In this blog, we hear from Carlene, our talented Event Producer, on her journey into event management, alongside an overview of one of the programmes she has recently delivered which has helped 90 London-based businesses scale their innovations.
Tell us a bit about your background and your role here at Newable?
Following completing my post-graduate degree in Event Management, I started my career at CFA Society Calgary back home in Canada. During my 5.5 years there, I was promoted from Event Coordinator to Event Manager where I oversaw the full calendar of events for both CFA Society Calgary and CFA Society Edmonton. Our focus was on continuing education for finance professionals as well as networking events, awards ceremonies, and the marquee Forecast Dinner for over 1000 attendees. I enjoyed working within the member association industry, creating experiences for a community. I followed this passion to volunteering as a Board Member for the local Calgary chapter of MPI (Meeting Professionals International) where I was the Vice President of Marketing for two years. After this, I explored conference management for a wide range of clients within an agency prior to moving to the UK.
In the UK, I went back to my roots in member associations, managing events at The Royal Society of Medicine where I dove into continuing education for doctors and other medical professionals. Now, I am thrilled to be part of the Newable team as an Event Producer delivering impactful events to support SMEs.
What business support programmes do you currently work on?
I am currently supporting a variety of programmes at Newable, including Open London, Supply Bromley, Start Up Loans, JPMorgan Founders Forward Perfect Pitch and I have recently kicked off the Inclusive Growth London programme.
You mentioned Open London, could you tell us more about that? What was the purpose of the programme and how did it support London’s innovative SME’s?
The Open London programme was designed to provide comprehensive support to London-based small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), providing them with valuable resources, training, and opportunities to secure funding and partnership deals to tackle some of London’s most pressing problems.
Using an open innovation model to match residents’ insights with urgent needs identified by local authorities and businesses, Open London helped address critical issues across London while enhancing living standards by helping London-based businesses scale their innovative ideas to help tackle the social-economic, health and environmental challenges identified. Selected SMEs were invited to participate in a four-month Accelerator Programme. This featured a series of upskilling workshops and 1-2-1 support from specialist innovation advisers. The goal was to assist in the development of solutions that could evolve into new or enhanced products or services beneficial to London communities.
Following the Accelerator Programme SMEs had the opportunity to pitch their solutions to a panel. The most successful applicants received a small grant to further develop their innovation and potentially launch it to market.
How did you organise each of the sessions as part of the programme and what was the aim of these?
The workshops were developed to build upon one another with the focus to help the SMEs scale their innovations through partnerships and build a strong pitch deck with the end goal of the pitching competition. Each session’s topic relates directly to an aspect of their pitch deck with interactive elements that push them to think critically about their solution and how they communicate it.
Collaboration is at the heart of this programme, not only between SMEs and partners, but also amongst the participating SMEs. We organised each of the workshops to encourage connections between SMEs through facilitated and open networking at each session.
What did you enjoy most about Open London?
I really enjoy seeing each cohort of SMEs progress through the accelerator and reach the final goal of pitching. It is great to witness their development and support them through the experience. It’s very rewarding knowing you’ve played even a small part in their journey on the programme.
How did the businesses involved in Open London find the programme, are there any success stories you can share?
The programme was well received and resulted in over 1,500 hours of support delivered to 90 SMEs through workshops and 121 adviser meetings.
Two of the programme’s success stories are below.
Alain Alban, Isometric Outcomes
Aiming to revolutionise the housing sector, Isometric Outcomes specialises in designing and engineering sustainable bathroom and shower room solutions that significantly reduce humidity and recover heat energy.
Alain’s journey with the Open London programme commenced in October 2023 when the company was selected for the Accelerator Programme. Alain benefited from a series of workshops and specialist advice from his adviser Abrar Jawaid. The highlight of their journey includes success as one of six recipients at the pitching competition, securing a £2,500 grant and the chance to pitch to major London Borough Councils at a ‘Meet the Innovator’ event.
Gerard Pambu, Keys Community
KEYS Community is an innovative smart community platform that aims to transform how developers, authorities and residents engage with on-demand housing services. The platform offers a digital connection to various services, including maintenance and lifestyle amenities, to improve the living experience in mixed-use developments.
In October 2023 Gerard joined the Open London Accelerator Programme. Leveraging 1-2-1 adviser consultations and specialised workshops. KEYS achieved a groundbreaking top two finish in a competition and secured a £5,000 grant allowing them to fast-track its product development and strengthen its market presence.