28 October 2021
I Love Where I Live!
The more I get to know the beautiful part of the world I live in, the more I fall in love with it. I am very lucky to live in Oxfordshire and have the gorgeous Cotswolds on my doorstep, as well as the counties of Berkshire, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire all accessible.
I have to admit, not living in London as an events planner was a slight worry a number of years ago, but I need not have given it a second thought as there are so many stunning venues, fantastic suppliers and event inspiration around here, and I haven’t even discovered it all by a long way! What I love is that whatever enquiry is thrown my way, I have a local solution for it. Whether that be a grand historic house (Blenheim Palace) or a secluded luxury country house hotel (Whatley Manor or Barnsley House to name a few); a beautiful rustic barn (Silchester Farm, The Great Barn at Aynho) or an exclusively hired estate (Wasing Park).
Alongside all of these, I can dip into the historic cities of Oxford, Cheltenham or Bath when needed and of course, London isn’t far at all. Many people are craving something out of the ordinary at the moment, and we are getting many enquiries for events outside in nature with stunning scenery, which I have here in the countryside in bucketloads!
Every fortnight I try and get out and see at least one new venue. It’s a hugely important part of my role making sure we are at the forefront of new openings and new businesses with potential suppliers and partners. I have found that by really homing in on my locality has not only grown my business, but my contacts and my infamous little black book has increased considerably.
People come to me for my insider knowledge and knowing an area and its little gems that I can share with them. There is no better feeling than introducing that special place to someone that ticks all the boxes for their event dream and, often, surpassing it. Even when I don’t need to find a new venue, I make sure I reserve the time to go and immerse myself in the area often as trust me, not everything is on Google!
The utter diamonds are the ones that are often the most well-kept secrets! I use my years of experience and know-how to unearth them, get to know them and think what events would work brilliantly there. In the past year, many venues have, understandably, had to adapt and having those great relationships means they have taken us on that journey with them. We have evolved together in light of the world changes and impact on the events industry and are fully aligned on what experiences we can provide.
I know there is yet more to discover in this amazing area and I can’t wait to get to know more out there. It has been wonderful to get to know fellow business owners who have been kind enough to share their local knowledge with me.
So, if you fancy hosting an event in Oxfordshire or the surrounding areas, I would love to work with you on it. The ideas are brimming over!