I have worked here since May 2011.
I was attracted to this particular role because of the challenge. Working with different brands, on different briefs with different teams – sometimes in different countries. The variety and breadth of opportunity was too good to turn down. And they’re an alright bunch here at Momentum too.
Not many people know that I have three letters from the Queen. I was an ardent Royalist as a child and wrote to them whenever the occasion arose. The third piece of correspondence was more of a ‘leave us alone’ than a ‘thank you’. Nonetheless, they are all framed, on display in my loo.
My worst experience at an event was not so much at an event but a few hours before one, when we were sheepishly informed by the supplier that the key pieces of merchandise, bespoke set props and event-specific collateral were still sat on the runway in Delhi, despite confirmation that they had been sent onsite to our European destination three days prior. I felt like a rabbit in the headlights for a few moments, but soon leapt into crisis mode and managed to avert disaster with about 30 minutes to spare.
If there's one thing I've learnt it’s there’s more than one way to skin a cat.
The best event I've been involved in was Virgin Media’s Speedweek 50. A week-long celebration of all things speed-related, culminating in the world’s first ever urban Grand Prix at Bluewater, where competition winners had the chance to race the track (Bluewater’s ring road) alongside newly-crowned world champ, Jenson Button.
If I could do it all over again I would have trusted my instincts on the occasions I have gone against them. They are never wrong.
The one thing I can't stand is champagne requirements on a beer budget.
Outside of work I spend my time with my husband and children, in our home, recharging. Bliss.
If money were no object I would retrain as a counsellor.
The one event I will never miss is Winter Wonderland, Hyde Park.
The next 12 months will be interesting. I think it will be very industrious, with agencies such as Momentum working overtime, literally and metaphorically, to ensure all deadlines are met, and activations delivered beautifully, ready for the Games. June 2012, with approximately a month to go, will be when the hard work will start to pay off. As those Olympic rings start appearing around this amazing capital city of ours, even the most cynical Londoners will start to get excited.
If I could switch places with anyone in the industry it would be one of the event organisers working on Live Aid back in ‘84. When passion is the motivating factor, great things can happen and Live Aid is the perfect example of that. It also demonstrates on a hugely successful scale how, where there’s a will, there’s a way.
If I ruled the event industry I would do two things. Firstly, I would make all event industry workers repeat the above mantra (where there’s a will, there’s a way) daily. Secondly, I would look at better, more robust ways of measuring the success of a live event or campaign so that, as a media channel, it could sit higher up the food chain. For me, there is nothing more powerful for a brand than placing the consumer in the heart of the moment – ‘tell them and they will forget, show them and they will remember, involve them and they will understand’.