Claire Gillett

Event Professional

Objective
Produce an Annual Awards Gala Dinner in the UK including a Business Meeting with a secrecy car. A highly motivational, annual event to reward and recognise the top performers’ achievements in front of their peers.
Event Development
I recommended and sourced unique venues to meet the objectives. Working with the client, preferred suppliers and creative teams I fashioned an exciting and magical event agenda with a few surprises for the guests along the way! Having just 45 minutes to transfer the Gala Dinner from an open public space into a wow factor experience for guests. My dedicated and experienced team of staff managed to set up the venue, production, branding and entertainment to this extremely tight deadline while the guests relaxed, enjoyed their tour and drinks, oblivious to the movement behind the scenes.
Outcome
Feedback from the event has been extremely positive, not only meeting it’s objectives, the client and their guests were delighted with the result, some even stating it was the ‘best event yet’. Thousands of pounds were donated to charity, guests loved the surprises, networking was at it’s peak, the band were fully engaged with the audience and the atmosphere was buzzing, certainly a night to remember!

To make this event come to life, I was responsible for all elements including (but not limited to):

• Client liaison
• Guest management
• Supplier and venue management
• Production management
• Marketing communications
• Entertainment management 
• Staff management
• Branding and print
• Budget management

I managed and executed an annual private awards dinner for an automotive client with the help of a fantastic support team. In the heart of winter, over 400 guests were transferred on classic red routemaster buses to the iconic Tobacco Dock where they were welcome by open fires, warming drinks and roving entertainment before taking their seats for dinner to the magical sounds of the Kingdom Choir. A slick awards presentation took place in between courses before an intimate performance from Paloma Faith.

 To make this event come to life, I was responsible for all elements including (but not limited to):

• Client liaison
• Guest management
• Supplier and venue management
• Production management
• Marketing communications
• Entertainment management 
• Staff management
• Branding and print
• Budget management

To launch a new product for my client, I arranged an exciting ride and drive activity event for a group of their influential customers. This included the new product but also showcased some of the current updated products.

On arrival, we greeted and registered guests using state of the art ipad technology. Welcome refreshments and a light lunch was offered before a brief product presentation and driver briefing by a professional driver.
An afternoon of exciting driving activities followed which included putting the car through it's paces on track, an off-road experience, a road driving experience and the ultimate hot lap with a professional driver at the wheel.

Some of the key elements of organising this event included:

• Venue and catering management
• Professional driver management
• Driving and event schedule
• Guest management
• Health and safety     

My client wanted to take a group of 70 guests overseas as an incentive reward for their sales that year. Flights were from London with some connections across the UK into Montreal.
On site activities included a fun filled Scooter Tour of the City, an unforgettable VIP experience at Cirque De Soleil, a unique guide of the Underground City, thrilling White Water Rafting and a visit to a Sugar Shack where maple syrup is made!
Dinner and evening entertainment were hosted at authentic restaurants and bars with the added bonus of access to Montreal’s annual Jazz festival for fantastic atmosphere!
To ensure this event was a success, I was responsible for managing:

• Guest invitation process
• All travel
• Accommodation
• Activities 
• Dinners/evening entertainment which were designed to give each guest a unique and memorable experience
• Management of the DMC
• Marketing communications
• Budget

An annual conference to give staff from all over the UK a business update over a period of 3 days. Each day welcomed a different set of attendees and a slightly different agenda.
Guests were greeted and registered by a friendly team using ipad scanning technology. There was a plenary meeting with a guest speaker and various breakout sessions that all attendees needed to rotate between.
During the evening, there was an informal dinner with relaxed seating and overnight accommodation.

• Guest management
• Registration process and software
• Session management and movement
• Venue and catering management
• Guest speaker sourcing and briefing
• Rooming lists
• Branding
• Production
• Budget

I have managed an annual golf tournament that consisted of over 40 initial entry rounds where the winners progressed to one of 7 regional finals with top scorers reaching the exclusive 2-day UK Final and the opportunity to attend the 5-day world final in Mexico.
At each stage, customers were treated to breakfast, gifts, 18 holes of golf, halfway-house refreshments, a buffet dinner and an exciting prize ceremony. The UK final was an event to remember, complete with celebrity golf clinic, trick shot show from the World Champion, awards dinner, exciting gifts and photographic mementos.

To make these events a success, I was responsible for:

• Guest management and communication
• Venue management
• Golf management and scoring 
• Marketing
• Website management (including assistance in creating a bespoke website)
• Staff Management and logistics
• Event kit/branding creation and logistics
• Budget management

To incentivise a group of 50 staff as a reward for their sales that year, I created an exciting activity trip to Iceland.
Guests were flown from London to Reykjavik where there enjoyed an fun-packed few days of activities to include: Caving, snowmobiling on the glacier, Golden Circle tour (includes visiting the waterfalls and geysers) and a visit to the spectacular Blue Lagoon.
During the evening, guests were treated to fantastic dining experiences with impressive views of the city and tasting food of the best upcoming chefs from around the world. In the summer, there is daylight for a majority of the time and guests enjoyed the hospitality of the Icelandic people in the many bars after dinner.
To ensure this event was a success, I was responsible for managing:

• Guest invitation process
• All travel
• Accommodation
• Activities 
• Dinners/evening entertainment which were designed to give each guest a unique and memorable experience
• Management of the DMC
• Budget

An annual conference was held at the ME, London to give investors from all over the UK a business update.
The full day meeting included a large stage set and product placement. The evening started with stunning views of London's skyline before a dinner with comedian entertainment and a unique live band DJ. Overnight accommodation was arranged for all guests.

Management of this event included:

• Guest management
• Registration process and software
• Session management and movement
• Venue and catering management
• Guest speaker sourcing and briefing
• Rooming lists
• Branding
• Production
• Budget