The Squire knows

I used to work at a smallish B2B events organiser with the rather curious name of Terrapinn before coming over to help create Alphabet Media. I spent just over six years in Singapore and London with the company, and when I moved on I left behind a few very good work colleagues and a lot of happy memories - and took with me a lot of insights into the business processes associated with creating audiences.

So I'm rather pleased to see that the events company has done rather well, and with something like a 30 per cent annual growth rate it is no longer quite so small, according to Greg Hitchen (above right), Terrapinn's CEO. In certain key markets, particularly alternative investments, their conferences really set the industry standard as genuine 'village meetings' for the industry.

So Terrapinn's success helps to explain why much of what Alphabet Media tries to do with its events is informed by my past discussions with Greg, or 'Squire' as he is wont to be called.

An event is an act of participation, therefore interaction is key. Create a platform for the sharing of opinions, break down the the barriers of reserve that professionals tend to have, and structure a format for people to meet with interesting people that they don't already know - and you'll have a great couple of days.

Now Alphabet Media isn't quite like Terrapinn, because through our magazines we build up deeper and more valuable relationships than a conference company can easily do, and this is something all the more necessary for building trust with senior government officials, particularly here in Asia. Likewise, Alphabet Media being a magazine-driven audience creator will take a while before we are as polished an organiser of events.

We're also a tad smaller - but hey we're growing, and quite fast too.