THE ENERGY OF AFFHUB'S CRAZY EVENTS. Why does the team stay awake the night before and how does it rest after?
Важливо
The air is always thicker on the eve of a new event. The night seems longer, the coffee stronger, and the silence louder. Someone is working on the last edits, someone is excitedly flipping through the list of to-dos so as not to miss anything, but everyone feels the same way - something important is going to happen tomorrow.
And when the day finally comes, excitement gives way to drive, and fatigue to a sense of meaning. Because an event is not just a day in the calendar. It's an experience and a feeling that lives in the memory much longer than the event itself.
AFFHUB events are always more than just conferences. It is a space where casual conversations become the beginning of partnerships, where ideas are born that change the direction of an entire industry, and where people's energy sounds louder than any microphone.
We talked to the team to convey this atmosphere from the inside - in their words, emotions, and feelings.
Sasha,
Head of AFFHUB
HWYD: What does a successful event mean to you?
Sasha: For me, a successful event is not just a packed hall and good reviews on social media. It's when you see people who didn't know each other yesterday discussing joint projects over coffee. When speakers share insights not only from the stage but also in the corridors. And when the team has a feeling after the event: "Yes, we have done something important for the entire industry."
HWYD: How do you support your team when the tension is high?
Sasha: At times when everyone is on edge, it is important to remember that we are not machines. I try to be the person who not only distributes tasks, but also notices when someone needs a break or a word of support. We can go out for coffee together, joke around, and remember why we are doing this in the first place. Sometimes one sincere conversation does more than a whole day of planning.
HWYD: How do you get inspired for new ideas?
Sasha: Inspiration always comes from people.
I communicate a lot at conferences, listen to what my colleagues are experiencing, what drives competitors. I analyze global trends and think about how they can be adapted to our audience.
HWYD: Have you already had the best event or is it yet to come?
Sasha: I believe that our best event is always ahead.
Each project brings new challenges and new insights. But every time we finish a conference, I see pride in the eyes of the team and realize that this was our peak.
And then we raise the bar again.
HWYD: Your team called you the "heart of AFFHUB" - what does this role mean to you?
Sasha: For me, it's about putting a little bit of myself into every detail every day - from the big strategy to the little things in preparing the hall.
Being the "heart" means not only leading the team forward, but also feeling for everyone in it. It's about caring, inspiring, and lending a shoulder in time.
And, perhaps, about loving what we do so much that every participant in our events feels it.
Katya,
Event Team Lead
HWYD: Why did you choose the event industry?
Katya:
I can't advise someone to create events.
To live the result - yes.
Working because "I need a job" is not.
To be an artist, engineer, strategist, creator - yes.
Doing "just to be done" is not.
To live with emotion - yes.
Enjoy the result - yes.
HWYD: What key challenges do you see in the final phase of the event preparation?
Katya: It's not about work - it's about life, about meanings, about something more than hookah, whiskey, or a party. It's about energy, synergy, discovery.
HWYD: What helps you stay calm when everything is on fire?
Katya: Challenges, difficulties, what helps, what inspires - these are all the secret secrets of the "event manager's book of magic".
HWYD: What was your fastest and coolest "plan B" that saved the event?
Katya: A lyrical response from a practical event manager:
I can't advise someone to create events.
To live the result - yes.
To be a part, to be a whole, to be a universe, an atom, everything and nothing at the same time - yes.
To be is to create, not just "to be"!
Life is so strange, changeable, incomprehensible when you create a space of emotions. Have fun at AFFHUB events - advice from a mercurial team leader on antidepressants.
Nikita,
Project Manager
HWYD: What is the most interesting case study or story related to the event that you could share?
Nikita: In fact, each event is a separate case and story. There have been a lot of them during my time in the industry, but none of them was like the other. Perhaps the most interesting thing at events is meeting people you met outside the industry. For example, you studied at university, saw them at training, or lived in a dormitory. It's cool to realize how large our industry is when you can see the most unexpected people here.
HWYD: Was there ever a time when you did something "in a hurry" but it turned out better than you expected?
Nikita: This is probably the title of the video report from last year's AFFHUB conference in Lviv. I didn't know until the last moment whether I was supposed to shoot it. It's a good thing that the experience took away my fear of the camera, otherwise I don't know what would have happened.)
HWYD: What is the most difficult part of your job?
Nikita: Explain to my grandmother what I do)
But seriously, we need to look for topics. In fact, tens of thousands of texts have already been written in our field. And finding something new in the seemingly familiar is always difficult. Every time I create a content plan, I spend a lot of time and resources. But when I see the result and receive comments from people, it's worth it.
HWYD: What tricks or techniques help you create content that really touches the audience?
Nikita: The main feature I mentioned above is to look for something new in the ordinary. Explore new verticals that few people know about. To look for new approaches, life hacks for webmasters, to come up with new formats of texts, collaborations - all this helps to create unique content, which is why AFFHUB Media is loved.
Dmytro,
Sales Manager
HWYD: The most interesting/unconventional sales story.
Dmytro: Once a potential client said that he had no budget for participation at all, but I felt that he was very interested in the project. We talked for several weeks, and I shared ideas. As a result, the day before the deadline, he found the money and bought a participation package for our event. Once again, I was convinced that you should always believe in the value of what you offer and not give up even when it seems that all doors are closed. And after the event, his company was able to find partners with whom it launched several successful products and started working with a new CEO.
HWYD: How does your contact database help you in such stressful situations?
Dmytro: My contact base includes people with whom we have already completed more than one project together. I always know who I can turn to or through whom I can find the right contact in a difficult situation to quickly find a way out or the right solution.
HWYD: What is the "secret ingredient" that helps you keep in touch with such a large database of contacts?
Dmytro: Sincerity and attention. Very often, partners become good acquaintances and friends. Then there is no longer any "secret ingredient", but just a human, real relationship. This is what keeps the connection alive and makes it possible to maintain it even when everything changes. For me, it is a great indicator when a person leaves the project and our partnership does not end there, but continues in another product.
HWYD: What do you like most about your job?
Dmytro: The drive and challenges of every day are what energize me. My partners are a special love and inspiration. The best moment is when they say: "This was the best confab ever". I get high when I see the acquaintances that started at our event turn into real deals and long-lasting partnerships. That's what motivates me more than any KPI and makes the work real.
Victoria,
PR Manager
HWYD: What is the most difficult part of event promotion?
Victoria: Memorize all the nuances and details that are constantly changing, and at the same time retain a huge amount of information in your head. It's like trying to put together a jigsaw puzzle when the picture is changing right in the process.
HWYD: What helps you not to get lost in the flow of information and stay creative in stressful moments?
Victoria: In my opinion, creativity can get lost in the flow of information. This is quite natural. The main thing is to be able to switch off, turn off your head from a thousand messages and focus on creating an idea. In fact, magnesium from Perla Helsa helps a lot, and the SMM Manager we work with helps a lot - he takes away a lot of the guesswork, which is very valuable to me.
HWYD: What do you value most about your job?
Victoria: What I value most is the opportunity to build genuine connections with people from completely different fields - from marketers and creatives to techies and business owners. My phone book is a small universe of talented and motivated people who I can turn to for advice and new partnerships. I also appreciate that each project is a new experience, new insights, and lessons that help me become better at my job and find innovative solutions faster.
HWYD: How do you feel that your work "came through" and helped the event?
Victoria: I feel this way when I see the lively emotions and sincere reactions of the participants - when they share their impressions, make posts on social media, and recommend us to their friends. It is especially valuable when people write after the event that they have learned something important, found new partners, or received an impetus for development.
For me, it's an indicator that the energy and creativity I put into it really works, and that I helped create not just an event, but a useful and inspiring experience for the community.
Важливо
In conclusion:
When you listen to the AFFHUB team, it becomes clear that events are not just parties, burning deadlines, and checklists. These are live stories that are born in the process of preparation, a drive and shared energy that unites the team, speakers, and guests into one big community.
And yes, perhaps each event is exhausting, taking away strength and nerves. But at the same time, it gives you the most important thing - the feeling that you are doing something that makes sense. That you are creating a space where people meet, find partners, get new ideas, and stay charged with this experience for a long time.
This is the true energy of AFFHUB - the energy that cannot be measured by any KPIs, but which leaves a mark in the heart of everyone who has ever been a part of this story.