People Moves
PEOPLE MOVES
2 MINUTES WITH…
for Plural. The team here has
developed an incredibly strong
positioning among industry senior
management based on their advice
and problem-solving capability
– part of my role is to turn that
advice into actions and results.
David Titley (1) has re-
joined DRPG as creative
director, having previously
worked for the company
from 2006 to 2012 as a
digital designer.
1.
Biggest frustration?
Louise Obadia, director,
Plural Strategy
How did you get into the events
industry?
By accident! I left university and
started a law conversion course –
but after two days I hated it and
dropped out. My dad told me I
had to get a job or move out, so I
thought, what am I good at and
organising events was the first thing
that came to mind.
Favourite thing about events?
It is the buzz you get onsite; I
still get that feeling after 25 years!
It is a combination of a real sense
of achievement at having created a
platform for networking, learning
and commerce that will drive the
progress of an industry or sector,
together with a huge adrenalin rush.
What have you done in the first
month in the job?
Straight in at the deep end,
leading a post-merger integration on
an asset Plural had just completed
the DD on. The deal signed the
Friday before I joined – on the
Monday I was in New York kicking
off the 100-day plan!
How do you intend to face the
challenges in the industry?
The current challenges in the
industry present a real opportunity
I worked for a long time in the
Russian and CIS markets where
every answer was always a ‘no’
first. You had to work incredibly
hard to convert a no to a yes and I
found that extremely frustrating.
Crowning moment?
The day we signed the deal to
sell Adam Smith Conferences to
IIR. I was 33 years old and had been
running on adrenalin for six years
to build the business. Seeing the
deal complete was an incredibly
proud moment for me.
Funniest work moment?
Receiving a call from Bill
Clinton’s office to say he wouldn’t
be able to attend our Leaders In
Moscow event in person, he’d
have to give a Skype presentation,
because it was his wedding
anniversary!
Who is the individual you most
admire?
My dad. His entrepreneurial
spirit, his glass half full attitude
and his never say no until you
have tried everything to succeed
approach has being my guiding
force throughout my life...oh and
Queen Victoria – she was a real
force to be reckoned with.
At EN HQ, we take our coffee
very seriously - how do you take
your coffee?
I have a dry skinny cappuccino
to kick off my day, followed by a
macchiato mid-morning and a
cortado after lunch. EN
Central Hall Westminster
has announced the
appointment of Sarah
Franczak (2) as director of
sales and events. Franczak
joins from BMA House
where she worked as head
of venues. She replaces
2. Neil Parry, who spent four
years at Central Hall before
taking up the role of head
of business development
at the Royal Horticultural
Society.
The East of England
Arena and Events Centre
has announced the
3. appointment of Pamela
Newbould (3) , formerly
operations manager at
EventShaper, as its new
event manager.
Twickenham Stadium
has announced the
appointment of Jennifer
4. Church (4) to the venue’s
sales team. Church joins
the team as sales manager,
supporting the business
handle the increased
interest in the wake of the
recent East Stand launch.
5.
TechPro, a provider of
lighting, video and sound
services for the live events
industry, has promoted
Henry Pratt (5) to the role
of project co-ordinator, to
help meet growing demand
for the firm’s specialist
services.
July — 47