Who We Are
Most corporate events ask people to perform. To be enthusiastic on demand. To bond with colleagues through activities designed for someone else's idea of fun…it doesn't work.
And most people in the room know it before it's even started.
On The Buzzer was built on a different observation: people don't need to be forced into connection.
They need the right conditions for it to happen naturally. Structured competition creates those conditions.
Clear rules. Equal footing. A shared goal.
When the format is right, the connection isn't manufactured. It's real.
"Winning is a core part of human nature - but it only creates connection when the playing field is level."
Marcel Headlam
Founder & Lead Host
Marcel didn't come from entertainment. He came from business.
Before founding On The Buzzer he led sales teams and worked across Wealth & Asset Management, SaaS and Consultancy - environments where credibility matters and losing a room has real consequences.
Earlier in his career he worked internationally alongside René Carayol, supporting C-suite leadership programmes where competition was used deliberately as a tool for alignment and performance. That experience shapes every event he delivers.
His strength is reading the room in real time. Controlling pace. Managing dominant voices. Drawing quieter participants in without forcing them forward. Nothing is left to chance.
On The Buzzer exists because Marcel saw what structured competition does to a room when it's delivered with composure and decided to build a company around it.
The Team Behind the Show
Every event is a fully staffed operation
Every On The Buzzer event is led by Marcel and supported by at least one dedicated co-host.
Our co-hosts are drawn from acting, events and hospitality - backgrounds that share one thing in common, reading a room and responding to it in real time.
While Marcel manages pace, scoring and progression from the front, the co-host works the floor.
Watching team dynamics. Noticing the person who hasn't contributed yet.
Adjusting quietly before it becomes a problem.
Their experience means they understand how a room feels when it's working, and when it isn't.
The result is an experience that feels effortless from the outside.
What to Expect on the Day
From the moment we arrive to the final buzzer - here’s how it runs.
We arrive 60 to 90 minutes before your event starts. By the time your team walks in, everything is set up, tested and ready.
Your team is welcomed into the room and briefed by the host. Everything is communicated clearly and quickly so the energy stays high from the first round.
The show runs to a tight format. Teams compete across multiple rounds, scores are tracked visibly, and the host manages pace throughout - speeding up when the room is flying, slowing down when a moment needs to land.
The co-host works the floor the entire time. Watching. Adjusting. Making sure every team is engaged and no one is left on the outside of it.
When the final buzzer sounds, winners are announced, the room finishes on a high, and we pack down and disappear. Your team leaves energised. You leave looking like you planned something exceptional.
Because you did.