Charlotte Dawes, Senior Sales Manager of the British Motor Museum, gives us a sneak peek at her role running the event sales at the iconic venue.
Hi Charlotte! What does your average day at work look like?
My day always starts with a cup of tea. I like to make a to-do list before leaving the night before, so once I have checked my emails, I get started on this if I am in the office. Each day is different; I can either be based in the office or offsite at client appointments. When I am the office, my day is made up of responding to new event briefs, showing clients the amazing spaces here, and attending meetings such as our Environmental team meeting. Being based in the office gives me the opportunity to work closely with the operational teams in order to ensure our clients have the best experience here. When I am offsite, I am meeting with clients and agents, telling them all about our spaces and how we can make them work for their next event.
Does working at such a unique venue have any extra benefits?
Yes, it’s great working alongside the world’s largest collection of historic British cars at the British Motor Museum and knowing that, as a registered charity, all the profits generated from conferences and events are going to a good cause.
Clients like the fact that their conference is contributing to preserving the history of the British automotive industry.
On site visits I like to show our clients the Museum and how they can incorporate this into their event; all of our day delegate packages include access into the Museum for attendees which creates a memorable experience. Clients always see a car they know; my favourite is the Ford Anglia 105E which was used in the filming of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
What’s your favourite part of the job?
Definitely the customer interaction and showing clients the venue. Every event brief is different, and I love working with clients to come up with new ways to use our spaces to meet their event objectives.
We have 17 meetings spaces in total ranging from our largest suite which seats 600 down to boardrooms for six. Our most unique space is the Sky Suite located on the top floor of the conference centre with large panoramic windows and a roof top balcony making the room perfect for meetings, dinners and summer BBQ’s. We also have 65 acres of outdoor space including grass areas for team building, a vehicle demonstration area and plenty of complimentary parking.
Top Tips
Look at all the different spaces the venue offers to make sure you find one that fits best. Can it seat your delegates in your preferred style? If you have an exhibition, is there an area for this? What about additional breakout rooms?
How can the venue enhance your event objectives? Unique venues often offer something additional that can be used to enhance your event. We include access to our collection in our day delegate packages and encourage organisers to allow time in the Museum for a fantastic informal networking opportunity and a memorable experience.
Sustainability is increasingly important. Event organisers should look at venue accreditations and how they are working towards a greener future. We have a team responsible for looking at new initiatives and working to constantly improve our sustainability credentials.