Digby Vollrath - Feast It - James Bond & the events industry

One of the most valuable assets to an entrepreneurial ecosystem is veteran entrepreneurs lending a hand to first-timers.I first met Digby as part of the ICE (International Conclave of Entrepreneurs) community on a James Bond themed weekend- whilst swapping tips and tricks to navigate the business world isn’t quite 007 material, it’s because of these communities that the UK startup scene is flourishing.Digby’s first jobs were working behind bars at weddings and writing his own music blog. Enticed to the former by the large tips from slightly too-merry guests, the latter allowed him to go to festivals for free.It was these experiences in the live events space that eventually lead to him founding Feast It in 2017, an ecommerce company aiming to revolutionise hospitality with the simple goal of building an operating system that could power events globally.Feast It matches people wanting to host events with boutique events businesses, who in Digby’s eyes are the backbone of the industry. This match-making gives organisers a superior experience and allows artisans to have a digital revenue stream without any complicated infrastructure.The last 12 months have been interesting to say the least for the events industry, with Feast It themselves experiencing a 99% drop in sales in 2020. However, the resilience of the sector and the human desire for experience means Digby is optimistic about what the future holds for the event economy.In this episode, Digby talks about empowering artisanal businesses, why young people are valuing experiences over possessions and the importance of business communities like ICE when business times get tough.Even Coldplay gets a mention!Jimmy's Jobs of the Future is hiring, read more on our next chapter here and you can sign up to our newsletter here. A reminder you can follow us onInstagram: @JimmysjobsTwitter: @JimmysjobsAnd most importantly on LinkedIn Subscribe so you don't miss any new episodes, releasing every Wednesday.You can sign up to Jimmy's Substack here for weekly content on the future of work, technology, and politicsFor more information on partnering with us please visit our partnerships page here.Also make sure you subscribe to The Shift, you can find it here on Spotify or on Apple Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices