Compared to what you already buy

Alternatives to client dinners, and everything else you already buy.

I've been the guest at every one of these. Most of them are fine at what they're for. Most of them also get you one person per account.

The format	What it does well	Where it falls short	My nights instead
Client dinners	A proper conversation with the person across the table.	One person per account, seated, and it's over by the cheese.	Three or four per account, on their feet, until half ten.
Roundtables	Reach across lots of accounts in one go.	One seat per company, and somebody moderating.	Nobody moderating, and nobody at the front.
Conferences, keynotes and panels	Content, and a reason to put it in the diary.	Everyone faces the front, all day.	Nothing to sit through. The music is the structure.
Trade shows and expos	Volume. A lot of badges scanned.	Your people spend the day on a stand, and your clients spend it avoiding them.	No stand, no badges, nobody working the room.
Padel days	Fun, if you're into it.	Four people on a court at a time, and half your clients won't pick up a racket.	Everyone on the same floor, whether they dance or not.
Wimbledon, the races, a box at the football	A big name on the invitation, and hard to say no to.	A working day gone, everyone watching the same thing, and plenty of people who don't care who wins.	An evening, not a day. And nobody has to pretend to support anyone.
Doing it yourself	Total control.	Two months of someone's life, and it's still your logo on the lanyards.	You take seats. I do the rest.

Client dinners

What it does well: A proper conversation with the person across the table.
Where it falls short: One person per account, seated, and it's over by the cheese.
My nights instead: Three or four per account, on their feet, until half ten.

Roundtables

What it does well: Reach across lots of accounts in one go.
Where it falls short: One seat per company, and somebody moderating.
My nights instead: Nobody moderating, and nobody at the front.

Conferences, keynotes and panels

What it does well: Content, and a reason to put it in the diary.
Where it falls short: Everyone faces the front, all day.
My nights instead: Nothing to sit through. The music is the structure.

Trade shows and expos

What it does well: Volume. A lot of badges scanned.
Where it falls short: Your people spend the day on a stand, and your clients spend it avoiding them.
My nights instead: No stand, no badges, nobody working the room.

Padel days

What it does well: Fun, if you're into it.
Where it falls short: Four people on a court at a time, and half your clients won't pick up a racket.
My nights instead: Everyone on the same floor, whether they dance or not.

Wimbledon, the races, a box at the football

What it does well: A big name on the invitation, and hard to say no to.
Where it falls short: A working day gone, everyone watching the same thing, and plenty of people who don't care who wins.
My nights instead: An evening, not a day. And nobody has to pretend to support anyone.

Doing it yourself

What it does well: Total control.
Where it falls short: Two months of someone's life, and it's still your logo on the lanyards.
My nights instead: You take seats. I do the rest.

So I put on an R&B and soul night instead. Four Tuesdays a year in London, three or four people from each account, and nobody allowed to sell to anyone.

Start with 23 March See every price

Swap one dinner for a Tuesday.

Start with 23 March

Or take the year, or ask me a question.

Rather talk first? Book 30 minutes.

Nothing invoiced until the night's confirmed · Every line of the spec, or you don't pay for what's missing · I never pay a supplier out of money you haven't sent