Are you actually getting value from the events you're attending, or are you just spending a lot of money to be in the room?

In this episode of A Brief Coffee With…, Cathy sits down with Jasmine Kees, founder of JLK Advisory and Head of Strategic Events & Executive Visibility at Stillpoint Global Advisors, to discuss how startups, VCs and businesses can make smarter decisions about events, sponsorships and speaking opportunities.

After almost a decade organising conferences at Reuters, Jasmine has seen both sides of the events industry. Now, she helps companies move beyond simply securing speaking slots or buying sponsorship packages to create meaningful connections and measurable business outcomes.

We discuss why getting your CEO on stage at a major conference isn't always the win you think it is, how to measure return on objectives and investment, and why hosting an intimate dinner or side event can sometimes deliver far more value than a traditional conference sponsorship.

Plus, Jasmine shares the red flags to watch for when choosing conferences, how to negotiate sponsorship packages, and why human connection is becoming increasingly important in an AI-saturated world.

00:00 – Meet Jasmine Kees: From Reuters conference organiser to strategic events adviser

02:45 – Why companies need clear objectives before committing to events

04:00 – Earned versus paid speaking opportunities

05:45 – Jasmine's sponsorship playbook: Before, during and after an event

08:00 – Measuring return on objectives (ROO) versus return on investment (ROI)

09:45 – Why side events and private dinners can outperform conference sponsorships

12:30 – Using executive roundtables to build relationships and uncover insights

14:00 – How startups with limited budgets should choose which events to attend

15:30 – What to ask conference organisers before investing

17:00 – The red flags: Poor retention, changing audiences and constant rebranding

19:00 – Free tickets, audience quality and differences between markets

21:00 – Why the events industry is booming

23:00 – Consolidation, competition and the future of conferences

24:30 – Why face-to-face connections matter more in the age of AI

26:00 – How to improve your chances of securing an earned speaking opportunity

27:00 – Keeping conference audiences engaged

29:00 – Why PR teams and event organisers need to work more closely together

A Brief Coffee With… is the podcast from CEW Communications, where Cathy White speaks with journalists, creators and media insiders about communications, storytelling and getting your message heard.

Looking for support with PR, executive thought leadership, speaking opportunities or event communications? Visit cewcomms.com.

To connect with Jasmine or request her sponsorship playbook, find her on LinkedIn.

Want to speak at Money20/20 Europe? What does it actually take to stand out from hundreds of speaker applications?

In this episode of A Brief Coffee With…, Cathy White sits down with Oliver Smith, Head of Content at Money20/20 Europe, to find out what goes into building the agenda for one of the world's biggest fintech conferences—and how founders, executives and communications teams can improve their chances of getting on stage.

After 12 years as a journalist covering technology and fintech for publications including City AM, Forbes, AltFi and Fortune, Ollie now oversees content programming for an event bringing together around 8,000 delegates, 450 speakers and 170 sessions.

He shares what makes a compelling speaker submission, why generic AI panels won't cut it, how creativity and diversity influence programming decisions, and the opportunities companies often overlook.

We also get an early look at Money20/20 Europe's 2027 agenda, including the overarching theme Control Is Changing Hands, and the big conversations around AI, tokenisation, financial sovereignty, banking and payments.

Plus, Ollie reveals how PR teams can build better relationships with conference organisers—and why submitting an application should be just one part of your event strategy.

00:00 – Meet Oliver Smith, Head of Content at Money20/20 Europe

01:00 – From fintech journalism at City AM, Forbes, AltFi and Fortune to conference programming

02:20 – Inside Money20/20 Europe: 8,000 delegates and a global fintech community

03:40 – How three people programme 450 speakers and 170 sessions

05:00 – The Call for Content: how Money20/20 selects speakers

06:00 – Speaker selection rules, diversity and the three-submission limit

07:30 – Money20/20 Europe's 2027 theme: Control Is Changing Hands

09:00 – The five content pillars shaping the 2027 agenda

12:00 – Key dates for 2027 speaker submissions and application support

13:00 – Three ways to make your speaking submission stand out

15:00 – Why creativity matters: debates, workshops and new conference formats

18:00 – Open submissions and changes to the application process

20:00 – Can Money20/20 combine or adapt speaker submissions?

21:00 – How the conference selects its headline speakers

22:30 – How PR and communications teams can work better with Money20/20

24:00 – Why engagement beyond a speaking application matters

• 2 November 2026: Call for Content opens
• 4 November 2026: Call for Content Unplugged, London
• 5 November 2026: Online advice webinar
• Throughout November 2026: Speaker submission window

A Brief Coffee With… is the podcast from CEW Communications, where Cathy White sits down with journalists, creators and media insiders for honest, unfiltered conversations about the stories behind the stories.

If you're looking for communications support—from PR and media relations to content, social, thought leadership and speaker positioning—get in touch with CEW Communications at cewcomms.com.

In this episode of A Brief Coffee With…, Cathy sits down with Yessi Bello-Perez, Head of Creator and Community Management for UK and Pan-Europe at LinkedIn, to talk about what actually works on the platform—and why authenticity is becoming even more important in the age of AI.

Having started her career as a tech journalist before moving into LinkedIn's editorial and creator teams, Yessi shares practical advice on building a sustainable audience, finding something genuinely useful to say, and why executives shouldn't simply become another broadcast channel for their company.

They also get into AI slop, over-engineered thought leadership, how LinkedIn's editorial team works with experts and creators, whether a “LinkedIn exclusive” is actually a thing—and why founders need to stop making every post about their business.

00:00 – Meet Yessi Bello-Perez, Head of Creator and Community Management for UK and Pan-Europe at LinkedIn 01:00 – From CoinDesk and UKTN to The Next Web, The New York Times and LinkedIn 03:00 – Does Yessi miss being a journalist? 05:00 – Want to grow on LinkedIn? Stop chasing virality 06:00 – Why your expertise is probably more interesting than you think 07:00 – Experimenting with different formats to find what works 08:00 – The AI slop problem—and why audiences can spot it 09:00 – Why authenticity builds trust on LinkedIn 10:00 – Do raw, spontaneous posts perform better than polished corporate content? 11:00 – Why executives shouldn't become broadcast channels for their companies 12:30 – How LinkedIn's creator and editorial teams work together 14:30 – What LinkedIn is looking for from tech and AI experts 17:00 – How brands can give LinkedIn's editorial team a heads-up on upcoming news 18:00 – Is a “LinkedIn exclusive” actually a thing? 19:00 – Data vs narrative: why you need both 20:00 – One thing PR teams should stop sending LinkedIn 20:30 – Why founders need to stop making every post promotional 21:00 – Please stop being “thrilled, excited and delighted” 21:30 – How to connect with Yessi

A Brief Coffee With… is the podcast from CEW Communications, where Cathy White sits down with journalists, creators and media insiders for honest, unfiltered conversations about the stories behind the stories.

If you're looking for communications support—from PR and media relations to content, social and thought leadership—get in touch with CEW Communications.