Atanas Neychev is a Community and Events Specialist who contributes to several big events in Bulgaria, including SlavConf, bringing energy and structure to community-driven programs. He has a background in sales, media, and communications, which gives him a unique edge in engaging communities and creating impactful partnerships.

Atanas joined The Community Media project as one of the Community Managers representing 42 European countries. Awesome part of Project Management community I used to work with was located in Bulgaria 🇧🇬, so this country has a special place in my heart even though I have never been to it. And with the help of Atanas I managed to learn more about Community building in this country.

Catch the full conversation below!

Alla: Hi Atanas! Pleasure to have you on my project! How did you become a Community Manager?

Atanas: There was no such position when I started working with communities and events. The closest titles were moderator, event organizer, or simply organizer. I started working with communities in high school, but my first professional experience was organizing events for people with various artistic talents. I have switched careers several times — I have worked as a journalist and a Project Manager — but there has always been a community element in the projects I’ve been involved in.

SlavConf awesome event online. Photo credit: Atanas Neychev

Alla: Project Manager? Amazing, by the way, according to Ukrainian Community Managers [I participated in a big research within Meta Spilnota], Project Management is a primary hard skill to possess if you want to do your job well. So, it definitely make sense! What other hard skills are important for a community manager, in your opinion?

Atanas: Hard skills depend on the type of community, but a few make a big difference:

• Content creation and copywriting are essential because engaging newsletters, and discussions keep the community active.
• Data analysis is another key skill, helping track engagement, analyze trends, and adjust strategies.
• Managing platforms efficiently is also important since most communities exist across multiple digital spaces.
• Moderation and conflict resolution are necessary for maintaining a positive environment.
• Event planning is useful, whether for virtual or in-person events.
• A basic understanding of marketing helps with discoverability, and knowing how to collect and interpret community feedback allows for better decision-making.
• Some design and video editing skills can also be helpful, even just for simple visuals.

Alla: What communities have you worked with to apply those skills?

Atanas: I have worked with a wide variety of communities. In addition to talent-based communities, I have managed startup communities and the communities around the events. One of these is SlavConf, a well-respected event series for pop culture and the creative industries, and the Futurist Expo, a series for futurists.

I collaborate with many other communities, not just as event partners but also in active roles—whether as a mentor in an accelerator, an organizer of TEDx events, a tech advisor, or simply contributing to the development of a group of people with a shared goal and a desire to grow. Managing communities is a passion of mine. For over 10 years, I have administered the Facebook group for my favourite football team, AC Milan, in Bulgaria.