Building an audience is fundamental to business success. Why? Your audience gives you feedback on your products and services, are your biggest source of advocacy and most importantly, are your customersOne of the most effective but least understood routes to building an audience is through the media. Journalists are the gatekeepers – they decide who is useful and how they should be used.Working with journalists is no different to selling to customers, or to raising investment – it’s all about relationships.Who is this Masterclass for and what will I learn?Delivered by Ian Mason in his typical no-nonsense, practical and engaging manner, this Masterclass: Working with Journalists, will help you to:Gain a greater understanding of the media;Learn how to engage with journalists;Help you build an effective press release.Most of all, you can expect to hear no jargon, or unrelatable content, or judgement, just practical knowledge that’s relevant and easy to apply in a supportive, nurturing and constructive environment, from people that have, very recently and successfully, started and grown their own business.This Masterclass is for those:Exploring a new business idea and looking to build their skills and knowledge in preparationRunning a small business and looking to increase their media exposure;Working in a small business and looking to continue their personal and professional development.The content is highly relevant for all businesses, whether they are B2B, B2C, early stage or mature businesses.Who is the facilitator and what do people say about him?Ian is an experienced company founder, having built multiple brands that affect change in communities across the world. His current portfolio of companies includes, most notably, an education technology company that teaches children to learn to read and a company that provides leadership development programs to individuals and corporate clients, that include the likes of AstraZeneca and the U.K. Government.In 2013, Ian played a key role in the creation of a company and a proposition that could deliver business support to entrepreneurs and SMEs at scale, on behalf of Sir Richard Branson. The result of this work, Virgin StartUp, was a collection of programs and funding opportunities, delivered by entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs looking to start, fund and scale their business. Within 5 years of founding, Virgin StartUp had delivered support to thousands of U.K.–based start-ups and SMEs, making it one of the largest such organisations in the country.Ian has also held over a dozen Entrepreneur-in-Residence roles at various incubators and accelerators globally. Ian started his career as an economist, working in economic development in local, regional and then national Government in the UK, before becoming Head of Policy and Public Affairs at London Chamber of Commerce in the aftermath of the Global Financial Crisis. He left this work to pursue his dream of working for Sir Richard Branson and later to embark on his own entrepreneurial adventure.“One of the most informative things I’ve ever done”-    Alice“The language was easy to understand – a lot of us didn’t come from a business background. No question was a dumb question”-    Archana“I was really impressed with how much value was packed into the program”-    Joel