eventeemer of the month – Josh Connor
Meet Josh Connor…
April #eventeemer of the month!
Role: Event Manager
Nearest City: Bedford
Chosen For: His unrivalled commitment and consistent hard work which achieves excellent results and encourages outstanding feedback time and time again!
Shortlisted for ‘Brand Ambassador of the Year’ by FMBX in 2013, Josh is renowned in the industry as one of the top players in the promotional field.
At eventeem, we know Josh as one of our most dependable automotive event managers with great attention to detail, exceptional leadership skills and a hands-on, logical approach that never fails. His firm but fair management, friendly and approachable nature and effortless charm make Josh a hit with staff and clients alike, and it’s not only recent efforts that have seen him crowned our #eventeemer of the month this month, but his tireless dedication over the past few years and undoubtedly the years to come!
A flexible and devoted member of our team, Josh is based north of London and is well placed to cover the capital as well as surrounding areas, but also travels regularly all over the UK.
We put some questions to Josh…
Josh, how did your career in events and promotions begin, what is your background?
It began 12 years ago and I worked heavily within the ontrade drinks industry, which was a great way to develop my skills in an exciting and always demanding environment – managing a whole territory with many teams.
My background is Air Traffic Control which I did for 10 years and thoroughly enjoyed, though I felt like I needed a change! I enjoyed the job and the necessity for a sense of priority and urgency and it taught me many of the skills that I use today that enable you to see a problem before it even becomes one, thus keeping a sense of calm that both I and my team excel in. Back in 2005 I was lucky enough to be invited to the Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace and was selected to meet the Queen, enjoying a 10 minute conversation, something to tell the grand kids!!
What is your favourite type of event or campaign to work on and why?
I enjoy the motor industry and the drinks industry, anything really that can be to a mass audience and involve some level of entertainment. In addition to this I do corporate presenting and live TV presenting for sporting events and so work well with large audiences.
What has been your favourite/most memorable job to date?
The longest campaign I worked on was for 2 years and that was for the Best Buy Store launches that took place in the UK! The client was so pleased that they just kept booking us again and again, which was amazing! With each store we had 8 days of pre-promotion and then a massive 4 day store opening event, with a large stage built for international and national pop acts, DJs, musicians, etc. and my job was Senior Event Manager and Presenter, they were so much fun! Long hours but the team were fantastic and delivered an incredible experience every time!
The other job that I did similar to this was for Extreme Sailing Series at Cardiff Bay Harbour where I was a presenter and commentator for four days; this was in 2012 and 2013 – to an audience of tens of thousands. It was both an adrenaline rush and a challenge.
As an experienced Event Manager, what is your take on leadership and how do you get the best from your team?
I have learnt that first and foremost you have to lead by example, in life you earn respect not expect it! It is also important that your team know that you are both firm but fair, whilst setting this example your team must follow this example and not rest on their laurels thinking that you as the EM will pick up the slack!
A good brief in the morning lets the team know that you know your stuff, it allows everyone to introduce themselves, it starts the process of gelling the team and allows for all the key messages to be fully understood.
Organisation is key; I am well known with bigger jobs for handing out bits of paper within the first hour that let the team know exactly when their breaks are, this way they can plan their day if they need to return calls or meet friends. They can also motivate themselves accordingly knowing how their day is planned.
I am keen to place responsibility on team members, giving them tasks or targets, motivating them with responsibility that will inevitably make team leaders and event managers of them.
In turn I am quick to hand out credit, a pat on the back, a “well done, you are doing great today”, these really motivate staff and make it a fun day and not just another working day!
FUN – we have to have a laugh, a smile is contagious, both with your colleagues and your customers. I make a huge effort to ensure that all my team are happy and that I am very much approachable if they are not.
What are you up to when you are not working at events or on promotional activity?
I work either as the stage manager or front of house manager at a Burlesque show in London, it is called Wambam and I have been with them for 6 years now. We put on a show every Saturday night! I also enjoy running, swimming, travelling to my second home in Los Angeles and socialising!
Finally, how do you find working for eventeem?
Well it is the lovely Keta Khan who introduced me to you and I have never looked back! I know it sounds a little corny but as I said you guys are not friends you are family and that means that I have a loyalty and affinity to you that surpasses any other agency I work for. You are professional, informative, supportive and generous in all that you do! I enjoy the communication that we have, – that it is friendly, quick in response and always helpful.
Your pay system is reliable and always on time and you are always clear on a job booking with my roles and responsibilities and the recompense that I will receive.
For more information about our promotional staff, contact us today!