TGt Meets...Andy Edwards, Owner of The Event House

Meet our latest TGt meets, Andy Edwards, an experienced Event Director with over 16 years in the hospitality & events industry, who is the owner and founder of an event consultancy company called The Event House. We interviewed Andy to find out all about how he can make your event unforgettable!

Why did you open the business, The Event House?

I have a real love for events, and having worked in corporate, agency and on B2C events, I wanted to diversify this further branching out alone. By starting my own events business, it opens up the opportunities of working on any type of customer and a varied events calendar. This, coupled with the freedom and autonomy to be creative, really was appealing.

Where does your passion for the event industry come from?

I’ve always been interested in hospitality and quality service, even as a child I used to rate hotels for fun! My passion developed early on starting in hotels for the likes of Wyndham, Marriott and Holiday Inn, subsequently studying Tourism and Events at University. This love progressed into the event agency world and my career progressed from there.

It’s easy really, if you don’t have the passion in this industry you simply don’t last - I believe this is a definite pre-requisite before considering joining the industry!

You have over 16 years in the events industry what has been 3 career highlights during this time?

My top highlight was both an event and an award back in 2015. I worked very closely with BP Shipping for a 4-year period. During this time, I headed up their Centenary events ‘Riding the Waves’, where planning commenced from 2012, kicking off with 3 consecutive weeks’ of global site visits! These set of celebratory events were held in Greenwich, Houston, Chicago, Singapore and finally in Central London, welcoming 750 guests and the past 10 CEO’s for a showcase of fine dining and BP Shipping’s illustrious history. These events took an enormous amount of planning, visits to BP’s archives creating the book & designing the timeline & technology at each event, adapting to each venue’s size and style, along with an abundant amount of logistical planning. The events subsequently won C&IT Best Energy & Utility Event 2015, which truly was the icing on the cake!

Secondly, being recognised on the annual C&IT A List. This award celebrates the 30 best industry individuals under the age of 30 and is very well known amongst industry peers.

Lastly, it has to be my first event since I started my venture in June 2019 - Back to the 80’s in Bali. This event was a huge challenge as not only was I travelling South East Asia at the time, I also had to regularly update my customer in the UK and multiple artists, their management & vendors; juggling a vast array of event elements with only a laptop and a phone. The event saw 5 iconic 80’s stars perform an exclusive high-end concert overlooking Jimbaran beach.

Check out the showcase video HERE!

What has been your favourite event to work on and why?

Whilst I have worked on a huge variety of events both in the UK and abroad, and all have their merits, it has to be either BP Shipping’s Centenary events due to the customer relationship & sheer magnitude of the event or the Back to the 80’s Bali. Not only did I meet some wonderful people, it was my biggest triumph to date and working with a fabulous, motivated team, was hugely satisfying.

Who are the 3 dream clients you would love to work with in the future?

Not sure how fan-based these are or realistic, but here goes!

Olympic Games Opening Ceremony, Elton John & Apple

How can your business help an event come together successfully?

Every event should be treated uniquely and with respect, no matter the size, complexity or type. Always set objectives so you can measure success throughout the life of the event planning - once these are clearly understood the event can commence with project plans, risk assessments and of course my favourite document, the Event Schedule! This should include absolutely everything leaving no stone unturned.

What’s just as important however is the relationship and understanding the customer’s requirements. You have to be on the same page and work well together. As an Event Planner, pulling the strings and getting the best out of people is an extremely useful skill.

Who has been the most prestigious client you have worked with?

I couldn’t choose one, but certainly BP and Mercedes are household names, which were all a pleasure to work with. Flawless, Dara O Briain, Toyah Willcox, T’Pau, Marc Almond, Midge Ure and Martin Brundle were also a pleasure, all very professional and were fantastic in their own right. 

What advice would you give to a company when creating their very first event?

Know what success looks like & understand what you want to achieve from an event before starting the project. Get a small, strong team in place to make event decisions and try avoiding getting everyone involved as every small decision will turn into a big one. Trust your suppliers and don’t always look for the cheapest. Then get The Event House involved to help piece it all together ;)

What are some of the key services your business delivers?

• Developing and help you build an event brief and set objectives.
• Full project management; whether you need someone to work as an extension of your team to deliver the event or a strong event lead.
• Trusted partners to consult and deliver production, entertainment or team building needs, building on your event.
• Expertly executed event management service to deliver your brief.
• Full debrief and objectives review

Your job has taken you around the world what country have you enjoyed the most and why?

Chicago, one of my favourite cities with the best memories. Worked on fantastic events as well as a City that has it all; sport, shopping, entertainment and pizza pie!

Find out more about The Event House here.