I got into the event industry because after a career in management consulting and as a lawyer before that, I wanted to start a business and do something I’m passionate about. Having used various organisers from the client side and been underwhelmed, I believed I could inject a fresh approach with a different type of event organiser.
I have worked here since March 2012 when we launched The Social Athletics Club.
I was attracted to this particular role because owning and growing a business from scratch - whilst uncertain and challenging, especially in economic uncertainty - is a very exciting and creative process.
Not many people know that I’m half Irish, half South African, born and raised in Australia, studied Japanese during high school, and have been living in London since 2005. I also had a surreal day in 2008 where I randomly had drinks with Richard Branson and his family (plus Natalie Imbruglia) at The Lodge in Verbier.
My worst experience at an event was at our second ever event. It was a ping pong tournament for a birthday party of 20 where the venue double-booked the tables and decided last minute to allocate them to a Bar Mitzvah bowling party where the tables weren’t even the focus. After strong negotiations and frantic last minute set-up whilst the clients arrived, we were able to pull it back and delivered a great event. Despite this, I still refunded the client.
If there’s one thing I’ve learnt it’s the customer is always right. Whether you like it or not, without clients you have nothing.
The best event I’ve been involved in was my own wedding last year in the Cotswolds and Majorca. It was a week of celebrations with lots of people flying in from overseas. We somehow had amazing weather during the wettest summer for years. The highlights being the day itself in a converted barn in a field with friends and family, a cricket match, BBQ and tea the day before, plus a sunset party in Port de Soller a few days later with most of the wedding party.
If I could do it all over again I would have followed through on various business ideas during university and not worried about getting on the corporate ladder.
The one thing I can’t stand is bad customer service. We unfortunately see and experience it all the time, whether venues or suppliers, but it only reinforces our ethos and commitment to delivering the best for clients
Outside of work I spend my time with my wife, friends and family eating and drinking lots of good food and wine. Then procrastinating about a lack of gym time. And thinking about the business…
If money were no object I’d book two tickets on Virgin’s Space Galactic rocket.
The one thing I can’t do my job without is my iPhone and Mac computer.
If I could switch places with anyone else it would be Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters.
If I ruled the event industry I’d work on improving overall professionalism and quality of service.
If you'd like to be featured in a future My Event World, email associate editor Rachel Bull.
To read about more great young event companies, check out the results of our Fab 50 Newcomers survey in the June issue of Event magazine. You can get it by