News

First Sight Media named finalist at 2025 UFI Industry Partners Awards for customer-led innovation at NHS ConfedExpo

We’re excited to share that we have been shortlisted in the category of Partnering in Customer Driven Innovation

The finalist entry focused on our close partnership with NHS Confederation and LineUp Ninja to creative a content-led transformation of NHS ConfedExpo 2024. This project demonstrated what can happen when suppliers are empowered to collaborate freely and innovatively with organisers.

What set this project apart wasn’t just the scale or complexity, but the way it was delivered -through open collaboration, strategic thinking and a shared commitment to delivering a valuable, dynamic delegate experience.

Together with our partners, we co-created a seamless content ecosystem that supported real-time delivery, evergreen assets, and increased engagement both on-site and online.

At the heart of the entry was a shared focus on improving the delegate experience. This included:

  • A purpose-built Content Zone, complete with a Speakers Studio and Podcast Recording Studio, live-streamed to 750+ virtual attendees.
  • A dynamic interview space to generate content for on-demand use post-event, over 60 high-quality videos were created and viewed over 6,000 times.
  • Real-time digital signage and scheduling integration via LineUp Ninja, simplifying logistics for over 5,600 in-person delegates.

Joe Atkinson of LineUp Ninja noted:  *“This collaboration showed what’s possible when you align live production with real-time data. Our system became the single source of truth, cutting through manual processes and improving the experience for everyone involved.”*

The impact of this customer-led innovation was clear:

  • Attendance up from 4,200 in 2023 to 5,500 in 2024, with 7,000 projected for 2025.
  • Turnover grew from £1.9m in 2023 to £2.1m in 2024, with a £3m forecast for 2025.
  • Content demand surged, with over 1,000 session applications for just 103 speaker slots.
  • Net Promoter Score: +86%

Nick Westerman, organiser at NHS Confederation, reflected on the results: “First Sight Media instilled so much confidence that we removed the creative shackles. The ideas were fresh, relevant, and immediately valuable. It worked, so much so that we opened registration for 2025 two months earlier than usual, and we’re already tracking 20% growth.”

We’re incredibly proud to be recognised alongside NHS Confederation and LineUp Ninja for a project that exemplifies what true partnership can achieve. Being named a finalist in the 2025 UFI Industry Partners Awards highlights not only the innovation behind NHS ConfedExpo 2024, but the power of collaboration, creativity, and a shared vision.

FIND OUT MORE