En2end provides bespoke event and hospitality services specifically for the sports sector. We turn standard sports tickets and hospitality inventory into bespoke – exclusive and impactful prospect – customer or client branded entertainment programmes.
How do you start your working day?
Well! There are no typical days! Event planning is one of the rare jobs where no two days are the same. Each event that En2end organises can be vastly different! But I would say my morning routine where possible, starts with a strong coffee and probably like most people, checking my emails to see if anything urgent has come in. I’ll then check the diary to see what is on for the week and decide a plan of action for the day. Working for myself means I have to be super organised, giving myself deadlines to get each task done. Working in this way also allows me to be reactive to any last-minute requests clients often have!
How did you set up En2End?
I’ve worked in the sports events and hospitality sector for over 10 years. After a life-changing moment in my personal life, I knew I needed a new challenge. I had always wanted to run my own business and late last year I decided now is as good a time as any!
I had worked for Liverpool Football Club as Head of Partners Events and VIP Hospitality for almost five years, and before that for an agency as UK Client Account Manager for Aon’s Manchester United shirt sponsorship programme. Leaving to go on your own after working for two strong establishments was daunting but exciting.
My experience from working with or directly for some of the world’s largest brands and football clubs means that I can understand the client’s needs from both sides of the fence. We turn our insider knowledge and network into our clients’ unique sporting advantage! My experience to date and contacts over the years have helped me to pick up my first few accounts and the rest is history!
En2End is doing well and clients include a principal partner of Liverpool FC, a Manchester United global partner, an American college Alumni HNWI events programme, and the Ian Rush Foundation! As a young and dynamic business doing things a bit differently, we are actively seeking opportunities. We are frequently getting shortlisted to pitch against the establishment and so more exciting news will follow on this shortly!
What does your role involve day-to-day?
We look after the corporate hospitality at Liverpool FC for one of their principal partners, a global multi-national insurance brand, so I am regularly liaising with the global sponsorship team to establish which guests they have booked in for home and away games and how my team can maximise their matchday inventory by helping them come up with ideas for how to best use the access they have.
My team and I make sure the brand’s core partnership objectives are weaved into the overall guest programme, delivering to VIP guests the best possible matchday experience. This involves creating bespoke itineraries taking care of all the detail from booking cars, recommending and securing restaurant reservations and accommodation or creating a tailored weekend of sightseeing activities. To achieve this, it’s also important I am up to date with the latest events and the coolest things going on within the cities I work in.
How does working directly with a club ensure a smooth running of an event?
The secret to our success is great teamwork and good relationships. Anyone who has been to a football match knows that it’s a tight turnaround, and things wouldn’t go to plan if everyone didn’t pull in the same direction. Everyone is involved in making that happen, from the floor manager to the security staff.
Ultimately for my clients, it is of course, the pre-match planning that En2end specialises in that allows the smooth running of an event. Managing events is all about seeing into the future to plan for the best and against the worst. It’s about using all the resources you have available to you. The real difference between a novice and a pro is in the details.
Why do you enjoy working in the sports side of the events industry in particular?
I love what we do but being a sports event manager isn’t all plain sailing – it’s full-on! It can be tiring, challenging and frustrating, but when you work with an amazing team and have great feedback from the client and guests, it makes it all worthwhile! It’s a challenge at times but means you can be creative. Sports event management is a unique niche that blends the excitement of sports with the hard work of business and strategic planning. Sporting event planners manage every little piece of the puzzle that goes into preparing a facility for a big game or match.
What are the most challenging aspects of your job?
I think it is important to keep things fresh and to keep coming up with new ideas, especially with the matchday services we offer as some of our guests may have visited before. Staying on top of trends and the latest tech is the key to being successful. It’s great to be able to wow a guest and new technologies can help with this.
An effective event manager should not only be fully trained, skilled and experienced but also fully prepared to expect the unexpected and know how to deal with it! I have learnt that no matter the level of planning, some things are out of your control and you have to be able to think on your feet, use your resources and roll with it! It’s how you manage these situations that can set you apart from everyone else. Sports event planners must have solid critical thinking and problem-solving skills to devise creative solutions whenever emergency strikes. Sports business is fast-paced, and just like the players on the pitch, we must also stay calm and perform under pressure.
What have been your standout moments?
My standout moment so far is seeing my ideas for En2end come to life in my logo and company philosophy. It is a dream and an ambition I’ve had for a long time, which makes me even more determined for the company and the events we create to be the best in the industry. I’ve only been operating since June – but hitting the ground running with three events in my first month was quite the baptism of fire! But I would say flying to Paris and winning the Liverpool FC Principal partner contract is my highlight so far!