When BBC Radio Leicester broadcast live from Market Harborough on Thursday, they sought out Ideal Marketing Company MD Alastair Campbell to talk about Dragon Soup – the new monthly networking event that takes place at The Angel Hotel, Market Harborough.
The networking event with a difference started in Harborough this January. It’s based on the format of the TV show ‘Dragon’s Den’ where individuals pitch their ideas. But the ‘dragons’ consist of local residents including business owners and the ‘pitchers’ are local start-up firms, community organisations and charities.
The best supported idea could walk away with a pot of up to £500 depending on how many people attended the lunch.
Alastair was interviewed by the BBC’s Jonathan Lampard of the mid-morning show at the famous Harborough Market which has just been named at the best indoor market in the UK.
Each Dragon Soup meeting consists of two or three ‘pitches’. Following these presentations, attendees can ask extra questions and then discuss which of the proposals should receive the funding. The person with the most amount of votes will walk away with the pot of money when the meeting ends.
Alastair Campbell, MD of The Ideal Marketing Company, has helped to set up this non-profit making networking group with Darren Barton from The Angel Hotel. “The event will give the attendees the chance to get behind a local businesses, community organisations or charity. The better the idea or the better the pitch, the more likely that they will come away with the money” he comments. “It will be interesting to see what ideas are proposed to the group, what the local organisations choose to do with the funding and the impact it makes.”
The amount of investment available will fluctuate depending on the number of guests. Everybody pays £10 to attend – for which they receive a bowl of soup and a roll. 100% of the attendance money is given straight to one of the groups that pitch.
Dragon Soup runs on the last Tuesday lunchtime of every month. You can register to attend or to pitch at www.dragonsoup.co.uk.
