Kirsty Lewis on the ups, downs and wild ideas behind getting people to SOFest 2025

How are you? If you are new to this blog it is all about my crazy idea to put on a festival for 100-plus facilitators, trainers, coaches and consultants from 10 to 12 June 2025, in Essex, UK. I mean how hard can it be to create a large-scale event, in a field, for people who love to learn, connect into the community and have experiences? 

The answer is medium to hard. It isn’t coming up with the ideas, the programme of events, speakers, workshop hosts, activities or even finding the space for the festival. The hard part is me getting out of my own way.  

Ticket sales hit a peak in early November last year and since then have come to a juddering halt

My brain blocks me if it thinks something is too hard, the finances don’t add up, or if I think no one will buy a ticket! Doing something like this really tests your belief system. Thankfully, I have a project manager who has run many, many festivals and is the person who has been nudging me back on to the path. 

I am choosing to be super-transparent about what is happening behind the scenes so people can understand more about what is involved. 

Ticket sales hit a peak in early November last year and since then have come to a juddering halt. We have sold 54 tickets. To break even and cover the cost of the site, tents, food, insurance and project management we need to sell another 30 tickets. Additional ticket sales mean we can go to town on the decorations, the music – and I can pay myself! 

I have a four-part ticket strategy which I want to share with you (and if you have further ideas and feedback, please email me: contact@schooloffacilitation.com). 

1) The birthday tactic 

January is one of my favourite months as it is my birthday. I thought I would offer five tickets at a birthday offer of £1,351 plus VAT. I was convinced they would go, people would snaffle them quickly as this is the lowest price ticket available in 2025. 

How wrong were my convictions! Two tickets sold. I had read the market wrong. Just because I love January, doesn’t mean others do. Apparently, January is long and dark; the month where no one has money, clients haven’t paid an invoice and the reasons go on. Yup I felt pretty deflated. 

2) The community partners tactic 

I am working with five facilitator and trainer communities to spread the word of SOFest and offer a discounted ticket: 

• The Trainers Training Company. 

• The Design Club. 

• LnD Free Spirits. 

• The Virtual Training Team. 

• Accelerando. 

If you are part of one of these communities, look out for more details about SOFest in forthcoming newsletters. The aim is to sell 10 tickets through the community partners. This strategy is just being launched. 

3) The impact partners tactic 

There are people unable to attend SOFest as they are at the start of their facilitator/trainer journey and don’t have the money. Maybe someone’s income is super-low or they work in the charity/NGO sector, or are under 30. 

An impact partner is a business or individual who buys a ticket that is gifted on. The aim is to work with 10 impact partners. One impact partner has signed up! Very excited. If you want to know more, drop me an email: contact@schooloffacilitation.com 

4) The hit-and-hope tactic 

This is a strategy often deployed towards the end of a hockey match when a team wants to score: they hit the ball, hoping someone will convert it. Not the most focused approach. My version is: “Let’s see if anyone else buys a random ticket!” 

There you have it. The ramblings of a mad woman who is building a festival for the likes of you. The window to buy a ticket closes on 30 April! Get in quick before you miss out. 

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