I Help Event Entrepreneurs Acquire The Skills They Need To Shape, Manage And Grow Their Businesses, Significantly Increasing Their Value Without Adding To Stress Levels

Is your Event business struggling to reach the next level?

Are you facing issues that are stopping you from growing?

Are you finding it difficult to diagnose where the biggest problems are and how to solve them?

When I set my own event business up, I hoped to make enough money to support myself.  Five years later when we were approached to merge our company into bigger one, we discovered that we had spent 5 years creating no value in our business at all.

❌ We had never set a goal and vision, and had never made a plan

❌ We had no culture and had too many people doing the wrong jobs

❌ We were “making do” with sub-standard offices and equipment

❌ We had no marketing strategy and had no clue how to promote ourselves or to who

❌ We never thought of reaching out and investing in help and advice

So many Event Businesses have started this way.  No goal, no plan, no vision for what they want to achieve and after a few years of growth through repeat business and referrals they start to stall, but they have no idea why or how to solve the problem.

Over the last 7 years Kershaw Partners have worked with dozens of Event Businesses, diagnosing where the barriers to growth are, removing them and helping them to build more successful, more profitable and ultimately, if they are looking for an exit strategy, more valuable Event Businesses.

We start this process with a 2 Day Diagnostic Business Review.  We help you to take a step back from your business for a couple of days and draw a line in the sand. 

The 2 Day Review will:

✔ Help you to clarify your vision, ambition and objectives for the business and plan for them

✔ Make sure that you have the right people on the journey with you and that you are set up to achieve your objectives

✔ Enable your team to do the best job possible by having the best “tools” to work with

✔ Help you define a marketing strategy to find, retain and maximise the value from your customers

✔ Show you what structures you need to put in place so that the business can Run on Rails and not be so dependent on you

✔ Show you how to create value in the business so if you want to there is an option to exit your business.

This is what our clients say:

“I have spent a lot of money on consultants in the last two years, and other than the money I have spent with Kershaw Partners, the rest of it was a waste" (James Middlehurst, Kalm Kitchen) 

"We have used consultants in the past, but none who have walked the walk and are so grounded." (Ben Leslie, Yahire)

To find out more book a call at https://go.oncehub.com/IntroductoryCallwithDavid

David Watt

ADHD nearly held him back until he realised it could be his advantage.
 

On a recent episode of the Events Matters podcast, I sat down with Jason Brown, Founder & CEO of Technical Solutions Audio Visual Limited, to talk about his unconventional journey into the events industry.
 
From the military to freelancing to leading a growing business, Jason shared what it really takes to move from hands-on operator to CEO, and why a client-first mindset has always mattered more than profit.
 
We talked openly about ADHD and dyslexia, building strong team culture, navigating generational differences in the workplace, and the realities of scaling a business while being a dad. Jason also shared how AI and project management tools have helped level up organisation, communication, and efficiency across the business.
 
An honest conversation about leadership, culture, and doing business differently.
 
👉 If you haven’t already, go back and listen to this episode. There are real takeaways for founders at every stage.

https://lnkd.in/eir2sEEN

Partner | Event Business Marketing and Growth Specialist

Cindy Eisenhuth's story is one of the most incredible I've heard.
 

As a young woman, Cindy emigrated from Australia to the UK, ready to pursue a career in hospitality. Arriving in London at the height of a culinary boom, she quickly found herself working in the city's most renowned venues.
 
In one of the most famously unforgiving and male-dominated sectors, she found her calling.
 
Working alongside celebrity chefs. Serving Princess Diana. The highs were high, but the pressure was always on.
 
Inspired by her "old-school hospitality" roots, Cindy went on to create Catering, Logistics & Events Ltd (CLE) - a global events company delivering extraordinary hospitality experiences across the world.
 
The exceptional attention to detail, unshakeable resilience and solid work ethic that saw her succeed in London's kitchens has powered 20+ years of event delivery at the highest level. She is a true industry stalwart.
 
What always strikes me about Cindy is her passion. She speaks with such enthusiasm about her work, the industry, and her desire to pass her knowledge on to the next generation. To this day, she still mucks in at events alongside her team - a firm believer in leading from experience, not theory.
 
I have been inspired by Cindy's story for a long time and it is such a privilege to have her on this week's episode of Event Matters. We discuss her story, her learnings from over three decades in the industry, and her plans for the future. You don't want to miss this one.
 
🔗 https://lnkd.in/e6jbzchd

I trained as a chef before I ever ran events.

 
 
In 1994, I left my job to train as a chef. Food was, and still is, a genuine passion of mine. I worked in professional kitchens for several years and loved the intensity.
 
That experience gave me three lessons that have stayed with me ever since.
 
Pressure.
When service starts, it starts. There is no easing into it. You either deliver, or you don’t. Learning to stay calm when everything around you speeds up is a skill that transfers into every part of business.
 
Preparation.
A kitchen runs on what happens before the doors open. If the prep is wrong, the service fails. The same is true in events. What people see on the day is only possible because of what happened quietly in the background.
 
People.
No chef succeeds alone. A kitchen only works when everyone understands their role and trusts each other. Talent matters. Teamwork matters more.
 
I realised quite quickly that I was not destined to be a chef. I was a very good cook, but to operate at the very highest level requires both artistry and discipline. That was a difficult thing to accept at the time.
 
But those years shaped how I lead.
 
Whether it was building an agency, navigating economic shocks, or delivering major international programmes, it always came back to the same three things.
 
Pressure. Preparation. People.
 
Different environment. Same fundamentals.
 
What early experience still shapes how you run your business today?

Expertise is important. But visibility matters too.
 

You can be brilliant at what you do, but if you’re not showing it anywhere, people won’t fully understand the value you bring. This is why we're constantly encouraging our clients to build their portfolio of social proof.
 
This isn’t about shouting the loudest, it’s about giving people confidence through:
→ Client testimonials
→ Case studies
→ Sharing your thinking online
→ Or finding platforms where you can properly explain your approach
 
People want to understand how you think, not just what you sell.
 
That’s one of the reasons I started the Events Matters podcast.
 
Long-form conversations give founders the space to talk properly about their journey, their challenges and what they’ve learned.
 
It provides real depth, not just soundbites.
 
We’re currently accepting guest applications for upcoming episodes. If you're a founder in the events industry who would like to share your story, drop me a message.
 
And if you've not listened yet, we've got 14 episodes in our catalogue to keep you busy! 

Listen on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eDUZUjD8
Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/eDSuSeg5

If you’re still undecided about next week’s Sales Masterclass, that hesitation is exactly why it’s relevant.
 

And with only a few places remaining, it’s probably time to make the call!
 
In many event businesses, sales isn’t obviously broken, which is precisely why they’re often left untouched.
 
But beneath the surface, qualification becomes habitual rather than intentional.
Value is assumed rather than clearly articulated.
 
Commercial confidence varies depending on who’s leading the conversation.
 
Nothing dramatic. Just small inefficiencies that compound over time.
 
Next week’s session is designed to bring clarity and structure back to that side of the business, practical thinking, grounded experience, and a more deliberate framework for winning and growing the right work.
 
If it’s been on your mind, I wouldn’t leave it much longer.
 
📅 23rd February
🔗 https://lnkd.in/eznhkfCB

As soon as I heard about Karnival, I knew I had to get Jason Mulhall on the Event Matters podcast...

 
Jason's story is one which I believe will ring true for many entrepreneurs. He started in law, moved to banking and business consultancy, before finding his passion in food and events. He now runs Karnival, a business which brings the best of street food to settings across London - offices, parties, sporting events, street markets and more.
 
It was an unconventional route. But in hindsight, it makes perfect sense.
 
In this episode, Jason shares how his time as a business consultant equipped him with the tools needed to start and run a successful business. In particular, the essential skills of attention to detail, storytelling and persuasion which still underpin his work today.
 
He has some great advice for any young people teetering on the edge of taking a risk with entrepreneurship. I would highly recommend this episode to anyone grappling with that decision!
 
Having briefly pursued a career in the food industry myself (a post for another day perhaps...), Jason's perspective on the power of food, its role in reviving corporate culture, and his passion for the people at the heart of the industry really hit home for me.
 
I have been truly excited to share this episode. I hope it will resonate with you as much as it did with me.
 
Listen now - https://lnkd.in/e298WGtq

I've seen two major shocks hit the events industry: the 2008-2009 financial crisis and COVID-19.

 
The 2008 financial crisis had a deeper and longer impact than many people realise. In a few years, I watched projects go from thriving to operating in a bleak economic reality, with turnover falling sharply. The effects of that period are still being felt today.
 
COVID was different. Sudden, brutal, and disruptive. Furlough helped in the short term, but it didn’t remove the underlying fragility. What it did show, though, was resilience. When restrictions lifted, events came back quickly because people value face-to-face connections.
 
In real terms, it doesn’t feel like much has improved since 2007–2008. Real wealth and real confidence remain under pressure, and that context matters when making business decisions.
 
How are you adapting your business to today’s economic reality?

Are You An Agency Owner Looking To Scale Your Business?

Are you worried that you just don't have the right vision for the business?

Do you worry that you haven't got the right strategy in place to achieve your goals?

If you are feeling one or all of these, you a very definitely not alone.  

I have been where you are now when I first started and it felt pretty terrifying back then.  I was setting up my own agency, CLIVE, having broken away from a larger group and we really didn't know what we we doing.


❌ I was good at what I did, but had no experience running a company

❌ I didn't have a goal and therefore no strategy either

❌ I hadn't put in place my core vision and values for myself or my colleagues

❌ I had no idea of what sort of culture I wanted to create 

But over the course of the 10 years that I ran CLIVE I learned and put in place business practices that allowed me to build and sell that business.

I would like to help you do the same.

With my fellow partners at Kershaw Partners we have over 150 years of event knowledge, experience and expertise.  We have all been involved in founding, running, growing and selling a business.  We would like to

✔ Work out what you want to achieve and what is achievable

✔ Build a team that shares your vision and values for the business

✔ Build a culture of creativity and innovation that drives your business to the next level

✔ Teach you how to maximise the value and the relationships that you have with each customer

✔ Deliver a business and marketing plan with an execution strategy

Read below what some of our clients say about working with Kershaw Partners:

“Working with Mike and Pete from Kershaw Partners has been fantastic for ISLA.  

"They’ve brought a commercial realism, breadth of experience and structural methodology to the operation that we’ve hugely benefited from. 

"Their down to earth approach and simple, easy to understand modules have helped to transform how we approach the operation and positioning of ISLA.  Not only that, but they’re great fun to work with!" (Anna Abdelnoor - Co-Founder ISLA)

If this sounds something that you want to do, then call me today and let's build your agency together.

www.kershawpartners.co.uk

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