Brand Activation & Community Events Agency, Manchester
We Build
Rooms
People Come Back To.
Connect is a Manchester agency for brands, companies and venues. We plan and run events and campaigns that keep going, so your brand becomes part of something people return to every week, not a stand they walk past once.
What We Do
An audience faces the front.
A community faces each other.
Most brands that say they have a community really have an audience. People look at the stage, then go home. We build the other thing: rooms where people talk to each other, come back, and bring a mate next time. Your brand is the reason the room exists.
Why It Works
A one-off activation is a door. You count who walked through and then it's gone by Monday. We build the room on the other side of that door, a recurring thing worth turning up to, so the money you spend keeps working after the first night.
We're flexible on the format. Food, sport, music, games, a team day or a full campaign. We start with what your brand needs and build from there.
Why It Matters
1 in 4 adults
feel lonely.
The places people used to meet outside home and work, the third places, keep disappearing. People still want somewhere to go. We build it, and brands pay for the room so it stays affordable.
ONS, Dec 2023 to Jan 2024
Why NowServices
Six Ways
To Work With Us.
A season of weekly or fortnightly sessions your brand funds and shows up at. The same people come back, so you build a relationship, not a one-night headcount.
One-off moments built properly. Launches, pop-ups and takeovers people choose to walk into, with a plan for what happens after the day.
Original concepts written for your brand or charity, from the idea to the day to the report. Priced on the idea, delivered in weeks.
Away days, socials and client nights that people actually want to go to. Cooking, games, sport or something built around your team.
Got quiet nights or empty rooms? We bring the format, the crowd and often a sponsor, and you open the doors.
We work with clubs, collectives and groups who already have an audience, and help brands back what they are doing instead of talking over it.
Campaigns
Not One Night.
A Whole Season.
Most brands show up on the day and go quiet the minute it ends. We plan for the build-up, the day itself and the days after, because that's where people talk about it most.
Existing Communities
Join a community.
Don't rent one.
Manchester already has run clubs, sports teams, collectives and groups that people trust. We help brands get involved the right way: listening first, backing what the group already does, and making sure the community is better off for it.
How We Do ItWho We Work With
For Brands
You get a real room of people in Manchester who chose to be there, not a crowd you paid to stand in front of. Back one session, a full season or a campaign built around you.
- Recurring presence, not a single day
- Photo and video from every session, yours to use
- Attendance, sign-up and repeat numbers
- A room you can test products and ideas on
- Straight talk: if it isn't the right fit, we'll say so
- Priced on scope, with a clear quote up front
For Companies
Team days people look forward to. A cooking night, a games night, a sport session or something built around your team. We sort the venue, the kit and the running order.
- Groups from around 10 to 60
- Shaped around your team and what you want from the day
- Venue, food and running the session all handled
- Simple invoicing on 30-day terms
- Team sessions from £45 per person
For Venues
Co-working spaces, co-living buildings, cafes and bars with rooms that go quiet. We bring the format and the people, and often a sponsor too, so your space gets used without you having to run anything.
- We bring the crowd, you open the doors
- Regular nights for steady footfall
- No programming work on your side
- Your space in all the event marketing
How It Works
How We
Work.
A launch, a season, a team day or a quiet room to fill. Send a rough brief. It doesn't need to be polished.
We come back with a plan that fits your brand and budget. It might be a new idea or a format that already works.
Venue, people, kit, hosting and content, all handled. You turn up and see it happen.
Sessions repeat, the room grows and you get the numbers and content after each one, not just at the end.
FAQ
Questions We
Get Asked.
What does Connect do?
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Connect is a Manchester agency that plans and runs brand activations, recurring community events, campaigns and team events for brands, companies and venues. Most of what we do is built to repeat, so the same people come back and a brand builds a real relationship with them.
How is Connect different from a normal events agency?
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Most agencies deliver one day and leave. We focus on recurring events and plan for the build-up, the day and the days after, so the money a brand spends keeps working after the first night.
How much does a brand activation cost in Manchester?
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It depends on scope. Our campaigns and one-off activations usually sit between £3,500 and £10,000, and a season of recurring events usually costs £6,000 to £12,000.
Do you do team building and corporate events in Manchester?
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Yes. We run away days, team socials and client evenings for groups of around 10 to 60, including cooking nights, games nights and sport sessions. Team events start from £45 per person.
Can you run events at my venue?
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Yes. We work with co-working spaces, co-living buildings, cafes and bars that have quiet nights or empty rooms. We bring the format, the people and often a sponsor, and you open the doors.
What is a third space?
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A third space, or third place, is somewhere people go regularly that isn't home or work, like a pub, cafe, club or community centre. Many have closed or become too expensive. Connect runs recurring events that give people that kind of place again.
Why does loneliness matter for brands?
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Around a quarter of adults in Great Britain feel lonely at least some of the time, according to the ONS. People are looking for reasons to meet others, and a brand that makes that easier becomes part of something people value, rather than another advert.
How do you help brands work with existing communities?
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We start by listening to the group and finding out what it actually needs, like pitch time, kit, a room or help with organising. If the brand is a good fit, it backs what the group already does instead of taking over. The community keeps its name and a say in what happens, and the test is whether it is better off afterwards.
Do you work with influencers or VIPs?
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Not as the point of the room. Our events are for everyday Manchester people, and nobody gets in because of their follower count. Creators are welcome as guests like anyone else.
Will you work with any brand?
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No. A brand has to fit the people in the room and bring something genuinely useful to them. If it doesn't, we'll say so, even if the budget is there.
Which areas do you cover?
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We are based in Manchester and focus on Manchester and Greater Manchester.
Start With
One Conversation.
Whether it's one night or a full season, the first step is the same. Tell us what you're after and we'll tell you honestly if we're the right fit.