17 Interview
Wight . I ’ m proud of our Portsmouth roots and bringing people here and showing them around .
Sustinability is also on the radar . We have an initiative called assembl . Cares that we adopt as much as we can and we are partners with Isla . One of my biggest frustrations is that it ’ s not necessarily about doing things from recycled plastic or cardboard or going paperless – we ’ ve been doing that for years . It ’ s more about the weight of venues and the food chain . So much food is wasted at hotel buffets . I recently discussed the issue with the former COO at MGM Resorts in Las Vegas . They ’ ve found that during multi-day events , guests tend to eat less as the days progress . By adjusting food quantities based on this pattern — like serving less breakfast after guests have had a gala dinner the night before – they significantly reduce waste . It ’ s a smart strategy that I hope more venues and hotels , including ours in the UK , will adopt . This aligns with our commitment to sustainability .
What are the challenges facing the industry and , indeed , your company ? Money , people and budgets ; I think that ’ s always been the thing . Getting people together is harder and the demographic of people and how they perceive things is changing . We ’ ve gone from the past , ‘ Let ’ s just do an event and everyone will come ’ to ‘ What is in it for me and what experience am I going to have ?’ It needs to be special and enticing . In terms of budgets , people want more for their money as costs rise and , circling back to the sustainability piece , this can cause tension between maintaining company values and accommodating budgets .
Is recruitment an issue ? If you want to get good people ,
recruitment should be a challenge . It shouldn ’ t be easy . We ’ re fortunate asembl . has been going a few years , and has a legacy behind it , so people know it and see what we do .
Any favourite events that you ’ ve done ? My favourite event ever is one we did in 2016 , which was with Google DeepMind . That was my favourite event because we made history . I lived in the Four Seasons for four weeks in South Korea , we live streamed to over 200 million people . We had an award-winning film at the Sundance Film Festival . For me , personally , that was the highlight of my career .
Why Portsmouth ? I really care about this city . I was born here , and I think everyone cares about their home , as it holds so many memories . I have always had an ambition to build something here and leave a legacy . Community is also a big thing here .
How are your revenues looking compared to previous years ? We ’ ve grown year on year since the pandemic , so we came out of last year in a good place and we ’ re going to be topping that a little bit this year and continue to grow . We ’ ve got good control over our profits , good investments coming in , we ’ ve got new business opportunities launching . We ’ re doing well .
How do you relax ? Do you have any hobbies ? I try and go to the gym every morning . I think that is crucial for me – not necessarily physically , but mentally . I know if I don ’ t go there , I ’ m not on my game . I try to switch off , and generally that ’ s when I get most of my ideas .
Do you have a favourite venue ? Well coming from a city by the sea , I always love somewhere where you can sit and have a look at the sea or be near the sea , enjoy a nice glass of wine and take in the views . CN www . conference-news . co . uk