The Revenue Room™, by H2K Labs The Revenue Room™ with Orson Francescone, Managing Director, FT Live
In this episode of The Revenue Room, host Heather Holst-Knudsen sits down with Orson Francescone, Managing Director of FT Live—the global events division of the Financial Times. Under Orson’s leadership, FT Live has delivered record-breaking growth, producing over 240 events in 2024 alone.
Join us as we explore Orson’s 20-year journey in the B2B events industry, from his early days as a conference producer to running massive global trade shows, and now leading one of the most innovative event organizations in the world. We dig into:
- How FT Live blends editorial credibility with commercial performance
- Balancing scale with quality in a rapidly growing event portfolio
- The rise of hybrid events and how they’re driving first-party data and subscriber growth
- AI’s impact on the event industry—and why the barriers to entry are falling fast
- The future of event production, personalization, and content repurposing
- Why the venue matters (and the story behind a luxury event in Venice)
Whether you’re in media, marketing, or events, this episode is packed with insights on strategy, innovation, and staying competitive in the modern data-driven economy.
About RevvedUP 2026
RevvedUP 2026 is where CEOs and revenue-critical C-Suite leaders reset their growth playbook for the AI-first economy. Taking place March 23–24, 2026 at The Vinoy Resort in St. Petersburg, FL, this two-day strategy lab helps leaders pressure-test how AI moves from cost center to growth driver and turn data and disruption into competitive advantage.
About Heather Holst-Knudsen
Heather Holst-Knudsen is the founder and CEO of H2K Labs and Revenue Room™ Connect. A seasoned executive and operator across media, marketplaces, events, and technology, she specializes in digital transformation, data-driven growth, and customer-centric value creation. Heather shares her insights on multisided business models through The Revenue Room™.
About Revenue Room™ CXO
Revenue Room™ CXO is a private executive community for CEOs and revenue-critical C-Suite leaders navigating growth in the data and AI economy. Through curated peer discussions and strategy sprints, members tackle real-world challenges in revenue transformation, customer intelligence, and business model innovation.
Learn more or apply for membership at info.h2klabs.com/apply-cxo.