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Circolo And The Sparkle Project Bring Women Together
Creating an event where women can connect, rebuild their confidence and feel good about themselves requires more than an inspiring idea. Behind every experience sits a long list of bookings, tasks, guest details, communications and deadlines that must be managed.
For The Sparkle Project founder Jennifer Harvey, Circolo provides the event project management framework needed to turn that idea into a growing program of face-to-face and virtual events.
The Sparkle Project brings women together through events across the Gold Coast and Brisbane. Its experiences support women navigating different stages of life, from rebuilding after divorce and domestic violence, to reconnecting with themselves when life throws them a curveball.
“The Sparkle Project is an events-based business that aims to bring women together so they can connect and feel good about themselves,” Jennifer said.
“It might be about finding your glow again after a divorce or connecting with other women after your children have moved out and you have become an empty nester. There are so many different reasons why women might want that connection. The Sparkle project provides that platform through virtual and face-to-face events.”
Jennifer also co owns and operates The Education Collective (TEC) alongside her business partner Fiona Alston. TEC provide professional services to childcare centre owners and schools to manage their services and maintain quality and compliance.
Falling into events
A teacher by trade, Jennifer has spent more than 21 years in executive positions across childcare providers and schools in London, Dubai and Australia. Her roles frequently involved organising conferences and professional gatherings, but she does not describe herself as an event management specialist.
“I have always had to organise events, whether that was setting up teacher conferences or bringing groups of approved providers together,” she said.
“When I started The Sparkle Project, I found myself doing more events, even though that wasn’t my professional background.”
Jennifer initially began searching for a simple ticketing system that would allow participants to book places at Sparkle Project events. After exploring Circolo, she found the platform could support the broader planning and delivery process.
“I was primarily looking for a ticketing function,” she said.
“Then I came across Circolo and found out that it does everything, including the project planning and event management.
“I liked the idea that it was a one-stop shop.”
Circolo connects ticketing with tasks, budgets, guest information, forms, suppliers, schedules and other operational elements. This allows event organisers to manage each project through a central workspace instead of relying on multiple spreadsheets, documents and email threads.
For Jennifer, this approach provides a clear structure for managing events alongside the demands of her primary business.
She has used Circolo to organise two Sparkle Project events since joining the platform. She said its accessibility had allowed her to begin building events without needing extensive technical knowledge or training.
“Overall, it is very user-friendly software,” Jennifer said.
“If I am able to use it, anybody can use it. I wouldn’t describe myself as particularly tech-savvy.”
World-class Support
Jennifer said the initial onboarding session gave her enough knowledge to navigate the platform independently. Circolo’s support team remained available to answer questions as she developed each event.
“There was enough training, but it didn’t require a long implementation process,” she said.
“I had an initial session with Andy, who talked me through the platform. That was enough for me to find my way around and then reach out with follow-up questions.”
Jennifer said Circolo’s customer service had become one of the platform’s most valuable features.
“The best part of Circolo is the customer service,” she said.
“Vanessa and Andy are phenomenal at answering questions and getting back to you.”
Users can request assistance through a chat function within the platform. During support hours, Circolo team members can join the conversation and provide direct help.
“That support makes a significant difference when you are using new software,” Jennifer said.
“A lot of organisations introduce technology but forget about implementation and training. Circolo has got that balance right.”
The Sparkle Project plans to deliver around four face-to-face Sparkle Soiree events each year, supported by monthly online Prosecco Power hour sessions. Jennifer expects to use Circolo’s event management and ticketing functions across both formats.
With Circolo managing the operational framework, she can spend less time coordinating spreadsheets and systems and more time creating experiences that help women reconnect, build confidence and find their sparkle.
For more information visit: - https://www.thesparkleproject.com.au/ and
https://tecollective.com.au/
