nurse. She wanted to come along to Unleash Your Inner Rebel, but was worried that it might not be for her - she wasn't HR or PR or marketing. I told her she should come along anyway if she wanted to learn something different.
“And she says that it transformed her life. It opened up so many opportunities for her: now she's working in a new role with digital communications in nursing. She went to an event knowing nobody in the room, not a single human being in that space; she took a chance. Those are the stories that keep me going. Think about the person, and what you're going to help them do."
This is great!
I love to see people out here launching their own events and making a difference to the world. Running events is no easy thing and it quite quickly consumes you.
But when the event is over and the buzz is still in the air, there is nothing quite like it. Hearing about the connections made on the day going on to create tangible working relationships is great.
PS: The hat suits you!
Thank you for a great interview Paul!