Tell me a bit about yourself?
I was born in Birmingham but moved to Sevenoaks in Kent when I was 2 years old and back to Birmingham when I was 11 with my parents and sisters. I was the oldest of three girls and assumed the role of peacemaker from an early age. Even now I’m still considered the calming influence or ‘wise old one’.
From a young age I demonstrated that I had a good work ethic and have had the opportunity to try my hand at a multitude of jobs ranging from dental assistant to cashier at Victoria Wine to jack of all trades at a city centre hotel.
How did you get into events?
My very first job was at a country house hotel in Hastings which was small enough to ensure I learned every trade. I often found myself cooking breakfast before filling in for an absent Housekeeper in the onsite laundry, covering the reception desk and playing host at dinner. It was a great training ground. It had beautiful grounds and we did more weddings than I care to remember, often in marquees on the lawn. That’s when the events side really caught my interest.
I then had the opportunity to work at The Grand Hotel in Brighton, where I worked as C&B Operations Manager. After four years at the hotel, I was talked into taking a break with a friend of mine and we worked as part of a boat delivery crew with a couple and two Alaskan sword fishermen. We took a 72ft motor yacht from Florida round through the Panama Canal to Los Angeles. A four-month adventure that taught us a lot about life and saw us catching 25lb yellow fin tuna off the deck and creating sashimi for our tea, fighting hostile seas, losing valuable navigation systems in Guatemala and getting boarded by pirate guards off the coast of Mexico.
When I got back from this once in a lifetime experience, I moved to London for three years. I joined the C&E team at Grosvenor House, which is a venue that personifies the glamour of events.
I loved standing on the balcony looking into the room when it was set and ready to go before the guests arrived. One of my favourite experiences at the venue was at a BAFTA after-party. I had a call to ask if I could look after a couple of early arrivals, which of course wasn’t a problem until I realised it was Elton John, Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington – small talk escaped me in the face of these heroes.
Tell us about your time at the Celtic Manor Resort
I have been working at the Celtic Manor Resort for over 16 years and have had the privilege to be part of some major events, most notably the NATO Summit in 2014, which tested my out of the box thinking to its limits.
Delivering an event that combined such high-level security with huge scale media presence, 70 world leaders and their delegations’ individual requirements and feeding all the support services that sit behind these groups was a test for all involved and could not have been achieved without an incredible team effort.
I was also very fortunate to be involved in the design process for ICC Wales from the outset and in 2018 took on the role of Venue Director. ICC Wales is a fantastic venue and provides a real opportunity for Wales to take its place on the stage alongside established cities such as Liverpool, Birmingham, London and Edinburgh.
Since opening our doors, we’ve hosted some incredible events including the UK Space Conference, International Golf Travel Market (IGTM) and the Independent Schools’ Bursars Association Annual Conference. We’ve also had the opportunity to welcome some exciting consumer events and exclusive celebrity Q&A’s including an evening with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Caitlyn Jenner.
What’s the biggest topic that needs addressing in the industry?
The pandemic has bought to the forefront quite a few areas of work for the industry including sustainability, equality and diversity. Of course, the recovery of the global business events sector is still a huge priority.
But for venues across the UK the biggest topic at the moment is the impact of the government’s proposed Protect Duty (Martyn’s Law) legislation on how we run events.
In response to the publication of the Protect Duty public consultation response document, we will launch our new report, which explores the key outtakes of the Protect Duty document, impending legislation and the expectations of future clients around security and safety. It will also look at how venues can work collaboratively with organisers to fulfil their obligations in ensuring the safety of all attendees.
The report, which will be available on the ICC Wales website on the 10 March 2022, is supported by industry research and expert comment from the event security sector.
