TFI Lodestar and Coventry University announce collaboration in memory of agency co-founder and alumnus Phil Watton

12 June 2025

Live events and business communications agency TFI Lodestar has this week joined forces with Coventry University’s School of Management, laying the foundations for what is expected to be a long-term relationship in memory of Phil Watton, TFI Lodestar’s co-founder and an alumnus of the university. The announcement comes on the first anniversary of Phil’s passing.

The relationship will give Coventry University’s Event Management and Marketing students access to TFI Lodestar’s people, projects and programmes, ranging from one-to-one mentoring and shadowing to on-site working placements, practical training in creative processes and event management software, and participation in some of TFI Lodestar’s own internal learning and development modules.

Phil Watton was a native of Lichfield and studied design at Lanchester Polytechnic (now Coventry University). Although based for much of his career in London, where he co-founded TFI Lodestar, Phil remained a Coventrian at heart, often speaking proudly of his involvement in the city’s thriving music and art scene on the late 1970s and early 1980s. The newly announced collaboration with Coventry University creates a legacy in Phil’s name, for the city and academic institution he loved.    

Jason Worsley, Co-founder and Director, TFI Lodestar, said: “I’m thrilled that we have been able to establish this relationship with the team at Coventry University. Phil was a man of passion and integrity, and he’d be delighted to know that his life’s work had come full circle, and that the fruits of what he achieved in business – particularly his wealth of knowledge, skills and expertise – will now be shared amongst future generations entering the live events industry, in the place where it all began: Coventry.”

Sarah Horton-Walsh, Head of School of Management, Coventry University, said: “We’re excited to collaborate with TFI Lodestar in offering our students concrete, hands-on, real-life experiences in live events. The agency’s background in both corporate and associations events, and its willingness to share its knowledge and projects with us, will add enormous value to the curriculum.”

For more information and interviews, please contact Matthew Gidley matthew.gidley@tfilodestar.com

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