West Hub Media Lab
Podcast training for better planning, production, and promotion
Sector: Education
The client
The West Hub sits at the heart of the Cambridge West Innovation District, offering a new and unique meeting place for people to connect and socialise. Open and accessible to all departments at the University of Cambridge, as well as to members of the public, the co-working Hub enables new ways for academics, researchers, students, staff, businesses, and the wider community to learn, collaborate, and socialise. There’s a Media Lab too, offering video and podcast production facilities.
The services
The numbers
4 workshops
100 attendees
4 worksheets, 18 activities
4 tip sheets
1 curated list of podcast recommendations
The challenge
The Media Lab attracts a lot of interest from people keen to start producing video and podcasts using their studio.
But sometimes lack of knowledge, confidence or experience in developing these content formats holds them back.
So the team at the West Hub set up the Content Creator's Club, a series of practical workshops designed to empower individuals and groups with the skills needed to create high-quality digital content.
The topics the team hoped to cover included video production, audio recording, media training, along with social media and guidance on content marketing strategy.
And they needed people to run these sessions with a genuine depth of experience who could explain best practice techniques in a jargon-free way. Leading to more studio bookings and even better quality audiovisual content being produced.
The approach
Sookio ran a series of four half-day podcast workshops for the West Hub Content Creator's Club, all hosted by our Sookio founder and content specialist Sue Keogh, drawing on her background in broadcast media and podcast production.
2025: How to promote your podcast, a workshop focusing on creating assets, building your promotional campaign, and getting people to actually listen to your podcast (after you’ve spent so much time producing it!).
2026: Three further sessions followed, with podcast producer Rob Birnie from Made By DBM contributing to content and co-hosting.
Launching your podcast — concept, format, and setting it up for success
Production, presenting, continuing to build your podcast plan
How to promote your podcast
As always with Sookio training, the workshops were full of helpful insights and highly interactive, with lively discussion throughout. Activities included:
Build your podcast plan, session by session
Interview practice to develop hosting skills
Analyse a successful podcast and outline why it’s a success
Define your podcast audience and hone your concept
“From concept to delivery, Sue took full ownership of her workshop, allowing us to hand over with complete confidence. Many commented on how insightful and helpful they found her guidance and expertise, and how the session validated and inspired them to pursue the promotion of their projects with greater confidence.”
The hosts
The workshops were led by Sue Keogh, who founded Sookio following ten years in broadcast media across BBC, ITV and Magic FM, including helping produce over 600 hours of programming for BBC Radio 2.
Sue has since applied that experience to podcast production and marketing for a wide range of organisations, including the Cambridge University Library, Yale Economic Growth Center, Internet Watch Foundation, Beacon rare disease charity, and Cambridgeshire Constabulary. Read Sue’s bio in full
She is also host of Communication Untangled, produced by Rob Birnie. He also has a wealth of experience in radio production and hosting, producing podcasts including Brain Aneurysms & Beyond, Blue Plaque Pod, Conscious Leaders, and Listen to THIS, in collaboration with Sue.
Attendees included comms people from across the University looking to launch or develop their podcast, plus members of the public keen to get podcast training and learn more.
The results
The workshops brought together a diverse mix of participants and the feedback was extremely positive.
Many commented on how Sue's guidance and expertise had both validated their ideas and inspired them to produce and promote their projects with greater confidence.
These outcomes support the programme’s impact and inform future planning.
Increased usage from clients who were previously unaware of the West Hub, with additional enquiries about facilities and workshops
Broader engagement from a wider demographic of users, inside the University and externally too
Participant skill development assessed through post-workshop surveys measuring confidence and understanding
“When we outlined the Content Creator’s Club programme, Sue quickly grasped its aims and immediately added value, developing the format to suit the needs of attendees and ensuring the sessions were as practical and helpful as possible.”
We’re so grateful for the time, knowledge, and experience you shared with us and very proud to have you onboard for this programme.
We would highly recommend Sookio for digital content marketing advice. Sue combines industry expertise with a practical, approachable style that makes complex marketing strategies accessible and actionable. Her advice is always tailored, insightful, and grounded in real-world results. Sue brings clarity, creativity, and a wealth of experience to help refine your digital presence, build engagement, or develop a strong content strategy.
Events Coordinator, The West Hub, University of Cambridge
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