#5. Atanas Neychev. The story about communities around events & balance in everything. Bulgaria 🇧🇬
- Alla Zhdan / Алла Ждань
- 2 days ago
- 8 min read
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.
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.
Alla: During the UEFA Euro 2024 final, I was in Spain, and I cheered for this country, too! It was just amazing to see how the football community and everyone celebrated the victory! And what latest achievements or fresh projects have you started and enjoyed a lot within your community?
Atanas: I’m involved in so many communities that it’s hard to pinpoint just one specific achievement. From a community perspective, everything should run smoothly and feel effortless. We are constantly experiencing community growth, and there’s always a noticeable difference between 1000 people versus 100000. Every small milestone matters!
Recently, I was especially pleased when we received emails from professionals working at top levels in some of the biggest tech companies. All of them wanted to support SlavConf and become part of the community. These individuals don’t know each other and have nothing in common, yet they all organically found us and decided to get involved. To me, that’s incredible, and I celebrate it as a great success!
Alla: Congrats! Are there any unique traits or challenges you’ve observed when it comes to building communities in Bulgaria?
Atanas: Building communities in Bulgaria often involves navigating a few unique dynamics. One of the biggest challenges is the general skepticism toward new initiatives—and I think this applies to many countries. People tend to wait and see if something is worth their time before engaging again. There’s also a strong sense of codification of beliefs, and due to the small market, event formats often overlap. The main challenge for these communities is sustainability.
Over the years, communities and events in Bulgaria have evolved through distinct stages—from local gatherings to national initiatives, and eventually to international reach. Now, with the growing diversity of people, especially in Sofia, we’re seeing new layers of interaction and opportunity emerge, with a focus on increasingly niche events. For example, my events are aimed at international audiences, but we’re based in Bulgaria. In this dynamic, it’s often hard to explain to people who’ve never attended that 60% of our audience comes from the United Kingdom—and that many of the local attendees don’t realize how global the reach actually is. That’s one of the reasons I really enjoy virtual events!
Alla: What are your core responsibilities as a Community Manager?
Atanas: It always varies and can be difficult to define, but I’ll use Futurist Expo as an example.
I am responsible for the community, which includes all the attendees who come to the event and stay as a dedicated audience, as well as the speakers, whom I prepare by analyzing the audience. One of the main reasons we created our virtual event platform and other community-focused projects is that it allows us to analyze audience preferences in much greater depth and easily ensure the successful execution of initiatives.
I create surveys, send newsletters, and carefully consult with the team about the content. A Community Manager needs to handle an enormous amount of communication. That’s why it’s crucial to understand what works for the people in your community and dedicate time to experimentation. I won’t even get into the details of planning hype-building strategies and other related processes.
“Community management is a balancing act between engagement, moderation, and growth, and all of these skills play a role.”
Alla: Agree, agree, agree! ;) Are you a part of a team of Community Managers, or do you work with the community alone?
Atanas: I used to work with communities alone, but I collaborate with different teams depending on the project. For example, in large-scale events like SlavConf or Futurist Expo, I handle the community and speakers side, but I also work closely with Lilia, who manages different aspects of aesthetics, our brands, or monetization. Regarding partnerships or accelerators, I collaborate with managers and mentors who also contribute to the community experience.
When working on ConvoCircle, I coordinated closely with developers and designers to ensure a seamless community experience. I also frequently collaborate with freelancers and even members of the community itself. When I have worked with accelerators, they have a dedicated person who is the connection between the community organizer and their company. Usually, it is the Communications Manager or the person responsible for the brand, marketing, or events.
Alla: And what would you advise to the Community person who is about to organize a conference? Maybe some tips and tricks that you learned hard and use every time?
Atanas: Conferences are unpredictable, and your backup plans need backup plans. Also, don’t overestimate people’s attention—build moments of interaction early, even before the event. And the most important rule—try to keep your communication simple.
Alla: And what in terms of a toolset for Community Manager?
Atanas: I rely on a mix of communication, organization, and analytics tools.
WordPress is great for real-time discussions and community engagement. Various email marketing tools help with keeping members updated.
Google keeps everything structured, from community plans to content schedules and analytics. Google Analytics is essential for tracking engagement and understanding what works.
Canva is a quick and easy way to create visuals for posts, newsletters, and event promotions. These tools make my work faster and more structured, especially when managing multiple communities simultaneously.
If you miss my last Recommended by Community Managersv newsletter, check it here. Canva is mentioned there too + useful info for NGO organizations in terms of its usage!Alla: Taking into account your excellent Event Management experience, what was the last coolest Community Management event that you attended online or offline? Why did you enjoy it that much?
Atanas: I’ve attended many community meetups, but none of them are specifically for the job title “Community Manager”. For example, a few years ago, Facebook had an initiative for group administrators called Community Leadership Circles that I was a part of but it was eventually discontinued. Unfortunately, even the coolest community events are not as sustainable as I would like them to be. We were working on an event like that called Event Industry Dialogue, but I can’t say when it will become a reality.
Alla: I got curious and also I investigated the Facebook project you mentioned and there is still a page with useful articles about how to build community online on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/community/. But you are right, that they have not done anything related to that initiative since the Summit in 2022. I wish you good luck with the Event Industry Dialogue project, I bet Community Managers in Bulgaria will be looking forward to it! What do you like the most in your work?
Atanas: I love the moments when someone unexpectedly reaches out to say the community helped them meaningfully, providing them with meaningful insights, resources, connections, and career opportunities. For example, several people from major tech companies recently emailed me saying they wanted to support SlavConf because they organically discovered the community and felt connected to it. These moments remind me that real communities grow through genuine engagement, not just numbers.
Alla: What advice would you give to someone just starting a community from scratch in a less active or skeptical environment?
Atanas: First and foremost, you need to have the energy to be a community person. Sometimes, it’s not even about skills or experience—it’s about having the drive to create something from nothing. You need energy, curiosity, and the willingness to take in a lot of new information quickly. Especially in less active or skeptical environments, people will follow your energy before they follow your idea. If you're not excited, they won’t be either. Start small, stay consistent, and don’t expect instant results. It’s a slow build—but if your intent is clear, people will start to gather.
Alla: Amazing! Good luck with all your awesome projects, Atanas!
I had been working with Project Managers, HR Marketing Specialists, Employer Branding Specialists, L&D Specialists, and other awesome people with other job profiles from Bulgaria for 4 years. That's why this country is so special to me. The amount of support and kindness I got from my colleagues from Sofia is enormous. Well, ex-collegues, but it's not about companies in which we work, right? It's about great vibe and fruitful collaboration.
Special thanks and hugs to Petya Yorgova, Boryana Djoneva, and Krasimir Ivanov!
Learn more about my Community Managers' Strories project to gather insights from Community people from 42 European countries here.
Do you have a story, and I haven't "visited" your country yet [check the map of countries here]? Drop me a line on LinkedIn, then!
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