Exceptional people creating exceptional experiences

I’ve been fortunate to create lots of experiences for others, but my best experience at work was probably being a small cog in the big event that was the 2012 Olympics. Never has London and the UK been a more brilliant place to be. Whatever involvement people had, we created something very special.

Aside from my wedding and the birth of my kids, one of the most memorable experiences I’ve had was being at the Sydney Cricket Ground for the fifth Ashes Test in 2011.  Being in such a hot crowd like that and watching that sporting spectacle may not be topped for sport.

Joining a team here at Ashfield Event Experiences that has such a natural camaraderie that it feels like we’re all old friends. That has been a highlight.

Becoming a mother. It was terrifying but amazing!

People are what make your experience.  My team are my people.  We work hard, we do our best to make our clients happy, create great events and all the while make time to have a laugh.

Travelling to Australia on my own as a young twenty-something – the first time out the country.  I met up with college friends and did loads of adventurous things like propelling down a 50m waterfall!

I’m sure all of us have adapted some method of “speed tourism” trying to make the most of a trip while traveling for work. My top speed tourism adventures include:

• Kayaking down the Chicago river through downtown Chicago with 90mins to spare before heading to the airport
• A dinner cruise down the Danube, seeing all the top spots by boat
• A 2-hour power walk around London stopping by Big Ben and Buckingham Palace

Being invited by the Tourism Board of Ireland to join an incentive trip traveling around Ireland from coast to coast while being wined and dined the entire way!

The successful completion of two back-to-back events with 1500 attendees at each in Barcelona, working with a large team of colleagues.  After a year in the planning and then 15 days on site, there’s simply nothing like a happy client, followed by a big team celebration!

Hiking through the Andes on the Inca Trail for three days. Coping with the altitude and rough terrain was physically exhausting, but the reward was the achievement of reaching Macchu Picchu as the sun rose – simply stunning.

This was many years ago, but I’ll never forget the spine-tingling sensation of attending my first live event. When the lights go down and the music starts, you understand the incredible power of creativity in the live environment. I’ve been hooked on creating amazing people experiences ever since.

I’ve always longed for a sense of adventure, wanting to explore off the beaten track. So whether it’s stepping up to the edge of the Grand Canyon, watching the sun rise over the Rio Grande or setting foot on the Great Wall of China with no one else in sight, you feel like a pioneer making a discovery for the first time. These are the experiences that create the strongest memories for me (after the birth of my kids obviously!)

Taking over Istanbul for a full service sales conference. 5* plus hotels, looking over the Bosphorus in glorious sunshine, stunning gala dinner venues, taking over an entire street of restaurants and our very own nightclub. Whole week was perfect, went without a hitch which was insane to say, given the number of moving parts. The perfect event.

Wedding, babies being born – of course! But also it’s got to be the 91^st minute winner, at Wembley in the championship play off final. Come on Queens Park Rangers!

Working with placement student designers. Seeing how much they learn in the year they are with us is very rewarding to experience.

Receiving a client award for delivering a challenging project. Knowing how much the team was valued by the client was very motivating!

An incentive trip to Iceland when Eyjafjallajökull erupted and volcanic ash caused travel chaos across Europe.  We had the most awesome incentive program with snowmobiles, ice fishing, Monster Trucks and a visit to the Blue Lagoon – most surprisingly the flights out of Iceland were not impacted!

A family holiday to Disney World when I was 9-years-old, everything about it was magical and I can’t wait to take my own family one day.

Being hosted to attend the Grammys in Los Angeles!

Experiencing the midnight sun in the Arctic Circle during the middle of summer, it was completely surreal.

There are lots…but if I had to choose, I’d say delivering a ‘cook your own lunch’ in a vineyard for an incentive group.

Skiing in Banff for New Year & the Elk that casually strolled by us while waiting for the bus!

Working in the Royal Box for the Queen’s 90^th Birthday.

Getting engaged in Cuba!

Turning a dilapidated water park in Chennai into a full Bollywood water and laser show, one of those moments on the site visit where the client has to put their trust in you to deliver the vision.

I should say my wedding, birth of my son…but I’m a man of simple pleasures and I love the outdoors and the views on a clear day from up high across the Yorkshire Dales, or the Lakes does it for me every time.

Building a mini festival for one of our clients. A long two-weeks of build and show, but worth it to know that people inside the company still talk about it to this day.

It sounds cliched, and it’s a pretty recent one, but picking our wedding venue. Turning to see my better half stood waiting to “walk” down the aisle solidified the venue…I am sure that this will be replaced in due course by the wedding itself, but for now we have planning to do!

Starting at the company as a Project Executive and being given the tools and training to progress to a Project Manager is probably my best experience. The company has provided me with the support and exposure to plan various types of meetings – from congresses to full service, and it’s really helped broaden my skills.

I’ve been so lucky to visit some amazing places over the years, but going to South Africa on a private safari, seeing elephants, rhinos, lions and giraffes so close up and in their natural environment, was an amazing experience that I will never forget.

One of my best experiences at Ashfield was working with the team during AASLD in 2019. It was such a collaborative effort, and everyone took such pride in their work. It was so nice working alongside my colleagues, learning from them and offering an exceptional service to the client.

Marrying my handsome husband in front of our family and friends in the most beautiful scenic space in Napa Valley.

With being on the Audit Expense Team, I don’t often get the opportunity to travel for work. A couple years ago I was presented the opportunity to help with a program but would be the only onsite contact during the program, which made me nervous as it was something I had never done before. After some hesitation, I jumped on the opportunity to grow professionally and have that added experience under my belt and it was great. I got to travel to a new location I had never been to, as well as show Ashfield that I am a woman of many talents.

My most memorable moment is pretty cliché, but it is the births of my three children. Growing and giving birth to a life is an overwhelming experience that no-one can prepare you for. The world stops when you get to see and hold the baby for the first time and the pain you underwent becomes nonexistent in that moment. For me, nothing beats the joy of holding my babies.

Traveling onsite to deliver two successful live events with over 1000 attendees in Dallas, TX. It was a rewarding experience working with such a talented group of people from different areas of our business.

Besides recently getting engaged, one of the most memorable experiences I’ve had was studying abroad in Barcelona, Spain. Highlights from that summer included canyoning in the Swiss Alps and running with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain!

The best experience at work was when I went onsite to a very large National Sales Meeting. It was great to see the planners hard at work and learning what they do on a daily basis.

This one is easy. My most memorable moments in my life were when I became a mom to my three wonderful children.

The best experiences I have at work are the final few hours of larger setups. Seeing the Plenary Room that I’ve been planning for months come together ready with all the drapes, staging, and lighting never gets old and makes all the hard work worth it.

Traveling in general. Whether it’s for work and I’m able to explore a new city after the show ends, or traveling for vacation, I love experiencing new cities, countries, and cultures (of course including the local cuisine and breweries).  A few of my most memorable trips were to Iceland, Switzerland, Tokyo, and Seoul.