My Event World - Barbara Knill

I got into the event industry because my friends and family told me I was good at organising stuff – a polite way of saying I was bossy.

I have worked here since summer 2007 within the automotive team.

I was attracted to this particular role because I have secretly always been a bit of a petrol head and this role allowed me to combine my passion for fast, shiny cars with my day job.

Not many people know that I was once a cover girl for Baby magazine, aged nine months.

My worst experience at an event was half an hour prior to the doors opening at a global sales conference, I realised a stage graphic containing key content messages had been mounted back to front. My Blue Peter sticky tape skills were quickly put to the test.

If there’s one thing I’ve learnt it’s that miracles can happen overnight when on site – testament to the amazing teams I work with.

The best event I’ve been involved in was the Melbourne Commonwealth Games opening and closing ceremonies, although our office was in the men’s shower room beneath the stadium. 

If I could do it all over again I would have become a doctor or a solicitor, so much easier to answer the question "what do you do for a living?"

The one thing I can’t stand is waking up at 4am with event fear needing to write another to-do list.

Outside of work I spend my time converting a 19^th century Welsh chapel into home.

If money were no object I’d spend my days walking dogs.

The one thing I can’t do my job without is a good list and an in-date passport.

If I could switch places with anyone else in the industry it would be Danny Boyle.

If I ruled the event industry I wouldn’t allow clients to change their minds (more than once).

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