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!
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:
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.
Bringing together purposeful storytelling, event management and creative marketing, we helped turn Shaunna Burke’s inspiring Everest expedition into an opportunity to raise awareness and support for Macmillan Cancer Support. From building engagement to creating a memorable experience for attendees, Dying to Climb showed how a well-executed event can bring people together around a cause that matters.
2,000
GBP Raised
71
Attendees
5,932
Social Media Reach
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
University of Leeds
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:
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.
