Korby Hayre, founder of House of Block, has spent more than 25 years in the events and media industry, a career that began in publishing before moving into large-scale exhibitions and corporate programmes for companies including Cisco and Symantec. That background informs House of Block, now in its fourth year, and increasingly positioned as an alternative to the traditional conference format.
Her approach has been shaped by years running high-level corporate events and observing what works, and what does not. Large conference halls and standardised formats, she suggests, no longer serve senior audiences particularly well. House of Block was designed in response.
“We want the delegate that comes to our event to remember the experience,” she says.
The event, held this summer at Ham Polo Club on the edge of London, reflects that thinking. The move to the venue came about unexpectedly. A refurbishment at the Hurlingham Club, where the third edition had been planned, forced a change of location. The result, Hayre suggests, has reshaped the event.
“This is a diamond in the rough,” she says. “You’ve got the clubhouse in the middle and a polo ground on either side, flanked by green fields.”
The setting is not incidental. Delegates arrive along a route that circles the grounds before reaching the clubhouse, a transition that Hayre believes alters the tone of the day.
“Every time I go there, you get this complete sense of calm,” she says.
That emphasis on environment extends to the structure of the programme. House of Block reduces the proportion of formal content in favour of interaction.
“It’s probably more 25 per cent talks, 75 per cent higher networking,” Hayre says.
The event begins with a VIP welcome reception prior to the main afternoon talk, followed by high end summer dining leading through to a live afternoon polo match.
The approach reflects the composition of the audience. Participants are typically senior figures drawn from across finance, technology and the broader digital asset ecosystem. As a result, the content assumes prior knowledge. Approximately 300 senior industry leaders are expected to attend.
“Our panels aren’t about industry updates,” she says. “Everybody in the room is an industry leader.”
The agenda begins with a macroeconomic overview before narrowing to specific themes. This year, those include agentic AI and its implications for financial services, as well as stablecoins and tokenisation. The focus has shifted towards institutional finance, mirroring developments in the wider market.
“We always kick off with macro news,” Hayre says. “Then we drill down to the top three issues that are keeping the C-suite awake at night.”
The physical layout of the venue reinforces the emphasis on interaction. The clubhouse offers panoramic views of the surrounding grounds, while capacity constraints create a degree of exclusivity. A VIP session, limited to around 100 attendees, sold out in advance last year. “That’s a really special part of the day,” Hayre says. “It’s the speakers and the VIPs coming together.”
In a calendar crowded with industry events, House of Block’s appeal lies in that selectivity. It offers a setting in which senior participants can engage with peers and with the issues shaping their sector, without the constraints of a conventional conference environment.
