Creating an Inspiring Fundraising Event

When Dr. Shaunna Burke needed to share her extraordinary story of resilience and raise funds for a historic 2026 Everest summit attempt, all whilst living with incurable cancer, we created an event that transformed personal courage into collective inspiration. From end-to-end logistic to speaker briefs, visual identity to auction strategy, we delivered an evening that proved even the most challenging climbs are possible with the right support.

Aims

Shaunna approached us to create an event that would do justice to her story, not just as an adventure tale, but as a powerful exploration of resilience that could inspire business leaders, academics, and professionals. The event needed to raise crucial funds and awareness for her 2026 Everest expedition, which would subsequently enable her fundraising mission for Macmillan Cancer Support.

The challenge was clear: create a professional, emotionally impactful evening that balanced inspiration with fundraising, featured high-profile speakers, and brought together a community of socially conscious professionals ready to support something truly historic. The results speak for themselves!

B2B Event Management

Our Approach

We kicked off the partnership with Dr Shaunna Burke by developing the full event concept that positioned ‘Dying to Climb’ as more than a fundraiser. It became an exploration of how resilience in extreme conditions applies to business and life, captured in the theme ‘where mountains meet the boardroom.’

It was then over to our team of event specialists to bring the evening to life through the management of:

Event branding and visual identity – working in partnership with Imageco as print sponsors to create screen designs, print materials (backdrop, photo opportunities, auction materials), and QR code integration for seamless donations.
Complete event planning and logistics, including venue liaison with Nexus, Leeds and agenda development balancing emotional storytelling and networking opportunities.
Speaker and host coordination – comprehensive briefs for event host Matt Jameson, panel discussion guidance, and closing remarks.
Marketing and communications – pre and post-event social media content, attendee communications, and a post-event thank you email.
Dual auction strategy – coordination of the silent auction and the live auction which featured prizes from Halston B2B, The Biskery, and GEKCO.

The day unfolded with Shaunna’s powerful presentation on her journey from the Everest Marathon to her 2026 summit attempt, Sir Chris Bonington’s inspirational message, an engaging panel discussion, and culminated in a live auction in support of the expedition.

Dying to Climb in numbers

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0 Attendees

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Thanks again for organising such an incredible event. It was such a pleasure working with you. I really appreciate everything. Thanks for all your help. It truly was a memorable evening!

Dr Shaunna Burke – Associate Professor in Exercise and Health Psychology

What Made This Event Special

The success of Dying to Climb lay in our ability to balance multiple objectives without compromising any of them. We created an evening that was simultaneously:

Emotionally powerful yet professionally credible
Focused on fundraising yet never transactional
Packed with content yet never rushed
Serious in subject matter yet ultimately uplifting and inspiring

Most importantly, we established not just a one-night fundraiser, but a community of supporters invested in Shaunna’s journey to Everest 2026 and beyond.

Want to support Shaunna’s historic 2026 Everest expedition?
You can still donate to her cause and be part of this extraordinary journey here.

Ready to create an event that inspires action and delivers results?

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