Profile
SUPPLIER FOCUS
GES
ALTERNATIVE VENUE
The British Motor Museum
Jason Stead, managing
director – GES UK and
Middle East on the
company’s double EN
Awards win, the saturated
tech market and matching
brand ambition
What’s one thing you would change about the
events industry?
It’s an exciting time for the industry. Brands
are increasingly looking for activations that create
emotional connections, not just transactional
opportunities. Exhibitions need to match that
ambition and I’m confident we can - but it’ll need
greater collaboration and a willingness to pilot
new ideas to reach our full potential.
What issue most affects your working life?
Apart from my daily commute...it has to be data
and technology. The event tech market is pretty
saturated with some great products and some not
so great. Data is readily available, but the real value
comes from interpreting it to deliver actionable
insights and that’s our focus – both as a business
and for our clients. The best technology is one that
works in the background and allows the event to
be at the forefront of the experience.
Julie Tew, managing director of the British Motor
Museum on the venue’s return to the MICE market
after a seven-year absence
Tell us a bit about the history of the venue
The Museum first opened in 1993 and has been hosting MICE
events since that time. In 2012, Jaguar Land Rover approached
the venue about hiring its space on an exclusive basis while it
was going through a massive growth period. Now (available
from July 2019) the Museum is returning to the open market.
What kind of events does the Motor Museum host?
We have flexible indoor and outdoor spaces that can host just
about anything from standard conferences, exhibitions, and
training events to gala dinners amongst the Museum’s cars
and outside events like ‘Triumph Live’ which was for 5,000.
What is the offering for exhibition organisers?
How has your business changed over the past
five years?
We have been on a journey, transforming
from an operations-led business to a customer-
centric, service-led company. We were delighted
to win two EN Awards last month – a terrific
endorsement from our clients and the wider
industry. We encourage our teams to innovate and
find new solutions to customer pain points, and
I’m proud of our focus on nurturing talent.
The venue has over 2,000sqm of internal exhibition space
as well as three large external arenas for outdoor events. The
Conference and Exhibition Suite is 624sqm and the venues
largest room. Located on the ground floor the Suite benefits
from its own entrance, toilets and reception area. Adjoining
the Suite is the Exhibition Gallery offering 686sqm of space.
We have an experienced and dedicated team; each booking
has a dedicated bookings coordinator (with a combined
experience of 50 years) to look after you. The in-house
operations team will ensure your rooms are set up correctly
and any equipment needed is working and ready to go.
Why do you enjoy working in events?
It’s a truism but every day is different. We work
in such a vibrant and dynamic industry. At GES,
we are incredibly privileged to work on hundreds
of different events in all kinds of industries. We
are seeing more clients looking to deliver hybrid
events that are heavily content-driven, with more
of a focus on visitor experience. EN
60 — May
What is the USP of the venue?
It has to be the Museum – home to the world’s largest
collection of historic British cars. There are over 300 on
display and access for delegates to the Museum is included in
all DDR packages. Dining amongst these rare and beautiful
cars is a unique option and one that is sure to impress.