AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN PUBLIC RELATIONS 2017 PUBLIC RELATIONS INSTITUTE OF IRELAND
BEST PR EVENT CAMPAIGN Start-up Wake DESCRIPTION OF CAMPAIGN The Start-up Wake is an event where founders of tech companies come together to share stories of their failed start-ups. The purpose of the event was to promote the Ryan Academy and Irish Start-up community in an engaging, novel way. The event was modelled after a traditional Irish Wake. Rhona Blake, FPRII, PRCA Chairman; Eoghan Stack, CEO DCU Ryan Academy; and Paul Hayes, CEO & Founder of Beachhut PR. PUBLIC RELATIONS CONSULTANT Beachhut PR CLIENT The Ryan Academy BACKGROUND TO THE CAMPAIGN The idea for the event came about as a more serious evolution of Flounders. Flounders was a mock event, which was a humorous take on the Websummit s elite F.ounders event. The idea was to bring together a bunch of failed founders to speak about their journeys and where they went wrong, because at Beachhut we believe one learns more from failure than success. The event was developed to be in contrast to the usual bombast and self-promotion of pitching events at tech events and Irish cultural aversion to failure. As 90 percent of start-ups fail this was to promote a spirit of entrepreneurship and knowledge-share amongst the audience in a humorous way. The Flounders event was a lot of fun with notable guests like Elon Musk enjoying it in the past. However the event was a bit chaotic and haphazardly organised, so we decided to take the idea and evolve it into what we now call Start-up Wakes. An event modelled after an Irish Wake. The event was conceived and hosted by Paul Hayes. The Ryan Academy sponsored and supported the event with additional contra sponsorship coming from Teeling Whiskey. This was so they could align themselves with influencers in the tech industry and promote the Irish start-up ecosystem. 1
Beachhut organised content from three founders with stories of unsuccessful start-ups to tell to the audience. Beachhut also secured successful entrepreneurs such as James Whelton, Pat McDonagh of Riverdeep, Howard Millar, Matt Galligan to tell their stories of adversity and how they came to success. Beachhut also secured sports people such as rugby star Jamie Heaslip and Paralympian Peter Ryan to talk about wider tales of failure driving success in life. The event was made replicable so that it could be held in multiple cities easily and affordably with new iterations of hosts. So far Start-up Wakes, which started in Dublin and Cork in 2015, have been held in London, Tech Open Air Berlin, SXSW in Austin Texas and Dublin since March 2016, with plans to host a 2017 event in Harlem, New York underway. STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES There are three main objectives of the event: (i) The principle objective was to develop a wholly unique, enjoyable event, which allowed start-ups a safe space to talk about what went wrong when they failed and share what they ve learned from their mistakes. This process helps individuals to purge themselves and finally put their failure to rest, and in this case to literally bury their startup s business plans and go again. In essence, Start-up Wakes encourage entrepreneurs to go again and again to quote Beckett; Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. (ii) The second objective of the event is that the tales of failure will help other burgeoning start-ups overcome their own similar problems. Sharing knowledge about why different start-ups failed can help newer start-ups to avoid making the same mistakes. (iii) The third objective was to align the tech community with the sponsors of the Wake primarily the Ryan Academy as thought leaders. This also included Beachhut PR, the office of the Start-up Commissioner and Teeling Whiskey. PROGRAMME PLANNING AND STRATEGY CREATIVITY AND CONCEPT The Ryan Academy wanted to develop a unique event to allow start-ups a safe space to talk about what went wrong when they failed. Beachhut came up with the idea of a wake as a mockumentary format whereby people would feel supported in their attempts to get to the heart of what went wrong in a humorous setting rather than a clinical post mortem. The event featured props and contra deals with whiskey companies, mainly Teeling s. Speakers participated for no fee and there was cost for attendance except being willing to tell a tale of failure. This emphasized the events of being of the community and allowed the audience that was composed of people in the start-up community, investors, former employees and anyone interested in start-ups to participate with the speakers. The main three speakers would be honest and frank in how their former businesses failed and at the end, a shot of whiskey would be drank or the business plan burnt as the audience sung the Irish traditional funeral song The Parting Glass. The event would also feature inspirational entrepreneurs or sports people who would also tell their own tales of overcoming adversity. All these speakers were targeted and procured by Beachhut and the Ryan Academy. The event was meant to be accessible and easy transferable to other regions to promote the Irish tech community, the success could be seen in how the event was easily transplanted to Texas, Berlin and Dublin in 2016. We added elements as it went global, including coffins and mourners, as the investors came on board to support and in some cases forgive the recently deceased for spending their money. We adapted the format to different cultures and events around the world while retaining the unique Irishness of the wakes. London wouldn t let us burn the business plan so we sang songs and drank a parting glass. Texas wouldn t allow alcohol so we had ham sandwiches and milky tea bottles. 2
LOGISTICS AND PLANNING Beachhut managed created and managed a list of invitees that included key influencers in the start-ups, media, and venture capital. They also handled RSVPs. Venue procuring. Beachhut consulted with Ryan Academy, various venues and undertakers in producing a wake-like production and dressing at the venue. Beachhut created a Start-up Wake playlist for the AV on various sites. Hosting prep, Beachhut briefed guests and either hosted or gave notes to the presenter at each event. Beachhut procured contra deals with whiskey companies. Beachhut and the Ryan Academy secured and curated content at each event. ORGANIC MEDIA COVERAGE The next wake will be in Harlem and has become a global phenomenon that has led to imitation events but both The Guardian Funerals for failed start-ups that allow entrepreneurs to rise from the ashes and The Next Web We went to a wake for dead start-ups at SXSW and it was brilliant have acknowledged the Start-up Wakes as the seminal type of these events. The Start-up Wake was meant to be an honest discussion and as such journalists were invited off the record, unless stated otherwise to the event to cultivate an honest atmosphere but many participants found they wanted to speak to the press that attended. This contributed to a convivial atmosphere and good coverage for the wake. Paul Hayes was also featured in the Irish Times, Newstalk s Down to Business, The Sunday Times and The Business Show on Today FM to discuss the concept of the Start-up Wake. MEASUREMENT (i) The first objective was a success with the following news outlets recognizing the unique nature of the event this can be seen in sustained coverage on each event in 2016 in: 1. The Guardian: Funerals for failed start-ups that allow entrepreneurs to rise from the ashes 2. The Next Web: We went to a wake for dead start-ups at SXSW and it was brilliant 3. Newstalk: Ireland makes start-up wakes a thing 4. The Journal: Failure is part of the start-up game... so we give our companies a good old-fashioned Irish wake 5. The Sunday Times: Tech entrepreneurs bouncing back 6. The Irish Times: Start-up dreams: What happens to companies that don t make it? 7. Paul Hayes on the Business Show on Today FM 8. Paul Hayes on Down to Business with Bobby Kerr Additionally 9 entrepreneurs felt comfortable enough to tell their story of their business s demise to sold out crowds of people in Austin, Berlin and Dublin marking it down as a safe place to share knowledge that can be painful in an enjoyable fashion. (ii) This was achieved by having sold out events at each Wake. (iii) All stakeholders were reported as happy with their participation and the media coverage garnered. 3