Turning Ideas into Action: Supporting Howard-Brumlich Events’ Growth Ambitions
As Howard-Brumlich Events continued to grow, opportunities to expand into new products, digital services and events were competing with the demands of day-to-day delivery. Through the LURA Doctoral Innovation Consultants (DInC) programme, a team of doctoral researchers helped move these initiatives forward, providing valuable insights, fresh ideas and practical recommendations for future growth.
Naomi Howard
Company Overview:
Howard-Brumlich Events is a science communication and events company that delivers science clubs, workshops and events for families and people of all ages. After completing a PhD in analytical chemistry Dr Naomi Howard set up Howard-Brumlich Events to increase accessibility to the sciences. The business has grown rapidly over the past two and a half years, expanding from a single after-school club to a full working week of activities, alongside multiple school partnerships and community events.
Challenge Addressed:
By the time Howard-Brumlich Events joined the DInC programme, the business had reached a point where day-to-day delivery was consuming most of its available time and resources. The DInC programme provided additional expertise and fresh perspectives to help progress the areas that Naomi had identified for expansion. Over the course of the consultancy, the doctoral researchers supported the development of a market-ready adult event concept, provided recommendations for product packaging and presentation, and supported the development of the website, helping to improve its structure and user experience.
Motivations for Joining the Programme
Howard-Brumlich Events joined the programme to access additional expertise and capacity at a critical stage of growth.
While the business had established a successful and sustainable programme of children’s science activities, Naomi recognised that long-term growth would require new income streams and routes to market.
Several key projects had remained unfinished for over a year due to competing priorities and limited time. The consultancy offered an opportunity to gain momentum on these initiatives while benefiting from the perspective of skilled researchers with diverse professional backgrounds. Beyond the additional resources, Naomi valued the opportunity to receive fresh, independent viewpoints on areas where the business was seeking greater confidence and clarity around its future direction.
Very positive for us, would definitely do it again and the team told me it was positive for them too. So, I think it was a win-win all around. Really, a brilliant initiative."
Working with the Consulting Team
Working closely with a multidisciplinary team of doctoral researchers over the course of the programme, Naomi and her scientific assistant Lauren Barker found the experience to be highly professional, collaborative and valuable.
Reflecting on the project, Naomi described the collaboration as “very, very positive” and highlighted the team’s organisation, communication and ability to work independently. One aspect that particularly impressed both Naomi and Lauren, was how effectively the team organised themselves. Clear timelines, strong communication and a collaborative approach ensured that projects progressed smoothly and that the business was kept informed throughout. Naomi also valued the variety of backgrounds and experiences represented within the team, noting that the diverse perspectives helped generate ideas and solutions that the business would not necessarily have arrived at independently.
The team quickly developed an understanding of the business and its unique challenges, tailoring their recommendations accordingly. Rather than providing generic advice, they considered the practical realities of delivering science education, managing customer experiences and expanding into new markets. Naomi felt the researchers operated as professional consultants rather than students, delivering a quality of work that consistently exceeded expectations.
Business Outcomes
The DInC programme delivered value across all three focus areas identified by the business.
The team developed a detailed framework for a science-themed murder mystery event, helping Howard-Brumlich Events move significantly closer to launching a new offering targeted towards an adult audience. They also presented ideas for product packaging, helping to transform an early science box prototype into a more refined and market-ready product. In addition, they supported the redevelopment of the company's website, bringing customer onboarding, booking, and future e-commerce functionality together within a single, integrated platform.
Beyond the immediate outputs, Naomi emphasised the significant time savings created by the programme. Several initiatives that had previously stalled due to limited capacity were given renewed momentum, with some work potentially saving the business many months of development time.
Reflections
Naomi described the experience as highly positive, highlighting the team's professionalism, organisation, and ability to bring fresh perspectives to the business.
The project not only progressed key growth initiatives but also provided reassurance, external validation and new ways of thinking about future opportunities.
The experience strengthened Naomi's commitment to working with universities and researchers and reinforced the value that external expertise can bring to growing businesses. She would readily recommend the programme to others and would welcome the opportunity to work with doctoral consultants again.