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How did you get that job? 126 THE LIST 18 Oct–15 Nov 2012
Name Claire McCauley
Job title Director of Events Company In Good Company Events Ltd
When did you start your job? I started the company in January 2012 after leaving an events manager post within the public sector that I had been in for seven years. I have been working in
events since 1993 and been fortunate enough to work in lots of different areas of the industry, from events in hotels, football stadiums and castles for the private sector to organising ice rinks, extreme sport events, classical music concerts and outdoor festivals for the public sector. I have also done some teaching at undergraduate degree level in events management. This has allowed me to experience lots of different types of events in order to find my niche. Events are all I know really!
So what does your job actually involve? I manage events for a range of private and public sector clients for indoor and outdoor live events. This entails creating event concepts, managing
their budgets, sourcing venues, caterers, infrastructure and entertainment, managing guest lists, production and hiring event staff. We are just about to launch
an events recruitment aspect of the business, which is taking up quite a bit of my time.
Best / Worst Aspects? The best aspects are working with a diverse range of people and getting the opportunity to interpret a client’s idea into a real concept and take them on a journey. I have always been very visual and love putting together the mood boards for the pitch.
The worst aspect at the moment is that I get the first flight every Tuesday at 6.25am to London and don’t get back to Glasgow until Friday at 11pm, as I am working on a project at the London Docklands for Siemens. Other than that it is a pretty great job.
Looking back, what advice would you give to a young Claire at the start of her career? Take on as much extra responsibility as you can.
Be prepared to make mistakes and admit you made them, because you will only learn from them. Organise your contacts, always check your voicemail, be prepared to work long hours and network: it’s a small industry and I am still working with contractors I worked with back in 1993. And finally . . . what has been your biggest achievement in 2012? Whilst working on the opening of the Riverside Museum in 2011 I organised a charity ball and a number of other events for someone who is now my business mentor. They encouraged me to write a business plan and seek funding to start up on my own with In Good Company Events Ltd. In 2012 that has become a reality and in 10 months of trading we have successfully gained contracts in both Glasgow and London, managing aspects of the London Olympics. We also opened a £60m events venue for Siemens and organised the inaugural Scottish Album of the Year Awards.