Ten Years, 300 Events and Thousands of Connections: Meet the Entrepreneur Behind Hashtag Events

When Andrew Charlton founded Hashtag Events in 2015, his vision was simple: to create spaces where business owners could connect, learn and grow together. A decade later, the Northumberland-based entrepreneur has built a nationwide events community that has welcomed tens of thousands of attendees and continues to champion the power of human connection.

In an increasingly digital business world, where networking often means LinkedIn messages, online meetings and social media conversations, Andrew Charlton has spent the past ten years proving that there is still enormous value in meeting people face to face.

As the founder of Hashtag Events and a Fellow of the Institute of Marketing, Andrew has developed a business events network operating across the UK and Ireland, bringing together entrepreneurs, start-ups and established organisations.

According to its official website, Hashtag Events has now delivered more than 300 events and welcomed over 54,000 attendees.

But behind those figures is something Andrew has always placed at the centre of the business: relationships.

Building something different

Founded in 2015, Hashtag Events was created to offer a more relaxed, accessible and people-focused approach to traditional business networking.

Rather than concentrating solely on sales pitches and exchanging business cards, the events encourage meaningful conversations, shared learning and collaboration.

Visitors can attend business shows free of charge, hear from experienced speakers, discover local suppliers and meet other entrepreneurs who understand the challenges of running a business.

The format has grown from its Northumberland roots to reach locations across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

For Andrew, however, success has never been simply about attracting the biggest audience.

Speaking previously about the business’s tenth anniversary, he explained:

“Hashtag was built on the belief that business owners grow faster when they feel supported. It’s never been about the biggest rooms, but about creating the right space for meaningful connections.”

Ten years of resilience

Running a business for a decade is an achievement in itself. Building one around live events and continuing through the disruption of a global pandemic brings its own challenges.

For event organisers across the country, COVID-19 changed the way people met, worked and built professional relationships.

Yet Hashtag Events has continued to develop its nationwide programme, demonstrating that even as technology transforms business communication, opportunities to connect in person remain relevant.

Today, the organisation delivers regional business shows alongside networking opportunities, educational sessions and business support initiatives.

Its programme brings together experts in areas including marketing, sales, PR and business development, making professional learning accessible to entrepreneurs at different stages of their journey.

Celebrating a decade of connections

In January 2026, Andrew marked the business’s tenth anniversary with Hashtag 10, a week-long online business festival featuring expert speakers and practical workshops.

The event attracted 1,142 visitors, with more than 2,500 replay views recorded at the time of reporting.

For Andrew, the milestone represented more than ten years of organising events. It reflected the relationships, opportunities and business communities developed along the way.

The impact has also been recognised by those who have supported Hashtag throughout its journey.

Business speaker Stefan Thomas previously shared that his relationship with the organisation began around a decade ago, when he travelled from Oxfordshire to meet Andrew and discuss speaking opportunities.

He has since spoken at more than 50 Hashtag Events shows and credited those opportunities with helping him win clients.

It is an example of how a single introduction can develop into a lasting professional relationship.

Looking towards the next decade

With a programme of business shows continuing across the UK, Andrew remains focused on creating opportunities for businesses to meet, learn and grow.

The organisation’s continued presence in cities including Aberdeen, Belfast, Bristol, Leicester and London reflects the geographical reach it has developed over the past decade.

And while business owners have more ways than ever to communicate digitally, the principle behind Hashtag Events remains unchanged.

Business growth is about people.

For Andrew Charlton, ten years of Hashtag Events represents a decade of conversations, introductions and relationships that have helped bring business communities together.

As the organisation looks towards its next chapter, its story is a reminder that successful entrepreneurship isn’t always about reinventing the wheel.

Sometimes, it’s about recognising the value of something simple and continuing to do it well.