AKU International Patient Workshop
Event Consulting | Event Leadership | Event Delivery
Client
AKU Society
Sector
Healthcare & Charity
Services
Event Leadership + Delivery
Duration
9 months
About the event
The AKU Society is a patient-led healthcare charity supporting people affected by Alkaptonuria (AKU), while helping to advance research, treatment and awareness internationally.
The charity appointed Natalie to lead the planning and delivery of its International Patient Workshop, a two-day event bringing together more than 100 patients, family members, researchers, scientists and healthcare professionals from around the world.
Working as an extension of the AKU Society team over nine months, Natalie took ownership of the event operations, coordinating international attendees, accommodation, suppliers, speakers, catering and onsite delivery while carefully managing the charity’s budget and the specific needs of its patient community.
Results That Matter
100+ International Attendees.
Brought together more than 100 patients, family members, researchers and healthcare professionals from around the world for two days of learning, connection and collaboration.
Delivered under budget.
Through strategic supplier negotiations and careful budget management, the workshop was delivered under budget, allowing valuable charity funds to remain focused on patient support and research.
Exceptional Attendee Feedback
Received overwhelmingly positive feedback from patients, speakers, sponsors and healthcare professionals, recognising the organisation, supportive environment and overall attendee experience.
Lasting Content & Impact
Created post-event content and patient vox pops that the AKU Society could continue to use to support future communications, awareness and funding activity.
Our role: Event leadership, attendee experience and event delivery
Natalie worked as an extension of the AKU Society team, taking responsibility for the operational planning and delivery of the workshop from initial planning through to onsite management and post-event activity.
Strategic Planning & Coordination
- Managed international registrations and attendee communications for patients and guests travelling from around the world.
- Worked with the AKU Society to develop the event programme, balancing research updates, patient sessions, interactive workshops and wellbeing activities.
- Coordinated venue requirements, suppliers, speakers and exhibitors across the two-day programme.
Budget Management & Cost Optimisation
- Managed the live event budget throughout the planning process, providing clear visibility of costs and committed spend.
- Negotiated supplier and venue costs to maximise the charity’s available budget without compromising the attendee experience.
- Delivered the event under budget, enabling additional funds to remain available for patient support and research.
Tailored Guest Experience
- Accommodation Management: Coordinated hotel accommodation for more than 100 attendees travelling to Liverpool for the workshop.
- Catering Considerations: Worked closely with the venue and chefs to develop menus suitable for AKU patients and accommodate specific dietary requirements.
- Wellness Integration:
Incorporated wellbeing activities into the programme, creating opportunities for patients and families to connect beyond the clinical and research sessions.
Event Execution & Management
- Led onsite event operations across both workshop days, coordinating the venue, suppliers, speakers and attendee experience.
- Planned and delivered an evening dinner, creating an additional opportunity for patients, families, researchers and healthcare professionals to connect.
- Designed and managed event collateral and merchandise, maintaining brand consistency while identifying opportunities for cost savings.
Post-Event Impact
- Coordinated patient vox pops and event content for use across future communications, awareness campaigns and funding activity.
- Created content that enabled the AKU Society to extend the impact of the workshop beyond the two live event days.
What they had to say
“Natalie and her team were a pleasure to work with. Her attention to detail and supportive nature ensured the event ran smoothly, providing a safe, well-organised environment for our Alkaptonuria patients to learn and engage. Thanks to Natalie managing everything, I could focus on interacting with patients, sponsors, and sessions. Highly recommend working with her.”
Hannah Dwyer – Head of Patient Support and Welfare
AKU Society
“Working with Natalie and her team is fantastic. They ran our international workshop for more than 100 patients and family members with the rare genetic disease Alkaptonuria. Natalie organised everything for us and ran the workshop perfectly. All our participants and sponsors were delighted. I would thoroughly recommend working with her.”
Nick Sireau – Board Chair and CEO
AKU Society
A Trusted Event Partner
The AKU Society needed more than additional event resource. They needed an experienced partner who could understand the specific needs of an international patient community, take ownership of the operational delivery and carefully manage the charity’s available budget.
Working as an extension of the internal team, Natalie provided a single point of responsibility across planning, suppliers, attendees and onsite operations, allowing the AKU Society team to focus on its patients, speakers and programme.
Working Together
Natalie worked closely with the AKU Society throughout the nine-month planning period, combining event leadership with hands-on event management and delivery.
From international attendee logistics and accommodation through to budgets, suppliers, catering and onsite operations, McDonnell Marketing became an extension of the charity’s team and provided the additional event expertise and capacity needed to deliver the workshop.
This collaborative approach meant the AKU Society team could remain focused on its patients, speakers and programme, confident that the operational delivery was being professionally managed.
Our Collaborative Approach
Every operational decision was considered through the needs of the AKU community, from international travel and accommodation to catering, programme timings and wellbeing.
Clear communication with the AKU Society throughout planning ensured decisions could be made quickly, budgets remained transparent and the event continued to reflect the needs of both the charity and its patients.
The result was a professionally delivered international workshop that came in under budget, received excellent feedback and created a strong framework for future events.
By combining our event management expertise with a deep understanding of the AKU community’s needs, we delivered an impactful workshop that came under budget, received excellent feedback from all patients, speakers and sponsors – and set a strong foundation and framework for future events