Cherry spoke to Event about her remit, an activation the company recently devised for New Look at Wireless festival, and her take on the future of experiential in events.
What are your key responsibilities in your new role?
In my new role as director of events at Smart Live I am responsible for the day-to-day running of the events team. I am responsible for the commercial strategy of the business, as well as managing the team here. Outside of this I look after a lot of the client relationships and the operational side of the events.
What was it that initially attracted you to Smart Live, and where were you employed previously?
Previously I worked for another boutique London-based design and production agency, doing a combination of corporate and private events.
I wasn’t initially looking to move but then Smart Live jumped out at me and I couldn’t resist. I was very attracted to join a young and entrepreneurial business that is growing quickly and pushing boundaries creatively. Smart Live had a great client list when I joined, and we’ve since successfully expanded on this, not just at Smart Live but across the whole of Smart Group.
Which clients are you working with? Any exciting campaigns we should know about?
We’re working with a range of clients across retail, food and beverage, financial organisations, charities and other brands.
Recently, we put together an experiential activation for New Look who were the 2015 headline sponsors of Wireless Festival. They wanted a way to engage with their potential customers, particularly male customers, on site at the festival.
We designed and ran a pop-up event called ‘The Hangout’, where there were limbo and chin up competitions, bands and DJs playing, social media and photobooth experiences, a pop-up shop, festival-goers could make beauty and grooming appointments, and there was a VIP terrace for celebrity guests.
Later in the year we’re hoping to carry out some successful campaigns alongside the Rugby World Cup sponsors, so watch this space.
Where do you see the future of experiential is headed?
We’re going to see brand campaigns becoming even more integrated and immersive, and heavier on creative technologies such as virtual reality. This is something we’re seeing not just in brand campaigns but in employee engagement events and celebrations, where companies are looking at providing engaging experiences for their staff so they leave as true brand ambassadors.
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