Jackie 'O' not keen on future 'Besties' speaker events

Jackie 'O' Henderson says she’s pressing pause on speaker-style events under her business venture We Are Besties, following mixed results from last year’s debut featuring Gwyneth Paltrow.

Speaking on The Kyle and Jackie O Show, Henderson said the scale of the event had been a learning curve. “The speaker thing is just a huge mammoth event,” she admitted.

“I don’t know, definitely (like to host) more events, but maybe not like bringing someone to town.”

The business, co-founded with her long-time friend Gemma O’Neill, launched in 2023 with the goal of creating premium lifestyle experiences. So far, the Paltrow event at Sydney’s ICC Theatre remains its only major outing.

Paltrow’s Sydney appearance divides opinion

The Hollywood star’s one-night appearance was reported to have drawn a smaller-than-expected crowd, with attendees telling Mediaweek staff were “pushing people seated at the top closer to the stage” because the theatre appeared “so empty there.”

At the time, O’Neill defended the turnout, explaining that the decision to cap capacity was deliberate. “The ICC is the only venue that offered more than 2000 capacity. You can book it for full capacity or half-full,” she told The Daily Telegraph.

“We booked for half capacity and sold just under half 4000 seats.”

Besties looks ahead

O’Neill has also denied claims that the venture lost money on the event, though she declined to specify how much profit was made.

With ticket prices ranging from $100 to $2,500 and Paltrow’s reported fee estimated between $150,000 and $500,000, the night marked a bold first step for the fledgling brand.

Interestingly, the Besties website still promotes the concept as “a space where best friends come together for exclusive guest speaker events, private holidays and luxe products – all for you and your BFF.”

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