In January 2025, BeaconHouse Events supported the North East Combined Authority (NECA) in bringing together 245 members of the North East business community for People, Potential and Opportunity, an inspiring and motivational event held at Newcastle Civic Centre. Designed to spark ideas and drive change, the event encouraged businesses to adopt good work best practices, highlighting how positive workplace changes can benefit both organisations and the wider region.
Hosted by Charlie Charlton, the event opened with North East Mayor Kim McGuinness outlining the authority’s vision for the region. Attendees then heard from a line-up of regional leaders on key topics including flexible working, recruitment and retention, social responsibility, and health and wellbeing. Speakers included Clare Morley, CEO of headline sponsor Rise, Ocean Marketing Manager Gabe Davies from Patagonia Europe, and Gill Hunter, Managing Partner at Square One Law, who delivered a keynote on authentic leadership.
With a strong focus on action and impact, the event also featured an exhibition of event sponsors and valuable networking opportunities to continue the discussion. During the networking break, attendees enjoyed a delicious selection of tray bakes from Pudding Parlour.
BeaconHouse Events managed all aspects of the event, including venue coordination, speaker sourcing and logistics, supplier management, registration, and onsite delivery, ensuring a seamless and engaging experience for all involved.
“Thanks again for all your help and support, so many people commented on how slick the event was!” Caroline Preston, Good Work Lead, NECA
Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do at BeaconHouse Events, so we were thrilled to assist Net Zero North East with the delivery of the Net Zero North East England Summit – a two-day event at the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead on 26th and 27th November.
The first day involved a conversation between Mayor Kim McGuiness and George Clark, a keynote by Professor Richard Dawson from Newcastle University, and a very memorable performance from a local primary school choir which offered a reminder of why the journey to net zero matters so much. The second day saw many interesting panel discussions that showcased exciting work happening within the region, and the importance of collaboration to reach our net zero targets.
We supported Net Zero North East in the run up to the event with venue and audio-visual coordination, as well as liaising with over 70 speakers and collecting all presentations. Onsite delivery involved exhibitor management, supervising volunteers from Gateshead College, and managing the various stages and sessions.
“The team were so friendly and helpful, they really couldn’t do enough! They helped the event run so smoothly, and really took the pressure of me and my very small team of helpers, allowing me to actually enjoy some of the event! Couldn’t have done it without them!” Jess Cook, NZNEE
In October 2024, BeaconHouse delivered Leighton’s second company day of the year, held at the Biscuit Factory’s newly opened Garden Room. Surrounded by a lush tropical garden, this beautiful venue provided the perfect backdrop for a day of company updates, future planning, and team bonding.
Our team managed every detail, from venue sourcing and branding to AV setup and onsite management. We also organised an engaging team-building session centred around fun Lego challenges, designed to foster creativity and collaboration.
The evening transitioned to As You Like It’s Frangipani Room, where we scripted and a small internal awards ceremony, followed by a lively quiz hosted by Alfie Joey. The night wrapped up with a street food buffet, leaving the team energised and connected. It was a pleasure to once again support Leighton in celebrating their successes, and we look forward to planning their next edition in the spring.
“I just wanted to drop you a note to personally thank you and the team for all of your hard work yesterday. I’m not sure how you do it, but do it you do!” James Bunting, Leighton
We were proud to collaborate with CyberNorth to organise and deliver two standout events as part of CyberFest 2024, the North East’s annual cyber event aimed at strengthening the region’s cyber resilience and fostering cross-industry collaboration. BeaconHouse supported the CyberNorth team in bringing together over 100 tech professionals to The Common Room in Newcastle for a conference that explored cybersecurity innovation, data protection, and digital transformation through keynote speeches, workshops, and networking. Highlights included a panel on UK and global business opportunities for north east companies and a compelling keynote titled ‘Tales of Life as a Social Engineer.’
Our support included venue coordination, speaker management, sponsorship liaison, delegate engagement, and onsite logistics, ensuring a seamless experience for all. We also assisted in planning CyberFest’s inaugural Community Awards at Tyne Bank Brewery, managing everything from the nominations and judging process to crafting scripts, sourcing trophies, and venue liaison.
“The response from the conference has been amazing so far. We are thrilled at how everything went and that’s a huge credit to you. Thank you for guiding us through…Your leadership and support has been invaluable.” Danielle Phillips, CyberNorth
BeaconHouse Events supported NBS with the delivery of their Construction Leaders Summit, taking place on Wednesday, 25th September, at the Royal College of Physicians, London.
BeaconHouse Events worked with NBS to deliver an engaging and impactful event that brought their network together for debate, discussion, and meaningful connections. The event featured prominent keynote speakers, including Paull Morrell OBE, Chris Hines of A Grain of Sand, and Karen Burns of Fyma.
Our collaboration with NBS’s internal events and marketing team involved venue coordination, audiovisual management, and registrations. We also contributed to speaker and program curation, exhibition planning, branding, supplier management, and on-site delivery and support.
“From initial planning to the final day, BeaconHouse supported us at every step, ensuring everything ran smoothly and exceeded our expectations. We received outstanding feedback from attendees, and the event’s success is a testament to the expertise and dedication of the team. We look forward to collaborating with them on future events.” Jennifer Duffy, NBS powered by Hubexo
We were delighted to work with Newcastle Strategic Solutions again to deliver their second client conference at their headquarters in Newcastle. This year, the conference celebrated a milestone; 20 years of client success. The day was filled with insightful presentations, panels, and networking, finishing with some locally sourced catering. NSS clients did not go home empty handed, goody bags were filled with Newcastle-themed gifts and branded merch, which were a hot topic of conversation.
The BeaconHouse Events team managed everything from registration, stage management, AV, venue liaison, and sourcing goody bags and catering suppliers.
“The peace of mind knowing that the team are “on it” both in the run up to the day and during the event. Nothing is too much trouble, and everything is thought of.” Hannah Steel, Newcastle Strategic Solutions
In September 2024, BeaconHouse successfully delivered a Leadership Conference at Wynyard Hall for CF Fertilisers as part of their annual staff engagement series. Hosted by radio presenter John Foster, the event brought together over 30 leaders from the company’s UK sites in Billingham and Chester.
Now in its second year, the conference centred around the theme of ‘Inclusive Leadership,’ with a focus on inclusion, collaboration, and empowerment. Attendees explored the organisation’s strategic objectives and participated in a workshop led by 50:50 Future, a regional consultancy specialising in diversity and inclusion. The agenda also featured a fascinating and thought provoking keynote from polar explorer Felicity Aston MBE and a team-building activity, ‘Challenge 100.’
BeaconHouse Events provided end-to-end event management, handling all logistics including speaker sourcing, programme delivery, supplier coordination, AV, registration, and onsite support.
“I just wanted to say thank you for a great day yesterday. Feedback was very positive and everyone seemed to really enjoy the day. Everything went smoothly and as per schedule, which is certainly down to all the planning and preparation from you all” – Imran Khaliq, CF Fertilisers
The 71st Annual Scientific Meeting of the British Society of Oral and Dental Research (BSODR) took place for the first time in Newcastle from the 2nd to the 4th of September. This prestigious event gathered professionals and academics in the field of oral and dental research at the Crowne Plaza Newcastle to exchange ideas, showcase research, and foster connections.
The conference featured a diverse program, including keynote addresses, oral and poster presentations, scientific symposia, and meetings of special interest groups. In addition, attendees enjoyed events tailored to various career stages, such as the early career research breakfast and an undergraduate student forum, which aimed to support the next generation of researchers. The event also hosted scientific prize competitions, a trade exhibition, a conference dinner at St James’ Park, and a public speakeasy event.
BeaconHouse supported BSODR in organising the event, providing comprehensive services that ranged from managing abstracts and overseeing the programme, to liaising with the venue and managing the budget. We also took on the responsibility of coordinating with the committee, handling the exhibition and sponsorship arrangements, and managing the event logistics. The team worked closely with the client and managed the event on behalf of the client, who have traditionally handled conference organisation in-house.
The event welcomed 233 delegates over the three days. There were 57 poster presentations and 67 oral presentations, alongside sessions led by four keynote speakers, adding to the offer for delegates. The conference also featured engaging symposia and special sessions that provided valuable opportunities for networking and knowledge sharing.
“Friendly approachable team with extensive experience in hosting scientific conferences which provided them with the knowledge is what was required to keep us on track for successful delivery. Furthermore the team were always on hand to answer questions and deal with any issues in a timely manner.” Christopher Nile, Newcastle University
June 2024 marked the second year of TechNExt, a five-day festival celebrating the North East’s technology sector. TechNExt is underwritten by Dynamo North East CIC, co-organised by Sunderland Software City and the event management is delivered by partners BeaconHouse Events. The festival attracted approximately 3,000 attendees and featured over 70 community-led fringe events alongside five curated main events. These events highlighted the best in tech across the region, with curated events including the inaugural Schools Challenge at Durham Town Hall, the Industry Dinner at the Fire Station Sunderland, Tech Talent Live at the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead, the Main Stage Conference at the Crowne Plaza, and the Festival Party at Revolución de Cuba.
This year’s Main Stage Conference was the festival’s largest event, focusing on the theme of ‘Tech for Good.’ 6 keynote speakers from across the UK, alongside 2 North East based tech entrepreneurs shared insights on how technology can address societal challenges, making a significant impact on the audience. The Schools Challenge also made its debut, engaging school children aged 9-13 in developing tech solutions to answer real-world problems during the summer term, with their ideas celebrated at the Durham Town Hall event during the festival week.
The festival continued its ‘Good Festival’ legacy from 2023, with quality, inclusivity, diversity, accessibility and sustainability at the heart of the festival.
“The festival showcased so many good things about the region. The vibe was a good balance between social and professional. Very well organised, great purpose, great format – can’t wait until next year!” 2024 Festival Attendee
We were delighted to work with Jim Richardson to plan and deliver the MuseumNext Live conference, which brought together museum professionals from all over the world to share ideas, strategies, and visions for the future.
In June 2024, we welcomed over 400 delegates to London. The three-day conference included an exciting mix of workshops, museum tours, and networking opportunities. The main event was hosted at the Royal Geographical Society and included a stellar line up of 24 fantastic speakers, including keynotes from Mike Murawski, a consultant and change leader, and Dr. Frederic Bertley, a scientist, scholar, and evangelist for innovating thinking.
For day one, delegates received a personalised agenda and spent their day attending interactive workshops, inspiring talks, museum tours or fun experiences in London. A jam-packed day which culminated in a welcome reception at the London Transport Museum.
We supported the client with venue liaison, registration management, supplier management, speaker management and onsite delivery.
Lots of positive feedback on how organised your team was, so thank you! Jim Richardson, MuseumNext Live
We welcomed over 270 members of the Opencast team to their largest conference and summer party yet at the Vertu Motors Arena. The team attended their Q2 conference, which kicked off with a performance from the in-house Opencast choir followed by the main plenary address before breaking out into 11 informative concurrent sessions.
Later, the venue was transformed into ‘Castonbury’, Opencast’s summer festival themed party, complete with live music from the in-house band ‘The Castanets’, Koroleko, a West African drumming band, and Monster Ceilidh, who filled the dancefloor with their infectious folk music and Ceilidh dances. Alongside this, we ensured there was fun for all, with glitter stations, a merchandise stand, a giant inflatable whack-a-mole, a silent disco, delicious catering, and ice cream carts.
BeaconHouse Events had everything in hand to seamlessly switch from conference/breakout sessions to a Castonbury party, managing full logistics from registration, venue sourcing and liaison, catering, entertainment, hotel room bookings, stage management, and onsite delivery.
“I loved it so much—an amazing night, and you can tell the level of effort that goes into the organisation, the coordination on the night, and the consideration for accessibility and entertainment. Loved it! Very representative of OC people.” Opencast Team
The NIHR Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) was held on 16 & 17 May in Birmingham, spanning a day and a half. This conference aimed to bring together national members of the NIHR school for knowledge sharing, research presentations, and networking.
Our role at BeaconHouse Events included everything from supporting with venue research, to speaker liaison, to post-event evaluation and carbon footprint reporting.
The event was attended by 192 delegates from across the UK, featured 20 poster presentations, and included 54 speakers. Through meticulous planning and execution, we ensured the NIHR ASM was a successful platform for collaboration and innovation.
“BeaconHouse Events are really good to work with. They are friendly and responsive and understand our needs. They’re always a step ahead with regard to chasing speakers and having their help on the day took a lot of pressure off, enabling our team to get more out of the event in terms of networking with colleagues etc. They went above and beyond, for example, taking our banner stands and other promotional materials to the venue in Birmingham (from Newcastle).” NIHR School for Public Health Research (SPHR)