The Dan Assor Show #eventprofs

EP132: "When the odds are one in a million, be that one - How we built the worlds leading accountancy & finance event" - Dan Cockerton, Founder, Digital Accountancy Show

In this episode, I sit down with Daniel Cockerton, Co-Founder of the Digital Accountancy Show, to explore his journey from a media and fintech background to building one of the UK’s fastest-growing niche events for the accountancy sector. We discuss how Daniel and his business partner James Howell identified a market gap, grew the show from 600 attendees to over 5,000, and recently sold the business to global events giant Easyfairs.Daniel opens up about his entrepreneurial mindset, the power of partnerships, the challenges of launching during COVID, the emotional rollercoaster of scaling a business, and his personal resilience following open-heart surgery. This episode is packed with insights on entrepreneurship, community-building, scaling, and staying mission-driven.The Dan Assor Show Charity Partner is Rays of Sunshine Children's Charity who brighten the lives of seriously ill children across the UK ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://raysofsunshine.org.uk/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow the show to be notified first about future episodes.Watch episodes of the show here ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/danassor ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect with Dan on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn /danassor   ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.danassor.com ⁠

EP131: "Risk, Hustle & Success: How Dodge Woodall Nearly Lost Everything In His Pursuit To Build The World's Biggest Sport & Music Festival!"

In this episode, I sit down with Dodge Woodall, the mastermind behind Bournemouth 7s Festival, host of the Eventful Lives podcast, and a serial entrepreneur. From selling nightclub tickets as a 10-year-old to building one of the UK's most successful independent festivals, Dodge shares his raw, unfiltered journey of risk-taking, resilience, and relentless ambition. He shares the highs, lows, and brutal realities of entrepreneurship and how at one point, he had to remortgage his house, risking everything to keep his dream alive. Tune in for real business lessons, and high-energy insights on building brands, the future of events, the challenges of entrepreneurship, and why he believes "naivety is a superpower."About The Guest Dodge Woodall is a British entrepreneur, festival founder, podcast host, and business mentor. He is best known as the creator of the Bournemouth 7s Festival, often called the "Sporting Glastonbury," attracting 30,000 attendees annually. He also hosts the Eventful Lives podcast, featuring inspiring guests from diverse backgrounds, ranking in the top 0.5% globally with over 100 million views.With over 25 years of experience, Dodge has built successful brands in nightlife, events, and online education. He co-founded Event Crowd, an online events management course, and regularly shares business insights on social media.The Dan Assor Show Charity Partner is Rays of Sunshine Children's Charity who brighten the lives of seriously ill children across the UK ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://raysofsunshine.org.uk/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow the show to be notified first about future episodes.The Dan Assor Show is also available to watch on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/danassor ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect with Dan on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn /danassor   ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.danassor.com ⁠

EP130: EXCLUSIVE! Hugh Jones, RX CEO- "Managing Gas Stations, Leadership, Trump & Navigating the Future of Trade Shows"

Dive into an insightful conversation with Hugh Jones, CEO of RX, as he unveils his journey through the dynamic world of trade shows and exhibitions. From his unexpected start managing gas stations to leading one of the largest B2B event organisers globally, this episode highlights Hugh’s leadership in transforming RX, and his unique perspective on the challenges and innovations shaping the industry. What You’ll Discover in This Episode:Unconventional Career Pathways: Learn how Hugh Jones's early experiences managing gas stations provided him with unique management insights that propelled his rise in the trade show industry.Navigating Through Crisis: Discover the strategies Hugh employed to steer RX through the challenges of the global pandemic, highlighting resilience and adaptability in crisis management.Innovation in Trade Shows: Explore how RX is integrating cutting-edge technology like AI to transform traditional trade show experiences, making them more engaging and efficient.Focus on Sustainability and Inclusivity: Gain insight into RX’s initiatives aimed at promoting sustainability and inclusivity at trade shows, ensuring they are accessible and enjoyable for all attendees.Revolutionizing Sales and Marketing Strategies: Understand how RX is shifting from traditional sales tactics to value-based pricing and consultative selling to better meet the needs of exhibitors and visitors.Leadership Insights from a Top Executive: Hear directly from Hugh about the qualities that define effective leadership in today’s fast-paced business environment, including transparency, humour, and a willingness to embrace failure as a path to success.About The Guest Hugh’s philosophy in life? Every executive has to place bets in order for the value propositions to remain relevant to the customers, but not every bet has to work. That philosophy has served him well over the years since joining RELX in 2011, following the purchase of Accuity where he was Chief Executive Officer. In addition to leading Accuity to become one of the world’s largest and most significant companies in the payment routing and Anti Money Laundering sectors, he has also led Fircosoft, NRS, I.C.I.S, Estates Gazette (EG) and Cirium; and before joining RX he was Global Managing Director within the Risk and Business Analytics Division. Hugh’s philosophy has seen him lead large scale acquisitions and subsequent integrations of many companies that now reside and prosper within the RELX portfolio. Hugh joined RX as CEO at the start of 2020 bringing with him plenty of experience in public company protocol and all facets of business management including P&L oversight, talent development, forecasting, sales execution, technology innovation and product discovery, launch and growth. Hugh’s experience has been invaluable in navigating RX’s response to challenges and his strategic understanding of technological innovation has accelerated the use of digital and data products and services across RX events, as an ongoing core component of RX face to face events. Passionate about building a culture of collaboration, exploring, risk taking, accountability and courage, Hugh champions the creation of a psychologically safe and inclusive workplace for all.The Dan Assor Show Charity Partner is Rays of Sunshine Children's Charity who brighten the lives of seriously ill children across the UK ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://raysofsunshine.org.uk/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to this channel to be notified first about future episodes: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/danassor ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect with Dan on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn /danassor   ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.danassor.com ⁠

EP129: "Risk, Resilience & Reinvention: The Eman Pulis Story: Founder SiGMA World"

In this episode, I sit down with Eman Pulis, the visionary founder of the SiGMA Group, a global media and events company focused on the gaming and emerging technology sectors. Since its inception in 2014, SiGMA has rapidly evolved from a small, niche event to a global powerhouse. The brand redefined itself through rebranding initiatives, strategic acquisitions, and the establishment of new pillars, such as SiGMA Foundation and Ikigai Ventures. Catering to over 1,200 exhibitors and 80,000 industry delegates, SiGMA Group hosts 7 international summits today, as well as 30 ancillary networking events annually - including poker tournaments and iGatherings. From humble beginnings in Malta to building a global events powerhouse, Eman shares his remarkable journey of resilience, risk-taking, and reinvention. What You’ll Discover in This Episode: How Eman’s Olympic dreams shaped his entrepreneurial mindset The pivot from organising parties to running world-class gaming conferences Launching SiGMA World with zero experience – and scaling it to 100,000+ delegates Surviving the pandemic and using it as a catalyst for global expansion Why "glocalisation" is key to successful event expansion The philosophy behind Ikigai Ventures and what Eman looks for in start-ups Powerful lessons on leadership, growth, and dealing with failure https://sigma.world/ https://ikigaiventures.io/ The Dan Assor Show Charity Partner is Rays of Sunshine Children's Charity who brighten the lives of seriously ill children across the UK ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://raysofsunshine.org.uk/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to this channel to be notified first about future episodes: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/danassor ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Dan on ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn /danassor   ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.danassor.com ⁠

EP128: "From Introvert to Executive” Yancy Weinrich on Leadership, Growth, and Industry Trends"

Join me as I sit down with Yancy Weinrich, President of North America & Board Director at CloserStill Media, to uncover her remarkable journey in the trade show and exhibition industry. From her early days as an exhibitor to leading one of the fastest-growing event companies globally, Yancy shares insights into leadership, innovation, and the future of events. In this episode, we discuss:✅ Her career journey from Reed Exhibitions to CloserStill Media.✅ The transformative impact of the pandemic on the industry.✅ How CloserStill Media has doubled in size and achieved global recognition.✅ Trends in event technology, audience development, and AI.✅ The importance of advocacy and shaping government policy through the ECA and SISO.✅ Leadership lessons, team building, and advice for aspiring professionals in the event sector If you're passionate about b2b events, leadership, or industry trends, this episode is for you! The Dan Assor Show Charity Partner is Rays of Sunshine Children's Charity who brighten the lives of seriously ill children across the UK ⁠⁠⁠https://raysofsunshine.org.uk/ ⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to this channel to be notified first about future episodes: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/danassor ⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Dan on ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn /danassor   ⁠⁠⁠ Website ⁠⁠⁠https://www.danassor.com ⁠