I got into the event industry because in the late 1990s I found myself stuck in a rut working in Cumbria. My job entailed regular commutes to London, and it was there I began working on a number of projects with my friend - and celebrity chef - Richard Cawley. We were approached by Central Saint Martin’s to set up a restaurant for them and launched Central Club in 1999. Through catering their in-house events we made many high-profile contacts and were soon being approached by outside organisations such as 20th Century Fox. The commissions snowballed and before long we had become the film industry's caterer of choice.
I have worked here since 2000 when I set up Bubble. Today we offer a complete range of services including menu development, event management, venue finding, production, furniture and equipment hire, floristry, entertainment, transport and photography.
I was attracted to this particular role because I feel stifled in an environment that doesn’t enable creativity. Because of this I strive to make sure that the staff at Bubble are given all the tools they need to adopt an imaginative approach to event design and logistics, whether it’s serving a meal on the catwalk at London Fashion Week, or laying on molecular caviar cocktail workshops for La Prairie.
Not many people know that I am a fully trained quantity surveyor and that I have a cat called Bubble who is a descendant of Blofeld’s white Persian in the 007 movies.
My worst experience at an event was when a major security alert in London caused multiple road blocks. We were stuck for so long in traffic - along with all our food and equipment - that we only arrived at the venue 30 minutes before the client. It was a very stressful set-up for us, but luckily the client was none the wiser.
If there’s one thing I’ve learnt it’s that you can’t rest on your laurels. Bubble has worked hard to keep its name on the preferred suppliers list of some of London’s major venues, including the Science Museum, Somerset House and the Design Museum, as well as constantly looking for new partnerships such as IndigO2, Tobacco Dock and Middle Temple. 2013 has also seen us undergo a complete brand evolution, involving everything from an impactful new logo to the creation of an interactive website that I think perfectly encapsulates our cutting-edge qualities and luxurious offering.
The best event I’ve been involved in was the global premiere and after party for Fast & Furious 6, which was NBC Universal’s biggest film bash to date. It was organised by Premier PR and held in Somerset House’s grand courtyard, which provided a suitably British backdrop to the Americana-themed food stations. The stars of the film made a dramatic entrance by driving into the courtyard in some of the awe-inspiring cars featured in the film.
If I could do it all over again I would invest in marketing and PR, and the right people at the beginning.
The one thing I can’t stand is bad presentation. I regularly pop into Bubble events to check that our very high standards are being upheld. I have always been very fussy about everything being perfect and feel that it is particularly important for an event company to have a great attention to detail. Even something as basic as cutlery is important – I hate plastic cutlery and can’t bear to watch people use it, let alone use it myself!
Outside of work I spend my time socialising, cooking, going to the gym and travelling. I feel that travel is particularly important in terms of finding new inspiration in all aspects of my life – personally and for Bubble.
If money were no object I would have solid gold business cards…. But seriously I have lots of plans for Bubble and if money wasn’t an issue, this would speed up the process of achieving these goals. However, I am very confident that we will get there – it may just take a bit longer.
The one thing I can’t do my job without is my passion and my perfectionism. Nothing is ever good enough for me and this keeps me striving to be bigger and better. I should also add that having a sense of humour helps no end.
If I could switch places with anyone else in the industry it would be no-one in the events industry, but in the food industry it would have to be Ferran Adrià of elBulli fame. He has been such an inspiration to so many chefs and foodies alike, Bubble included.
If I ruled the event industry I would provide regular opportunities for events professionals to socialise, have fun and share good practice.
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