Tel: 01772 915007 - Email: me@markapreston.com - Form: Book Me
Fireside Chat with Mark Preston
Some events do not need a keynote... They need a conversation.
Fireside chats create space for honesty, insight, and nuance. They allow audiences to hear how decisions are really made, how growth actually unfolds, and where lessons are learned the hard way. As an organiser, choosing the right person for a fireside chat is just as important as choosing a keynote speaker. The wrong voice can drift into theory or self promotion. The right one brings clarity, credibility, and depth.
That is where I am most often asked to step in.
Alongside talks, keynote, and my workshop, I regularly take part in fireside chats at conferences, leadership events, investor gatherings, and board level forums where the audience wants substance rather than slides.
Why Organisers Choose A Fireside Chat Format With Mark
Fireside chats work best when the person on stage has lived the questions being asked. Audiences can sense very quickly whether answers are rehearsed or earned. Organisers feel the pressure of finding someone who can speak openly, think clearly in the moment, and respect the intelligence of the room.
I bring that perspective because I am not only a growth speaker. I'm a business builder, director, shareholder, and Chief Growth Officer across multiple companies. I sit on boards. I make growth decisions. I live with the consequences of those decisions.
I have also served on the advisory board of a business turning over 1.9 billion dollars, directly influencing growth and development decisions at scale. When questions come from the stage or the audience... I answer them from lived experience... not hindsight.
What Makes My Fireside Chats Different
A strong fireside chat is not about soundbites... It is about joining the dots in real time...
Organisers often tell me they choose a fireside chat format because their audience want...
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Context rather than tactics.
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Perspective rather than instruction.
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Clarity rather than certainty.
In conversation, I talk openly about what works, what breaks, and what most people overlook when it comes to digital growth, leadership, and scale. I share how decisions are made under pressure, how trade offs are weighed, and how growth frameworks are applied in reality rather than theory.
The tone is calm, considered, and commercially grounded.
Naturally Connecting Those Dots
Even in a conversational format, my £1b dot connecting growth framework sits underneath everything I share. It shapes how I answer questions and how I explain decisions.
Rather than delivering the framework as a presentation... a fireside chat allows the audience to see it applied across real scenarios...
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How trust converts into demand.
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How disconnected digital activity hides risk.
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How growth becomes fragile when dots are missed.
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How alignment at leadership level changes outcomes.
This is where the Connect Those Dots mindset lands most powerfully, because the audience hears it woven through real stories and real decisions which are the backed up in my Connect Those Dots book.
Why Bookers And Event Organisers Feel Safe Choosing The Fireside Chat Format
Fireside chats require trust. There is no script to hide behind. Organisers need confidence that the conversation will stay relevant, valuable, and aligned with the event objectives.
I understand that responsibility because I have run my own events and supported large conferences hosting over a thousand attendees. I know what it means to be a safe pair of hands on stage, even without slides or structure. In fact, I hosted my own podcast that was 100% unscripted, so going with the flow is something I have no issues with.
With me at your fireside, you get someone who...
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Thinks clearly under pressure.
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Speaks honestly without over sharing.
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Respects the audience and the host.
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Keeps the conversation commercially grounded.
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Enhances the credibility of your event.
Ideal Settings...
What Happens Next...
Fireside chats with me work particularly well at...
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Leadership conferences
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Private equity portfolio gatherings
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Executive retreats and offsites
They are especially effective when the audience is experienced and wants depth rather than instruction.
If you are considering a fireside chat format and want a conversation that delivers clarity, insight, and real value to your audience... get in touch.
Share the context of your event, the audience in the room, and the themes you want to explore. I will work with you or your moderator to shape a fireside chat that is natural, relevant, and genuinely useful.
If your audience wants to hear from someone who connects growth decisions, leadership reality, and digital strategy in a way that feels real... a fireside chat may be the most powerful format you choose.