I have worked here since February 2009. I was 26 when I founded Wired Events and we are very excited this month to be celebrating our two-year anniversary.
I was attracted to this particular role because I had headed up events at a previous company for many years and I thought if I don’t do it now, I will live to regret it. It was risky at the time but worth the gamble to be my own boss.
Not many people know that I’m a qualified scuba dive master.
My worst experience at an event was having to move a regional conference from Kenya to Bahrain in three weeks due to civil unrest. Among the challenges were sourcing a hotel for 200, a location for the mobile venue, visas for all the guests, and getting two large shipping containers holding the inflatable venue and equipment out the closed-down Mombasa port.
If there’s one thing I’ve learnt it’s never assume anything.
The best event I’ve been involved in was an internal event for DHL at which it announced its re-branding of one of its departments. The event was held at an aircraft hangar in Brussels. We had brought in a DHL 747 to create the backdrop to the event and in which to hold a breakout meeting. The CEO carried out his presentation from the wing of the plane. It was stunning.
If I could do it all over again I wouldn’t change a thing. I think you learn from the good experiences and the bad.
The one thing I can’t stand is people who say ‘yes’ when they mean ‘no’. If there are any issues or problems with an event I would rather know upfront so we can provide a solution rather than being told the day before.
Outside of work I spend my time travelling, scuba diving and feeding my passion for food.
If money were no object I would open a florist and cafe and spend six months of the year in my dream beach house in Bali.
The one event I will never miss is Christmas with my family.
The next 12 months will be exciting, unexpected and adventurous.
If I could switch places with anyone else in the industry it would be the event producer for the BAFTA Awards Ceremony.
If I ruled the event industry I would throw out all the falsies and phonies.