At the QEII Centre we pride ourselves on the quality of the event experience and at the heart of that is our experienced, knowledgeable and friendly staff.
Over the next few weeks, we will be taking you behind the scenes at the Centre to get to know more about staff members from across the organisation.
Our first member of staff under the spotlight is long-serving Event Manager, Stuart Drummond, who is a familiar face to many of our clients. Here we find out more, including how he is relishing running live events again and expanding his cooking repertoire during lockdown.
How long have you been working at the QEII Centre?
27 years. I have been here almost as long as the Centre!
What are the key aspects of your role?
My job is very much what it says on the tin! To successfully manage the event and build strong relationships both with the client and internal teams to achieve this.
I work closely with the client once the contract has been approved, right through to the event day itself as well as any post event follow up that is required.
My main priority is to ensure all logistics are in place and that the event runs smoothly on the day. It is essential that I build good relationships with clients and get to know them and how they like their events to run, especially as I run many events for repeat clients.
What do you love most about your role?
It is without doubt the experience, it feels amazing to be back running live events, interacting with my clients in person. Nothing can beat the atmosphere of a live event and just seeing and hearing so many happy people.
The buzz of the job comes from helping the client to deliver a successful event and achieve their objectives. There is nothing more satisfying than having a client come up to you at the end of the event and thanking you for helping to make it possible.
What three words would you use to describe the QEII Centre?
Friendly, knowledgeable and professional.
Why would you use those words?
One of the great strengths of the Centre is that everything we do is about the client and ensuring the success of the event. Our staff are vital to this from the warm welcome from the reception and security team through to the client care provided by the AV, Catering, Event Management and Sales teams, our professionalism, knowledge and friendliness shines through.
How do you think events will change in the future?
I think people really missed in-person events over the last eighteen months and there is a real appetite to go back to this. However, going forward I there will be many more events with a hybrid element as fewer overseas delegates will travel to events.
What have you taken out of the last eighteen months that you will continue to do?
I have developed my cooking repertoire, trying out several new recipes and this is something I will carry on as I really enjoy it!
Tell us something that people won’t know about you
In the early 90’s with my Parents and Friends we created a charity called CARE (Croatia Assistance Relief Expedition) we collected medical supplies and food items from companies in the UK then organised a convoy of vehicles and drove to Croatia to deliver the medical and food aid to refugee camps and hospitals throughout Croatia. It was a very humbling experience for us all