I got into the event industry because as part of my degree in leisure management all the way back in 1995, I spent two days at the Wembley complex, one at the arena and one at the old stadium. A combination of Prince and an England International whetted my appetite to work in large multi-purpose venues and within two years of completing my degree and getting some relevant experience, I was working for Wembley Stadium.
I have worked here since 2009, at a time when Troxy had only just been launched to the events industry. Since then, we have hosted events such as the London Lifestyle Awards, Relentless Kerrang! Awards and Future Cinema’s immersive productions, planting our feet firmly as one of London’s most versatile venues.
I was attracted to this particular role because I love working in east London, and I could see that Troxy was ready to blossom into the established events space that it is today. Working with a close-knit team to develop it into an award-winning venue; what more could you need?
Not many people know that, once-upon-a-time, I ran over 40 Santa’s grottos and occasionally had to fill in for sick Father Christmases.
My worst experience at an event was dealing with a celebrity whose brother was promised he could play at Wembley as part of her agreement to appear at an event. Watching the PR company disappear over the horizon when she arrived was an interesting predicament I found myself in.
If there’s one thing I’ve learnt it’s to plan for the unexpected. In the events industry, anything can happen; at Troxy, one of our biggest strengths is working with clients, particularly on the day, to ensure their vision becomes reality.
The best event I’ve been involved in was RPM’s Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project. Despite working at some of the biggest concerts and sporting events at Wembley Stadium, transforming Troxy into Miami for the night trumped them all. We brought the beach to the venue, situated next to the stage, and had an upstairs VIP room which became Little Havana for the night.
If I could do it all over again I would have done a stint in the Middle or Far East. I’m an expat child, so have lots of great memories of both regions.
The one thing I can’t stand is seeing event managers standing around with clipboards. After working on various exciting events with so many talented people I know there is always something to get done; getting your hands dirty is all part of the job.
Outside of work I spend my time with my very patient wife, daughter and dog, skiing, watching Wales and the Ospreys in rugby and reliving my teenage years at concerts. In no particular order.
I wouldn’t be able to do my job without the rest of the fantastic team at Troxy.
If I could switch places with anyone else in the industry it would be either Rebecca Kane from the O2, or Jim Frayling from Wembley Stadium. Not only are they both fantastic ambassadors for the industry but they work at the best venues in the world, something that London should be proud of.
If I ruled the event industry I would ban event managers with those sneaky clipboards, give them a pair of heavy duty gloves and make them to get stuck in.
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