In this episode of The Revenue Room, host Heather Holst-Knudsen sits down with Orson Francescone, Managing Director of FT Live—the global events division of the Financial Times. Under Orson’s leadership, FT Live has delivered record-breaking growth, producing over 240 events in 2024 alone.
Join us as we explore Orson’s 20-year journey in the B2B events industry, from his early days as a conference producer to running massive global trade shows, and now leading one of the most innovative event organizations in the world. We dig into:
- How FT Live blends editorial credibility with commercial performance
- Balancing scale with quality in a rapidly growing event portfolio
- The rise of hybrid events and how they’re driving first-party data and subscriber growth
- AI’s impact on the event industry—and why the barriers to entry are falling fast
- The future of event production, personalization, and content repurposing
- Why the venue matters (and the story behind a luxury event in Venice)
Whether you’re in media, marketing, or events, this episode is packed with insights on strategy, innovation, and staying competitive in the modern data-driven economy.
About Heather Holst-Knudsen
Heather Holst-Knudsen is the founder and CEO of H2K Labs and Revenue Room™ Connect. She is a seasoned executive with extensive experience in digital transformation, data, and revenue growth. She is a recognized leader and operator in media, marketplaces, events, and adjacent technologies. Heather has a proven track record of leading organizations to achieve customer-centric innovation, revenue growth, and enterprise value creation. As a thought leader, Heather shares her insights on multisided business models under The Revenue Room™. Connect with Heather on LinkedIn.
About Revenue Room™ CXO
Revenue Room™ CXO is a private executive community for CEOs and revenue-critical C-Suite leaders who are shaping the future of growth in the data and AI economy. Through curated peer discussions, benchmarking sessions, and strategy sprints, members tackle real-time challenges in revenue transformation, customer intelligence, and business model innovation. This is not another networking group — it’s a confidential forum for leaders ready to accelerate enterprise value in 2025 and beyond.
Learn more or apply for membership at info.h2klabs.com/apply-cxo
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