One evening. The right room. The journalists who need to know your name.
There’s a journalist sitting in an editorial meeting right now.
She’s pitching stories.
Curating column inches.
Looking for an expert. The specific, credible, genuinely interesting voice, that will make her piece land.
That expert isn’t you. Because she doesn’t know your name.
After Spotlight Soiree, she will.
THE ROOM IS SMALL BY DESIGN
Twelve founders.
A journalist from two of the publications that matter to your audience.
An extraordinary guest whose own story of using PR to build something remarkable will change how you think about visibility forever.
And Laura. Who has spent 22 years opening exactly these doors, bringing you all together.
The evening moves the way the best dinners move.
Unhurried.
Intimate.
The kind of conversation that doesn’t happen on a Zoom call or in a conference room.
Because it requires the specific alchemy of the right people, the right setting and the right moment.
You will hear, directly from the journalists, what lands in their inbox and what gets deleted.
What makes then stop scrolling. What makes them pick up their phone.
You will hear from a founder who has been where you are and used PR to get somewhere extraordinary:
What she did, what she’d do differently and what she knows now that she wishes she’d known then.
And somewhere between the starter and the dessert, something will shift.
The journalists will know your name.
You will know your story.
And the conversation that started over dinner will be the one that opens doors you didn’t know existed.
THE JOURNALISTS IN THE ROOM
Meet the media power players you’ll be connecting with in the room on Thursday 19th November
Oli Ballard is journalist, editor and the co-founder of 9am Business, the online media outlet that empowers business leaders with actionable insights and expert analysis.
He previously worked in regional newspapers before working in communications roles with two MPs.
Following this, he worked as a director at a national marketing agency before leading a national B2B media company.
As a director there, he managed a team that was responsible for events, awards and publishing a leading business magazine.
Oli has interviewed some of the world’s leading business figures and knows exactly what makes a story worth telling.
Connect with Oli on LinkedIn
Emily Rose Adams is the host and editor of The Health Review.
As a TV journalist she’s spent years covering health stories and interviewing experts. Now, with The Health Review, she’s bringing those conversations to you — breaking down complex topics in a way that’s engaging, practical, and easy to understand.
Each week she explores the science, trends and personal experiences that shape our well-being. From expert interviews to real-life health transformations, her goal is to bring you clear, science-backed information to help you make informed choices.
Connect with Emily on LinkedIn
THE 8-FIGURE FOUNDER
Every Spotlight Soirée has a guest founder. Not a speaker. Not someone there to deliver a presentation and disappear.
Someone who has been in your shoes, building something extraordinary, wondering whether PR was really for people like her, and who used it to do something that changed everything.
She’s in the room because her story is proof.
Not the polished, highlight reel version.
The real one.
What she actually did. What it cost her. What it opened. And what she’d tell you to do differently if you were starting today.
The founder joining us this November has built one of the most recognisable brands in her industry.
Her story will change how you think about what’s possible.
MEET NOVEMBER’S GUEST FOUNDER: JULIET BARRATT
She started in a basement.
No investors.
No PR agency.
No roadmap for what she was building, because nothing quite like it existed yet.
Just a product she believed in, a husband who shared the vision and the kind of stubborn, slightly audacious refusal to accept that small brands stay small.
What followed was one of the most extraordinary growth stories in British business.
A nutrition brand that went from basement startup to household name.
From independent challenger brand to acquisition target.
From a bold idea to a £185 million deal with one of the biggest players in the confectionary industry.
And through every stage of that journey, from the first pitch to the last press release, PR was the engine.
AFTER THE LIGHTS FADE AND WE SAY FAREWELL
Every guest receives a personal 121 strategy call follow with Laura after the evening.
Not a generic email.
A forensic, specific, completely personal next step, based on what she heard from you over dinner and where she thinks your story belongs.
Because what happens after Spotlight Soirée matters just as much as the evening itself.
The journalist remembers your name.
Laura knows your story.
The door is open.
What you do next determines everything.
WHO THIS HAS BEEN BUILT FOR
Spotlight Soirée is for the established founder who:
Has built something genuinely worth talking about and is ready for the right people to find out about it
Understands that the most powerful PR conversations don’t happen in pitch decks, they happen over dinner
Is ready to be in a room where the journalist sitting across from her could change everything, and is prepared to show up as the full, forensic, completely credible version of herself when that moment arrives
Sees £597 as the most considered investment she’ll make in her visibility this year
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
19TH NOVEMBER 2026
HOME HOUSE, W1H 6LW
6pm – 10pm
Joined by: Editor at 9am Business, host of The Health Review podcast, exited founder from one of the UKs biggest nutrition challenger brands.
11TH MARCH 2027
CENTRAL LONDON
6pm – 10pm
Journalists and special guests to be confirmed
12TH JUNE 2027
CENTRAL LONDON
6pm – 10pm
Journalists and special guests to be announced
THE INVESTMENT
£597*
Payment plans available
You investment includes:
An intimate private dinner with a working journalist, an extraordinary founder guest and Laura
Direct access to a journalist your ideal client already reads
Laura’s personal follow up after the evening with your specific next steps
The conversation that keeps opening doors long after the evening ends
* Pay in full bonus includes a news hook written by Laura, plus the recommednation of three publications to pitch it to.
MEET YOUR HOST
Hey!
I’m Laura Perkes and I’m The Media Matchmaker.
I’ve spent the past 22 years supporting global brands, SMEs, founders, coaches and consultants and there’s one thing I know to be true:
PR isn’t just about collecting media logos that look pretty but quickly gather dust on a digital shelf.
PR is about the doors it opens, the opportunities it creates and the people who start to know YOU and invite you into their spaces.
PR also isn’t about privilege.
It’s about having a voice and not being afraid to use it. It’s about having a hot spicy take on your industry that helps you stand out.
It’s the gateway to you accessing an audience that wasn’t available to you previously.
With commercial acumen and an ability to see what you can’t, the way I work isn’t to fixate on visibility.
It’s to make sure that the right people are speaking about you, featuring you and paying you – whether that’s to speak on stage, deliver a workshop, or pay you as their mentor.
I’m not for everyone. But if you’re here, you’ve made the cut!
The journalist writing your industry’s next big story doesn’t know your name yet. She will.
One evening. Ten founders. The room that keeps opening doors.
FAQS
HOW MANY PEOPLE ATTEND SPOTLIGHT SOIREE?
Ten guests maximum. Always. The intimacy is the point.
WHERE DOES IT TAKE PLACE?
Central London. The exact venue will be confirmed and communicated to guests closer to the date.
WHO ARE THE JOURNALISTS?
Laura announces the journalist closer to the event date, because the right match matters more than the early reveal.
What she guarantees is that the journalists who attend covers stories your ideal client actually reads.
WHAT TIME DOES IT START?
Champagne and canape reception starts at 6pm. We sit down for dinner at 6:30pm. The evening finishes at 10pm
CAN I BRING A +1?
Each ticket is for one person. If you have a friend or business bestie who’s like to attend then they’d need to purchase their own ticket.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE EVENING?
Laura will share contact details with you so that you can follow the journalists on social media and pitch ideas to them.
You also get the opportunity to schedule a 121 strategy call with Laura to help you maximise your Spotlight Soiree experience.
CAN I ATTEND MORE THAN ONE SOIREE?
Yes, and many guests do. Each evening has different journalists, a different guest and a different room. The conversations compound.
READY FOR PR SUPPORT?
But not sure exactly sure what you need, or which service is right for you?
Then fill in the form below and Laura will personally reply within 48 hours with her recommendations, based on where you are, the budget available and the results you’re looking for.
No consultation call necessary!