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.

In this episode of A Brief Coffee With…, Cathy White sits down with Sofia Chesnokova, Senior Editor at Tech Funding News, to find out what actually makes a startup story stand out when hundreds of pitches are competing for attention.

Having started her career in copywriting and PR, Sofia has experienced both sides of the inbox. She shares what Tech Funding News looks for beyond funding announcements, why founders shouldn’t underestimate the value of their own story, and the practical things that make a pitch easier to cover.

The conversation also explores the rise of European deep tech, why Sofia prefers data over a pre-packaged narrative, the problem with obviously AI-generated pitches and quotes, and how the Tech Funding News team is using AI behind the scenes to manage an inbox containing around 100,000 emails.

Key Moments 00:00 – Meet Sofia Chesnokova, Senior Editor at Tech Funding News 01:00 – From copywriting and PR to the other side of the journalist inbox 03:00 – Tech Funding News: going beyond funding announcements 04:00 – Why TFN actively looks for founders who don’t always get the spotlight 05:00 – Deep tech, climate tech, sovereignty and the trends appearing in Sofia’s inbox 06:00 – Moving beyond daily news into features and market analysis 08:00 – Inside the Tech Funding News editorial team 09:00 – Europe, UK and US: where TFN is looking for stories 10:00 – How Sofia prefers PR professionals to pitch her 11:00 – Advice for founders pitching Tech Funding News directly 13:00 – A typical day in the Tech Funding News newsroom 15:30 – Quick fire: email vs DM, press releases, data vs narrative and phone calls 17:00 – Founder or expert? Exclusive or embargo? 18:00 – Why PR people should stop sending obviously AI-generated pitches 19:00 – Why authentic founder voices matter even more in the AI era 20:00 – How Tech Funding News actually uses AI in its newsroom 22:00 – Why deep tech is the sector grabbing Sofia’s attention

About A Brief Coffee With… A Brief Coffee With… is the podcast from CEW Communications, where Cathy White sits down with journalists and creators 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.

What changes when a journalist stops simply reporting the news—and starts getting paid to have an opinion about it?

In this episode of A Brief Coffee With…, Cathy sits down with Dave Lee, Bloomberg Opinion's US technology columnist, to talk about his journey from the BBC in London to Silicon Valley, the Financial Times, and now Bloomberg in New York—and what he's learned from more than a decade covering the technology industry.

Dave explains what makes opinion journalism different, why he now spends more than half his day reading, and why startups may actually have more opportunity to catch his attention in the AI era than they think. They also dig into the differences between British and American tech and journalism, the rise of independent media, how PR teams can work effectively with columnists, and why good data still matters.

Plus, Dave shares how he's thinking about AI in journalism, why the US-China relationship could become the defining question of the AI era, and the role he thinks the UK could play in what comes next.

00:00 – Meet Dave Lee, Bloomberg Opinion's US technology columnist 01:00 – From the BBC in London to Silicon Valley, the FT and Bloomberg 05:15 – Reporter vs columnist: what changes when you're paid to have a take? 07:00 – Why “your output can never be greater than your input” 09:15 – How Dave decides when to react quickly—and when to let a story breathe 11:10 – How the relationship between PRs and journalists changes when you're a columnist 13:15 – The risk—and reward—of pitching an opinion writer 15:20 – Can startups and scaleups realistically get Bloomberg's attention? 17:15 – Why being small and experimental can actually be an advantage in the AI era 18:00 – UK vs US tech: capital, ambition and why Silicon Valley still has the edge 21:00 – Has the UK failed to capitalise on its technology successes? 23:00 – British vs American journalists—and the difference in newsroom culture 26:00 – The rise of independent journalism and the economics behind it 29:00 – What Dave reads to keep up with AI and technology 30:30 – Becoming an “AI-enhanced journalist” 31:20 – Quick fire: press releases, data vs narrative and what actually makes a good pitch 33:30 – Why the best startup pitch might come directly from the founder 35:00 – Email, DM or Signal? And exclusive vs embargo 36:00 – Why US-China could be the defining technology question of the AI era 37:00 – Where does Europe fit—and could the UK carve out a unique role in AI?

A Brief Coffee With… is the podcast from CEW Communications, where Cathy White sits down with journalists and creators 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.

In this episode of A Brief Coffee With…, Cathy White sits down with Dominic-Madori Davis, Senior Venture Capital and Startup Reporter at TechCrunch, to explore what one of the world's most influential technology publications is really looking for today.

From the future of TechCrunch's European coverage to the cultural differences between founders in the US and the UK, Dominic shares why storytelling is shaped as much by sociology as by startups.

If you've ever wondered what catches a TechCrunch reporter's attention—or why some startup stories resonate more than others—this episode is packed with practical insights for founders and communications professionals alike.

00:00 – Meet Dominic-Madori Davis, Senior Venture Capital & Startup Reporter at TechCrunch

01:40 – Dominic's journey from Business Insider to TechCrunch

02:40 – Is TechCrunch still covering European startups after its restructuring?

04:15 – The biggest cultural differences between US and UK founders

06:00 – Risk, ambition, failure and the British startup mindset

09:30 – Why Dominic became fascinated by Europe's startup ecosystem

13:10 – The startup stories that are really catching her attention right now

14:15 – Beyond AI: biotech, healthtech and the science of creating entirely new smells

16:40 – How TechCrunch journalists are actually using AI day-to-day

19:30 – AI as a research partner, brainstorming tool and search engine

20:50 – Quick fire: pitches, press releases, narratives and founder interviews

21:00 – Why your first message should be a DM, not an email

22:00 – Press releases still matter

22:30 – Data vs narrative—and why the best stories need both

23:15 – The one thing PR professionals should stop doing: cold calling Gen Z journalists

24:00 – How to connect with Dominic and the TechCrunch team

In this episode of A Brief Coffee With…, Cathy is joined by Ana Metz, Founder and Editor of Future Travel, to explore how a niche travel tech newsletter has grown into one of the industry's leading media brands—and why community has become just as important as journalism.

From launching Future Travel during the pandemic to building the annual Future Travel Summit in Barcelona, Ana shares what she's seeing across travel technology, the biggest opportunities emerging around AI, and why founders need to think beyond product announcements if they want to earn attention.

The conversation also explores how specialist publications work, what makes a story stand out, the importance of understanding a publication's editorial rhythm, and why building genuine relationships is far more valuable than chasing coverage.

00:00 – Meet Ana Metz, Founder and Editor of Future Travel

01:00 – From EU-Startups to launching Future Travel during the pandemic

03:00 – What Future Travel covers and why travel tech deserves its own publication

04:00 – Inside the Future Travel Summit and bringing the industry together

05:30 – The biggest trends shaping travel technology today

06:00 – AI in travel: balancing automation with human experiences

08:30 – How the Future Travel newsletter is curated each week

09:50 – Using reader questions to demystify AI through industry experts

11:00 – How PR professionals can work with Future Travel

11:45 – Inbox zero, email pitches and managing a growing publication

12:30 – Quick fire: founder interviews, embargoes and pitching preferences

13:20 – Why understanding a publication's editorial calendar matters

16:00 – What PR professionals should do more of—not less

17:00 – Why travel tech founders need to professionalize their communications

18:30 – The AI travel startup story that's exciting Ana most

19:40 – How to get in touch with Ana and the Future Travel team

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

In this episode of A Brief Coffee With…, Cathy is joined by Damisola Sulaiman, Fintech Reporter at Sifted, to explore what it's like joining one of Europe's busiest startup newsrooms—and what founders need to understand if they want their stories to stand out.

From covering Europe's biggest fintechs to tracking emerging trends in AI, digital assets, and financial services, Damisola shares what catches her attention, how she works through more than 200 pitches a day, and why context matters just as much as the product you're building.

00:00 – Meet Damisola Sulaiman, Fintech Reporter at Sifted

02:00 – From financial trade journalism to Europe's startup ecosystem

04:00 – Why fintech moves faster than traditional finance

05:20 – The stories shaping fintech today: neobanks, AI, digital assets, and insurtech

08:10 – Revolut, growth-stage fintechs, and spotting the next big trend

09:20 – Inside a fintech reporter's inbox: managing 200+ emails a day

11:50 – How to write a subject line that catches Damisola's attention

13:30 – Why founders should build relationships before they need coverage

14:10 – What makes a great founder interview

17:10 – Quick-fire round: exclusives, data vs narrative, experts vs founders, and press releases

19:30 – The biggest mistake PR professionals make when pitching Sifted

20:20 – Why founders need to place their company in a wider context

23:30 – AI in journalism: research assistant, not replacement

24:00 – The rise of AI-generated pitches and why they're easy to spot

26:00 – How journalists are using AI for sourcing and research

27:00 – Why media coverage increasingly influences AI discovery

28:50 – The best way to pitch Damisola and the Sifted newsroom

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