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Designing Better Corporate Events (with Community Flywheels)

A practical framework for creating alignment, momentum, and lasting value from any corporate gathering!

Introducing: The Community Flywheel Video Series

A Note from StartWell's Founder

Over the last several years, my team and I have hosted hundreds of corporate events - leadership offsites, internal planning sessions, client events, conferences, workshops, product launches, and multi-day gatherings for organizations at every stage of growth.

What became clear very quickly is that great corporate events succeed or fail long before the doors open.

The most effective events - whether internal or external - aren’t defined by production value alone. They’re defined by how well they create shared understanding, clear outcomes, and momentum that continues after the room clears.

This series exists to share what we’ve learned from those real-world experiences. Not as a sales pitch, and not as theory - but as a practical framework any organization can use to design corporate events that actually work.

What is The 'Community Flywheel?'

The Community Flywheel is a simple framework for designing corporate events so that each gathering creates value before, during, and after the event itself.

Instead of asking:

“How do we host a successful event?”

The Flywheel asks:

“How does this event advance alignment, relationships, and momentum?”

The model applies equally to:

Internal team gatherings
External-facing events
Hybrid and multi-day formats

At its core, the community flywheel treats corporate events as systems for value creation, not one-off experiences.

Watch All Episodes in The Series (Added Weekly)

Feel free to watch the episodes in whatever order you wish - they don't need to be played sequentially.

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Designing Better Corporate Events

Live Podcasts Can Engage Listeners With Hosts & Create Community Flywheels

Community Flywheels in Three Phases

Phase 1: Before the Event
Designing for outcomes:
1. What is the event's purpose?
2. Who is the event for, and why are they attending?
3. How will the event support conversation, decision-making or relationship-building?
4. What should be captured in still photography and video footage - and how can that media be used?
Phase 2: Structuring Engagement
Create value during the event:
1. Encourage participation vs consumption.
2. Facilitate communication - rather than passivity (e.g. when watching presentations.)
3. Create moments for insights, alignment and connection.
4. Visibly reinforce key ideas and decisions arrived at through the program.
Phase 3: After the Event
Activate value through momentum:
1. Capture insights, moments and decisions when they are fresh.
2. Create content, summaries, and assets for internal and external usage.
3. Reinforce key messages through follow-up communication.
4. Establish next actions and call for participation (future gatherings.)

Who is This Series For?

This series is designed for:

Founders and executive teams,
Leaders: Heads of Marketing, People, Operations, and Strategy,
Event and community leads,
Anyone responsible for planning corporate meetings, events, or conferences!

If you’re accountable for results beyond attendance, this series applies to you :)

Why Are We Sharing This Series?

While these insights are informed by what we see every week at StartWell through hundreds of corporate events in Toronto, the community flywheel is not venue-dependent.

The principles apply whether your event takes place:

In a boardroom or event space
At an offsite or retreat
In a conference or summit setting
In a hybrid or distributed format...

... Or anywhere people gather to think, decide, or connect.

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Explore all of StartWell's meeting rooms and event venues for rent

Level Up

Level Up

Seating capacity: 150
This bright and spacious venue overlooks our complimentary espresso bar and King Street beyond (through floor to ceiling glass.)
Dedicated Offsite Venue

Dedicated Offsite Venue

Seating capacity: 150
Welcome guests through a dedicated street entrance directly into the venue. This large space features a built-in bar and has internal access to lower level breakout spaces and our main reception.
The Third Floor

The Third Floor

Seating capacity: 70
A large suite with 3 internal breakout rooms, 2 private washrooms, a kitchen for catering drops and tons of natural light - especially in the afternoon (West facing.)
Bitmap

Bitmap

Seating capacity: 16
Comfortable large meeting room with large conference setup for 16 people just past our reception cafe. With a large connected TV, video conferencing, 3 white boards and 2 windows.
JPEG

JPEG

Seating capacity: 8
A comfy board room featuring exposed brick at the back of the first floor in our main building. With a large connected TV, video conferencing and 3 white boards.
Cube

Cube

Seating capacity: 12
A glass-enclosed board room next to the cafe on the first floor of our main building. With a large connected TV, video conferencing, white board and privacy blinds.
Fast Forward

Fast Forward

Seating capacity: 6
A cosy exposed brick meeting room on the first floor of our main building near the library. With a connected TV, large white board and window.
Rewind

Rewind

Seating capacity: 6
A cosy exposed brick meeting room on the first floor of our main building near the library. Exactly the mirror of Fast Forward and next door to it. With a connected TV, large white board and window.