In the world of events, most focus goes into the next edition. But what if you could build a community that not only keeps coming back, but actively helps fill the room?

I spoke to Jimi van de Meent (also known as Jimi Jua) about this. Jimi has years of experience building communities around events, from Groove Pool (Lovelee) to club nights at Het Sieraad, and his own concepts De Binnenstad and De Zomervloot.

And here’s what he’s seen, again and again: organisers who take their crowd seriously have more impact, sell more tickets, and enjoy building their brand more along the way.

Here are 5 insights Jimi has learned from working in the scene; lessons every organiser can use.

1. Don't start every event from scratch

Many organisers work in short, isolated cycles: create the event, push tickets, and move on. That’s a missed opportunity, says Jimi. The real value is in building a crowd you can activate over time.

💡 Jimi: “You can often sell your first few editions on goodwill and friends. But as your concept grows, you need real fans — people who don’t just show up, but bring others and support what you’re building.”

2. Turn visitors into ambassadors

Someone who buys a ticket once is valuable. But someone who feels involved, comes back, and encourages others to join has a different kind of impact.

Jimi keeps the threshold low for people to join his community. Then he activates them with small but effective incentives: guestlist spots, backstage access, drinks or early access.

💡 Jimi: "The clearer you are about what people get and what you ask in return, the more you can influence their behaviour."

3. Let your ambassadors drive early sales

Ambassadors are often the best way to kick off ticket sales. Give them access before general sale (for example, via blind birds or presale), and give them the tools to bring others. That way, you start building momentum right away.

💡 Jimi: "If a good part of your first sales comes from loyal fans, the rest tends to follow. An event that already feels like it’s happening is much easier to sell."

4. Keep your audience close

It’s all about the relationship. The more personal it is, the better it works.

💡 Jimi: "As an organiser, be visible. Bring people into your process. Share updates, early content, line-up drops, and listen to feedback. The best ideas and sharpest input often come from the people who are already with you.

The smaller the distance, the more they start to feel it’s their event too."

5. Work in a way that scales

Good community building isn’t just about what you do, it’s about how you organise it.

Since working with BASH, Jimi spends less time on manual work, has more insight, and can focus more clearly on what drives growth. Not by changing everything, but by reducing the effort around it.

💡 Jimi: "I now see more quickly what works, who matters most, and where I can adjust. That gives me more time for the creative side, and in the end, I sell more tickets."

About BASH

What Jimi describes is something every organiser can do, even without a team or hours of manual effort.

BASH helps organisers make more of the audience they already have.

You see who came before, who brings friends, and who’s likely to return. You send smart invites, activate ambassadors at scale, and let visitors help drive ticket sales.

Everything starts with your existing crowd. BASH helps you build on that, with each event.

→ Learn more at bash.social/landing.