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Balancing work, family, leadership with one eye on trends in the event world….

An insight into my role at LemonZest – Louise Connor, Commercial Director

I was asked to do a Q&A on my typical work/life balance and what is happening in the world of events, so I thought I’d share some of the questions and answers on LinkedIn. Those who know me will recognise some of my responses as they involve the people I engage with regularly.

Q: What’s a typical day/week for you?
A: No day is ever the same and my week usually ends up being very different to what I have planned at the start of the week as new enquiries come in and I support the wider team with their plans. I familiarise myself with what I know is in the diary and how this impacts the rest of the team, and my start to the week always involves a team debrief to share plans. In a typical week, I meet customers, have venue visits, strategy time and the odd school call to deal with that then adds another ball to juggle. I drop my children where they need to be in the morning and then listen to a podcast like Brummie Banter as I continue to work. And when I can, I divert to the gym on the way home.

Q: How do you manage your time between doing, delivering, and leading?
A: I am a planner by nature, so I’m efficient at how I spend my time. I’m fortunate to have a supportive business partner and together we have sessions that focus on our vision and long-term strategy. We have a solid team of professionals at LemonZest, who are experts in their field. Doing less of the ‘doing’ has been difficult at times. I’ve learnt that empowering the team helps us all grow which has multiple benefits. Sure, I am still involved in the day-to-day and have client contact but leading the team has helped us flourish as a business. I am also learning that it’s ok to say no, you can’t do everything.

Q: What is big in the events industry right now?
A: Face-to-face events in the form of large-scale industry expos are continuing to grow. The interaction is great to see. We are also seeing an increase in the production side of events that deliver an experience, appealing to varied audiences, considering neurodiversity for example. Smaller, more regular company events are hitting the spot to bring disparate teams and networks together.
Event consultancy is an area that not all event teams offer. This is over and above providing the hardware, guest speakers etc. We have seen a requirement where our event consultancy service is bringing a new dimension to events, providing the creativity to bring an event to life - all the additional areas that elevate an event.

Q: As a business owner, how easy is it to take holidays/have downtime?
A: I generally take time off in summer that combines with school holidays and a natural reduction of prime-time events. The events world tends to work in cycles, so I know when particularly busy times are upon us. The events business isn’t 9-5 either. Late nights, early starts and weekends as events, award evenings and charity balls demand. However, I have 3 children so this works well as my working day can flex around mom duties with flexibility when I need it most.

Q: What's the one key thing that external events support offers over going it alone?
A: In one word, expertise. Customers have different requirements, and they also have a day job that makes it difficult to manage juggling the jigsaw pieces of an event that requires meticulous planning. External event support and consultancy are about execution, delivery and making the event stand out. We have the knowledge, connections, experience and know the rules and regulations inside out. Creativity and pulling on our experience are what make our events stand out and eliminate the risk.

So, there it is, a little insight into my working world at LemonZest combined with being a parent to 3 lively, active children. How does it compare to your working week?

I hope the Q&A reflects that you can make it work with a career in the events industry, running your own business and family life, it’s just all about balance and finding what works for you.