I got into the event industry because I have always loved a party and bringing people together. I have to agree with many experts who’ve suggested that social media has made us feel more connected yet in many ways we are more isolated.
Nothing can ever beat a live event for shared experiences, emotions and memories. People's reactions to live shows and events are incredible. Experiential events are not only immersive but also make consumers think, feel and act, which appeals to me.
I have worked here since October 2012.
I was attracted to this particular role because I felt that founding my own company would allow me to evolve a new way of working that fits with the way the world is changing. It was a big risk but it has been a fantastic ride so far and I’ve loved every minute.
Not many people know that Agent42 operates virtually. The company runs in a cloud environment, which means that our staff can work from a beach in Barbados or a private members’ club in London.
The company works because of the trust we earn, both with our staff and clients. We all have the same goal – to create exciting, and above all, successful campaigns. With this fresh and independent way of thinking and working, our staff are more creative, inspired and motivated. Our clients also like the fact that they aren’t being charged a premium for their agency’s swanky office space.
The best event I’ve been involved was one of the first events I ever ran for Nintendo, where the company wanted to thank 200 of Game’s retail staff for all their hard work around the Nintendo Wii.
We transformed the NEC in Birmingham into a massive Wii sports resort beach party with every imaginable beach-themed fun fair ride. The retailers absolutely loved it and it was a brilliant way to build more brand loyalty within this critical group. The event inspired me to focus on experiential and retail marketing.
If I could do it all over again I would keep note of all the motivational speeches delivered by the various influential leaders I have met during my career. Some have stayed with me. The most memorable include ‘All we have is our reputation’ and ‘You’re only as good as your last campaign.’
The one thing I can’t stand is pessimistic and negative people. They don’t realise the damage they can do to the people around them and in an industry like ours, which relies on creative, nimble thinking, it’s a recipe for disaster.
Outside of work I spend my time with my one-year old baby.
If money were no object I would combine my passions for marketing and fostering new businesses. I’d buy an island and start a hub to inspire and support the next generation of young entrepreneurs. As an entrepreneur who’s embraced the virtual office wholeheartedly, I appreciate more than most the importance of someone’s environment and influences in coming up with creative and disruptive ideas.
Combining tropical surroundings with experienced mentors and industry experts could help tomorrow’s entrepreneurs to come up with ideas that could change the world for the better, and I’d love to be involved in making something like that a reality.
If I could switch places with anyone else in the industry it would be… I’d step back in time for a very brief period to switch with Danny Boyle to put on the 2012 Olympic opening and closing ceremonies.
If I ruled the event industry I would get rid of account management titles. Everyone can be a creative or an ideas generator and there should be no limits to their thinking.
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