I got into the event industry because I wanted to create memorable experiences for professionals having to take time out of their personal life and away from their families for work purposes. Our time off is precious, so it can be frustrating when we have work commitments that eats into that valuable time, and those who travel constantly only ever see the airport lounges and the inside of a hotel.
My aim and also a passion, which drives my enthusiasm, has always been to create events with the details that make a difference to the individual. This can be as small as personally waving off the delegates in their taxi at 3am before their flight with a smile on my face and a lot of make-up on to hide the exhaustion, or to present a city in a new light to a group of people who may have travelled there dozens of times before. It’s the time out of the office that colleagues and clients spend together that strengthens their professional relationships and cements lucrative business so it’s imperative to get it right.
I have worked at Stature PR since... I helped launch the Stature PR events department in January this year.
I was attracted to this particular role because Stature is currently in such an exciting stage of growth and expansion, it was one of those opportunities that if I didn’t grab it with both hands, someone else would have. Very few PR agencies offer wider events management services under the same roof, which is great for us to have the facility to offer something unique and essentially make things easier for the client.
Due to our PR heritage, it means we have a different approach to the briefs that come in. Our corporate clients come to us because they want to stand out from the rest. Events budgets are tight and are still viewed as an expenditure so agencies like ourselves have to be even more resourceful yet still need to exceed all ground-breaking, differentiating, wow-factor ideas gone before.
Not many people know that I have an instinctive radar for pigeons in the vicinity. They get a wide birth if they’re walking on the pavement in front or anywhere near me so the Piazza San Marco is off my holiday list.
The best event I’ve been involved in... is a tricky one to define as so many have been incredible for different reasons. Be it the overwhelming support of a team pulling together to overcome problems, sleep deprivation and generally maintaining high spirits throughout; being able to tick off a destination from my endless world discovery list (not that there is ever any time for exploring onsite); the creative concepts that have spent months in the planning finally coming to fruition; the sometimes small but personal achievements and crossing the finish line, and being able to look back rewardingly at the journey it’s taken to get there.
One that is up there was taking a group to the 2010 Fifa World Cup final in Johannesburg and the itinerary they took part in around that day was a memorable one - being in a country like South Africa, which was hosting such a monumental event, was an incredible experience both professionally and personally. In terms of the best however, I believe that it is yet to come and the journey has only just begun.
If I could do it all over again I would travel on exactly the same path. I would just try to worry a little less.
The one thing I can't stand is inconsideration for others. Basic manners can go a long way in bettering a client experience. Saying good morning, flashing a smile or even acknowledging someone that you’re stood next to on the train platform can start off someone’s day in a more positive way.
Outside of work I spend my time perfecting my clay pigeon shooting skills.
If money were no object I would travel the world and explore more, taking my family and friends with me along the way.
If I could switch places with anyone else in the industry it would be no one, I feel incredibly lucky to have the experiences I have had and meet the people I have met and most importantly, I know that those experiences have been down to the decisions I have made to get here.
If I ruled the event industry I would remove the phrase ‘reinventing the wheel’ and enforce using imagination for unique creative ideas. Then I would delegate the day to day tasks so I could sit back and give myself a pat on the back for achieving that status.
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