My Thoughts on Speke Fest 2025

What does it really take to launch your first podcast event? I had big plans for Speke Fest—months of work, meetings, and some tough lessons. Three things stand out: The challenge of bringing people together Learning from honest feedback Finding real connections when things don’t go as planned Let’s talk about what worked, what didn’t, and what comes next. Subscribe to Your Mic on YouTube, Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Shoot Freddy an email: [e-mail]. Key Takeaways 1. Freddy reflects on the immense amount of work and unpredictability involved in organizing his first podcast event, Speke Fest. Despite ambitious goals for attendance, turnout was much lower than expected, showcasing the gap between expectations and reality in live event planning. 2. Freddy emphasizes the irreplaceable value of in-person networking and relationship-building, especially in a world increasingly dominated by technology and AI. He argues that authentic human connection remains at the heart of meaningful business interactions. 3. The event’s marketing efforts were comprehensive—organic social, newsletters, collaborations—but failed to deliver the turnout anticipated. Freddy learns that relying heavily on one advertising channel (like newsletters) isn’t enough, and skills like paid social ad management are crucial for event success. 4. Freddy shares candid feedback he received and discusses the value of tough love and honest evaluation, admitting shortcomings while also defending the real benefits attendees gained. He stresses that acknowledgement of mistakes is essential for growth and future improvement. 5. Despite feeling personally embarrassed and let down by the low attendance, Freddy highlights the importance of perseverance and willingness to risk failure. He shows vulnerability about setbacks but insists on learning from them and moving forward without regrets.