Welcome to Season 2 of When Sh*t Goes Wrong at Events - the podcast where we give a backstage pass to the often unheard stories of event organising.
In this episode, we sit down with Jack Saward, Founder of Saward Marketing & Events. He's a seasoned event manager, with decades of experiences, and with stories that define the phrase “the show must go on.” From battling the Icelandic dust cloud at Bauma Germany - a colossal construction and industrial trade show - to physically gaffer-taping his own knee to stay on site, Jack’s tales are equal parts unbelievable and inspiring.
This conversation is a masterclass in improvisation, resourcefulness, and refusing to give up when everything’s going wrong.
Topics covered in this episode:
Improvisation at its finest: From makeshift water-siphons to DIY fixes on site.
Last-minute miracles: Securing cabins and resources through quick thinking and great contacts.
The mindset that keeps you going: When quitting simply isn’t an option.
Bauma Germany & the Icelandic dust cloud: How one ash cloud threw international logistics into total chaos.
Working through injury: How Jack kept going with a gaffer-taped knee.
Connect with our host Freddie Sparrow, Co-Founder of Vento, and connect with our guest Jack Saward, Founder of Saward Marketing and Events.
Welcome to Season 2 of When Sh*t Goes Wrong at Events - the podcast where we give a backstage pass to the often unheard stories of event organising.
This week’s guest is Cat Kevern, Director of B2B Events Marketing Agency Electric Cat as well as NOWIE - Network of Women in Events. She shares one unforgettable story from early in her career, all about a time working in accommodation management for a ski event in France.
What started as a dream role turned into a nightmare when a massive accommodation fiasco left hundreds of attendees without places to stay, and ultimately resulted in Cat being fired (bit harsh if you ask us!) 🫠
In this brutally honest conversation, Cat breaks down what went wrong, what it felt like in the middle of the chaos, and what she learned about crisis management, communication, and the realities of working in events when everything goes off the rails.
Topics covered:
The ski accommodation fiasco: How one mistake spiralled into hundreds stranded with nowhere to go.
The fallout: What happens when you’re fired in the middle of an event disaster.
Lessons learned: What the experience taught Cat about planning, resilience, how she wants to lead and surviving in the events industry.
Connect with our host Freddie Sparrow, Co-Founder of Vento, and connect with our guest Cat Kevern, Director of both Electric Cat and NOWIE.
Welcome to Season 2 of When Sh*t Goes Wrong at Events - the podcast where we give a backstage pass to the often unheard stories of event organising.
In this episode we sit down with Dean Rodgers, Creative Director of Secret Cinema. Dean shares the madness of building immersive worlds before it was mainstream. Along the way, he explains why the unpredictability of live events is so addictive, what it takes to keep audiences safe while creating adrenaline-fuelled experiences, and why collective awe is what keeps people coming back.
Topics covered in this episode:
Immersive experiences before they were huge: What it was like to break ground with no safety net.
When things go really wrong: 3 tonnes of sand on the third floor, and no way to get it out.
The thin line between edgy and illegal: And why safety always comes first.
Creating collective awe: The true magic that live events can deliver.
Why AI might push more people toward live events: The future of real-world experiences.
Connect with our host Freddie Sparrow, Co-Founder of Vento, and connect with our guest Dean Rodgers, Creative Director of Secret Cinema.
This week we’re joined by Justin, Founder of The Bug Club - the sustainable VW DJ Van suppliers, but naturally as an event supplier - he's seen some things.
From a dramatic power cut at Wembley Fanzone in front of thousands of football fans, to an insurance nightmare (should have insured with Vento!) caused by an incorrectly ticked box that led to tens of thousands in losses, and a cursed van that just wouldn’t quit. Justin has seen it all.
He also takes us back to his early days as a DJ, including gruelling tours in Australia, torn knees strapped up with gaffer tape, and even a tornado shutting down a stage mid-set.
Topics covered in this episode:
Wembley Fanzone blackout: Handling a power surge in front of thousands of football fans.
Insurance gone wrong: How a single tick-box error led to major financial loss and a cursed vehicle saga.
50,000 angry farmers: When bar coolers failed and patience ran dry.
Life on tour: DJ schedules, exhaustion, and the day a tornado shut down the decks.
Lessons learned: Resilience, improvisation, and the importance of the right partners.
Connect with our host Freddie Sparrow, Co-Founder of Vento, and connect with our guest Justin Rushmore, Founder of The Bug Club DJ Vans.
Welcome to Season 2 of When Sh*t Goes Wrong at Events - the podcast where we give a backstage pass to the often unheard stories of event organising.
In this episode, we sit down with Beverley Whitrick, COO at Music Venue Trust, to explore the realities of running live music events and keeping grassroots venues alive.
From her first steps into events to local authority run-ins and transport chaos, Beverley shares both the challenges and the rewards of working behind the scenes in the live music world.
Topics covered in this episode:
Local authority horror stories: Including the time she was reprimanded for stopping a mayor driving through a crowd.
When agreements go wrong: Bars, venues, and security all having different interpretations on the day.
The importance of team: Why trust and shared values matter more than anything.
Deliverable vs perfect: Knowing when ‘good enough’ is actually the best choice.
Control vs chaos: Why trains and transport can sabotage even the best-laid plans.
Connect with our host Freddie Sparrow, Co-Founder of Vento, and connect with our guest Beverley Whitrick, COO of Music Venue Trust.
In this conversation, Freddie speaks to Joe Worley about his experiences running Westival, a Welsh boutique music festival based in Pembrokeshire, Wales.
Joe has worked tirelessly to create an inclusive, intimate festival that combines world-class music with a really great energy. It doesn't get harder than running a camping festival in the middle of nowhere, in terms of marketing, operations etc. it's tough! Tune in to hear more about how Joe has overcome many hurdles to make Westival into such a success, with genre-blending line-ups that nourish emerging artists whilst also hosting bigger live acts and DJs.
Picture this: 3,000 people, no security guards, no medical team, and bus drivers who are asleep. Then add some angry police officers and a frustrated council into the mix.
What could possibly go wrong?!
In the latest episode of 𝑾𝑯𝑬𝑵 𝑺𝑯*𝑻 𝑮𝑶𝑬𝑺 𝑾𝑹𝑶𝑵𝑮 𝑨𝑻 𝑬𝑽𝑬𝑵𝑻𝑺 (out now!), Toby Mullins, CEO of Curate Group UK, shares his journey from his slightly chaotic early days in events to now successfully running a 10,000-person music festival, 6 student nights a week, candlelit concerts across the country, and corporate events for some of the worlds biggest brands (including Nike, Adidas and Under Armour).
In this conversation, Freddie takes a deep dive into the life of a fellow co-founder in the events industry. The Marble Group focusses on strategy, marketing, experience and creative to B2B brands and agencies and Emi has been instrumental in it's growth and success over the years, but that hasn't come easy! Hear Emi talk about the highs and lows of event organising in her time at The Marble Group.
In this episode, Freddie talks through the highs and lows of event promoting with friend and fellow Music Promoter, Fred Letts. From balancing family life, to the nitty gritty behind the scenes of festivals and music shows, this episode is eye opening and a really down to earth conversation about the reality of the job.
Described by Vogue as "unquestionably one of the most glamorous places to stay in the UK", Camp Kerala (and it's story) really is astonishing. In the latest episode of the podcast "WHEN SH*T GOES WRONG AT EVENTS", Freddie had the pleasure of speaking with the Jen Oldland, it's inspirational founder.
As you will find out, the journey has not been all glitz!! She was a criminal barrister (yes that means defending criminals) aged only 21 and later if life bought a house in Somerset (for the quiet life) without realising it was on the doorstep of the world's most famous music festival.
Jen really does personify the idea of life not turning out how you expect it to. Things chatted about:
▶ Criminal barrister to glamping pioneer (how on earth does that happen)
▶ The importance of family and team in building her brand (i.e. the idea of hosting / guests)
▶ Big problems (weather, Covid, managing people) and how she has reacted
GALA Festival now welcomes 35,000+ people over 3 days in Peckham and is one of London's biggest and most successful music festivals. But it did not start like that!
In this episode, one of its founders Jonny Edwards really opens up about:
- building a music festival with the stature of GALA
- the highs and lows of music festival promoting
- the lowest moment of his career (year 1 GALA); it was very low!
- the emotional toll of the pandemic
Today Zebu Live, the biggest Web3 Conference in London is being run by Harry and the Flight 3 team. Harry and Freddie started a festival in Exeter - and have been friends since. Listen to Harry's insights and learnings from his experience running events in this, our first episode of When Sh*t Goes Wrong At Events!
