Sarah Thackray - Co-founder and director of BeaconHouse Events.
What were your career ambitions growing up?
I wanted to work as a translator or at the BBC in back stage production. I always loved languages and I grew up living close by to White City so those two careers seemed the obvious options as a young teen.
Tell us about your current role?
I’m the founder and director of BeaconHouse events, an event management agency based in Byker, Newcastle and working nationally with clients. In my director role I am responsible for the financial management and performance, business strategy and business development.
What is your proudest business achievement?
Probably guiding the business through the tough years of the Covid pandemic and having our strongest results to date in the recovery year 2021-22. The events sector was certainly not the best sector to work in when lockdown hit! By cutting a lot of costs (office space, subscriptions, using the furlough scheme and careful management) we got through it and came out stronger as a team.
How has your industry changed in the last decade?
Virtual conferencing was always there, but its popularity was excelled by Covid making virtual the only option for many months. It’s certainly here to stay and has its real benefits, as long as the format and audience engagement are always kept in mind.
While we have always been environmentally conscious and responsible at BHE having delivered an event with a carbon footprint report back in 2009, sustainability has quite rightly become more and more of a central focus across the events industry. Minimising the carbon impact of events is now considered essential by many and we’re proud to lead the way in making sustainable change for the events sector.
What are you currently working on?
So much! June has been a mammoth event month for us. Amongst many events -including an international marketing conference with Joe Wicks motivating the audience – we have just delivered a new tech festival for the North East – TechNExt, which aims to showcase and celebrate North East tech whilst inspiring the next generation of talent.
Some of our other current projects include events for digital construction sector for our client The NBS, a new employee engagement programme for CF Fertilisers, Newcastle Strategic Solutions and we’re now in our seventh year delivering large scale events with our national sustainability certification client Planet Mark.
Alongside our event portfolio we’re really pushing on our own ESG strategy, focusing on being a business that does the right thing at the right time for the right reasons. It means a lot to me.
Tell us about the team you work with?
BeaconHouse Events would be nothing without its experienced team of event pros. We have a fantastically talented team of event managers, coordinators and office staff who keep the ship sailing in the right direction, always finding new opportunities and ways to deliver for our clients. It wouldn’t be possible to achieve what we do without the hard work and commitment from our brilliant people.
What is the best piece of business advice you have been given?
Have confidence and back yourself! I am naturally rather risk averse, not a usual trait for a business founder perhaps, so people I trust and respect in business pushing me to have confidence in my own convictions and showing they believe in me really drives me forward!
What has been your biggest challenge?
I lost my husband to a brain tumour more than five years ago now which was indescribably tough. I think often of him and how proud he’d be of me and our brilliant boys as they grow up now in our new family unit. The unwavering and constant support of my business partner Catherine, colleagues, family, clients and friends all helped prop me up and carry me through. I learnt that kindness is what life is all about and it costs nothing.
Who are your heroes inside and outside of business?
I find inspo from many people and places! Everyone offers something different so there is no one hero for me.
How do you unwind outside of work?
Spending time with my kids and partner – ferrying the kids to sporting fixtures or to their friends’ parties mainly! Playing netball, seeing friends and family and volunteering for our local junior park run where I’m about to become a run director!
Favourite Book and Boxset?
I really enjoyed Money Heist on Netflix as I speak Spanish so it’s good to keep the language cobwebs at bay! We’re currently watching Colin in Accounts on iPlayer too which I would really recommend if you want a laugh.
www.beaconhouse-events.co.uk