FLOP No. 23 – WeWork Summer Camp & IPO (2018–2019)
GatheringPoint.news: The Biggest Flops in Event History
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The Promise: WeWork staged lavish retreats—called “Summer Camp”—for staff, investors, and influencers, featuring live music, free-flowing alcohol, and founder sermons. All meant to embody the startup’s cultural philosophy.
What Happened: The IPO roadshow crashed when financial filings exposed losses and leadership chaos. The culture hype couldn’t save the business reality. The parties became evidence.
What Failed: Theater overtook fundamentals. Branding masked burn rate.
What We Learned: You can’t DJ your way out of a balance sheet.
What an Event Pro Would’ve Advised: Align internal hype with financial transparency. Don’t let spectacle replace substance.
