Ideas Fest 2025: Business Inspiration on Our Doorstep

On 10 and 11 September, I had the pleasure of attending Ideas Fest, described by the organisers as the ‘Glastonbury for business’. Having missed out last year, I was intrigued to experience it for myself, especially as it takes place right here in Tring, in the grounds of Pendley Manor, right on my doorstep!

My thanks go to Christy Woodgate, Place Officer – Economic Development at Dacorum Borough Council, for the tickets and the opportunity to take part.

For me, the event was about participating in the whole ‘localness’, soaking up the atmosphere and learning from some really inspiring speakers, and also about the value of connections – this time in person, though there’s a benefit online too, as I mentioned in my August blog on the ‘Importance of Local SEO for SMEs’. More on this below.

Why local events matter for business growth

As business owners, it’s easy to focus on regional, national or even global opportunities, but being visible locally has real power. Engaging with events like Ideas Fest supports community ties, raises awareness of your business, and creates authentic content that improves your local search presence.

Blogs, social posts, and even updates to your Google Business Profile that mention local events, places and connections help signal to search engines that you’re active and relevant in the area. It’s a simple but effective way of improving your chances of being found by nearby clients and customers.

Highlights from the festival

Ideas Fest certainly lived up to its reputation. Across two days, I dipped into talks ranging from wellbeing to strategy, with plenty of lively conversation in between. A few of the highlights included:

• Mind Hack with Zoe Clews: A live hypnotherapy session designed to reset and refocus. Having experienced hypnotherapy before, I found Zoe’s approach refreshing and highly effective. I definitely need to search out more of her work.
• Reaching New Heights with Dan Murray: Insights into turning celebrity endorsements into real results, including his rule of thumb: for every £1 spent on a celebrity, invest £10 in the creative. Think big bucks to make it work effectively.
• Meeting innovative local makers, from The Biskery (who printed my dog Ted’s face on a biscuit – tasty!) to Arf & Win from whom I bought a cute baseball cap, and one of the winners of Dacorum Den 2025 – Made with Knots of Love.
• On Day 2, Jodie Jackson, a neuro conditioning coach, shared practical advice on managing our social media consumption: favouring ‘just in case’ over ‘just in time’ information and using algorithms to our advantage. This wasn’t the topic or speaker advertised but was interesting, nonetheless.
• Laura Joy’s Anti-Burnout Business Show offered strategies to stay visible, valued, and vocal without the hustle culture.

Prior to Laura, I caught the tail end of ‘Eat the cake and not the Frog’ with Heather Tingle which looked highly entertaining – and picked up a free sweatshirt at the same time!

I also experienced my first telephone conversation with an AI Agent – Boardy. It was a novel experience! Boardy had been instructed to introduce us to likeminded folk who were visiting the festival with a view to meeting up. He went a little off-piste so I ditched him, but AI clearly has potential in this space.

Beyond the talks, the atmosphere was genuinely festival-like. From bumping into local businesses I already knew from around Dacorum, to chatting with strangers on the bus and in the (far too long!) coffee queues, I met people from across Hertfordshire and beyond. It felt unlike any other business event I’ve attended. On the plus side, no queues for the Ladies – now that’s got to be a first!

I’m also looking forward to reading a book I was gifted aimed at established service businesses: Take Your Shot by Robin Waite.

Building connections – online and offline

One of the strongest takeaways was the importance of meaningful connections. Ideas Fest wasn’t a business-card-trading type of event – in fact, I only made one LinkedIn connection during the event. Next year I’ll plan better and take along my own QR code to make networking easier.

For small businesses, this underlines a key point: being present locally is valuable, but ensuring those conversations translate into ongoing digital connections is what extends your reach. From a local SEO perspective, every new mention, tag, or backlink strengthens your online visibility.

To maximise your value both during and after the event, I would recommend:

• Preparing key questions to ask speakers or peers;
• Deciding what kind of connections you want to make (ie, potential collaborators, local suppliers, or fellow SMEs);
• Having QR codes or a digital contact-sharing method ready.

Looking ahead to 2026

Despite the changeable British weather, Ideas Fest 2025 was a brilliant couple of days and a reminder of why events like this matter for business. They bring together inspiration, learning, and community – all in a way that can directly support your visibility both on and offline.

I’ve already booked my ticket for 2026 as the event is once again returning to Pendley Manor in Tring, and I’d encourage other business owners to consider doing the same. In the meantime, if you’d like help turning opportunities like this into actionable marketing strategies that boost your local presence, I’d be delighted to chat.

Drop me an email to hello@alisonpagemarketing.co.uk or give me a call on tel: 07963 002065, or connect with me on LinkedIn if you’d like to carry on the conversation.