SMART Group
By Richard Groves –
Group Business Development Director
S
mart Group was founded
by restauranteur Greg
Lawson in 2001 when he saw
the opportunity to build a
unique large temporary
structure events venue in
Battersea Park. Over the last
16 years, Battersea
Evolution has become
London’s leading venue for
exhibitions, conferences and
events.
Greg and the team propelled
Smart into the spotlight after
providing world-class corporate
hospitality for the Olympic
Hospitality Centre at London
2012, catering over 62,000
covers for the IOC and major
sponsors. This is a feat Greg
views as his proudest
achievement due to its
complexity, scale and how it
developed a tight-knit, industry-
leading team combining
talented chefs led by Smart’s
Creative Director, Angela
Hartnett.
Jan Matthews, Head of Catering
at London 2012, says of Greg,
“The first thing about Greg is
that he is genuine, one of a
diminishing breed of his word
being his bond. He leads the
team at Smart with a passion
and vigour to ensure every
event is better than the one
before. The quality of service
and food that they provide again
and again are second to none”.
The Smart Group has since
Committed to quality.
developed into a collection of
hospitality, catering and event
management businesses which
are innovative, ambitious and
committed to quality.
There are currently around 80
full time staff and they work
closely together with the attitude
and ethos of a small, intimate
company which determinedly
has personal service at the core
of everything they do. It is a
dynamic, evolving Group in
which to work, with a very broad
spread of activity, delivering
great catering and event
management to over 250
events, from international
sporting events, such as the
Royal Ascot Village, The
Clubhouse at Twickenham,
Henley Royal Regatta & The
Championships at Wimbledon,
to corporate and charitable
functions including the Sports
Industry Awards, the installation
of the new Governor of HM
Tower of London and Wild Life
Photographer of the Year at the
Natural History Museum as well
as Christmas parties for
numerous City firms and
conferences for Adobe and
Google.
Smart Group comprises of:
• Smart Hospitality – London’s
most experienced quality
caterer for large events at
Battersea Evolution and
renowned, innovative caterer
for sporting events.
• Smart Live - creative event
specialists, producing
unforgettable experiences for
brands and corporations in
the UK and globally.
• Smart Battersea Evolution -
London’s most versatile and
dynamic venue seating up to
2,200 guests with 24 hour,
seven day access and the
most amazing production
potential to create truly
Visit The London & UK DatebooK on www.thedatebook.co.uk
memorable events.
• Smart Sport - world-class
hospitality packages for
private and corporate
clients.
• Smart Christmas Parties -
fabulous festive celebrations
that excite and impress.
• Moving Venue - exceptional
dining experiences in
London’s most beautiful and
iconic venues and private
parties in marquees and
stately homes.
The Smart
Group has since
developed into
a collection of
hospitality,
catering and
event
management
businesses
which are
innovative,
ambitious and
committed to
quality.
Smart are working to a clear
business model which is to build
a carefully selected portfolio of
venues where Smart controls
the catering, whilst offering a
fully integrated events solution
for clients who need all the
services that the Group can
provide.
New venue s that have
recently come on line are:
Finsbury Square – a temporary
events space for events in
November & December. This
highly designed and attractive
venue decorated in a
Masquerade style for the 2017
season
Innovative catering.
Freemasons’ Hall in Covent
Garden – a wonderfully ornate
1920’s style art deco venue with
extraordinary decoration and
capacity for 1,400 guests.
Having worked for another group
of event management and
catering companies in the past, I
am delighted to say that Smart
are learning all the right lessons
and developing their portfolio of
venues and brands steadily and
selectively. It is a playroom full of
the most amazing toys and we
are all looking forward to a great
future.
Landing 42 – operated with
event management company
Xcite, is the 42nd floor of the
‘Cheesegrater’ in Fenchurch
Street. The tallest event space in
the City, it has amazing views
and great catering from Moving
Venue.
The Printworks – another joint
venture with Xcite, is the old
Daily Mail print works in Canada
water. This is the perfect space
for large numbers of guests but
also suitable for 300.
And there will be more!
Creative event specialists.
To find out more about Smart Group
Visit: www.smartgroupltd.co.uk
THE LONDON & UK DATEBOOK
15