Being a successful corporate event management company and leading wedding planners in Manchester, Cheshire and London comes down to one vital thing: our team. They are what makes our company so special and it’s for this reason that we want you to get to know them better. In a series of meet the TLC team blogs we’ll be grilling our team members on everything from their likes and dislikes to their career highlights and what a typical day looks like for them, as well as finding out what really makes them tick.
First up on meet the TLC team, it’s Laura Callaghan our senior events producer:
AT WORK
WHAT IS YOUR ROLE AT TLC?
I’m a senior events producer which means I help to oversee our events and play a large hand in conceptualising, budgeting, planning, and executing live events.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN POST?
I have been a senior events producer at Taylor Lynn Corporation (TLC) for nine months. However, I’ve worked at TLC for 5 years. 1 year interning from Sept 2015-2016, then went to finish my degree and came back in June 2017 – Dec 2017. I returned in June 2021 and still loving it.
WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?
My role at TLC is very reactive role as well as organisational. On a day-to-day basis, it includes jumping on zoom calls for new enquiries, managing the diary, responding to calls and emails from clients and suppliers, working out event logistics, continuing to work to clients’ budgets and putting event proposals together with costs. It can also include organising team meetings and catch ups, distributing enquiries and projects to the girls, as well as assisting them with any areas where they may need extra help and support for upcoming events.
WHAT IS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT TO DATE AT TLC?
My most memorable moment at TLC to date is flying to Barbados to plan the wedding of a lifetime for a very special client. We planned and oversaw four days of wedding activities for 200 guests which included the hen do, the stag do, a pre-wedding dinner and the wedding day.
It took a lot of logistical planning and meticulous attention to detail from the moment guests arrived at their hotel, to the moment they left the island. Every event was entirely different, and each venue was completely unique. It’s an experience I will never forget, and I feel so privileged to have been part of the organisation.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR JOB?
I love that no day is the same. The creativity that each project entails and the fact every event we do is different from the one before.
My favourite part is all of it! I love pulling it all together from the start and working right through to the event day, seeing our hard work come to life. There is something so special about watching the moment the client walks through the door for first time to see their dream and vision become a reality. This moment always gives me goose bumps and really spurs me on to keep doing what I do.
WHAT MOTIVATES YOU?
The clients are who motivate me.
I work on a lot of weddings. So, for me, helping to bring the bride & grooms’ dream day to life feels like such an honour.
I work so closely with them for over 12 months, that they become a big part of my life and vice versa. By the time the big day comes around, I understand their expectations and what they are looking for. It’s the biggest day of their lives and I want to do everything I can to make it extra special for them. It’s exhilarating!
WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE THING ABOUT YOUR CAREER?
My favourite thing about my career, is the versatility of the events we organise and where this job can take me. That along with the different clients I get to work with and have worked with over the years.
I’ve been fortunate enough to travel the world for the most extraordinary parties and weddings. From Paris and Mallorca to Barbados, as well as some amazing locations here in the UK. Not everyone gets this opportunity and I feel extremely grateful to be a part of an industry and business that has allowed me to do this.
WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB/ THE FIRST WAY YOU EARNED MONEY?
My first job was as a waitress for a Marston’s Pub in Warrington. I started at the age of sixteen when I was in college as a way to earn my own money and become more independent instead of relying on the bank of mum and dad.
So, I worked there three nights a week after college and every Saturday and Sunday. I thoroughly enjoyed working in the hospitality industry, particularly the social aspect of working with and meeting new people, as well as providing an experience for customers. I continued there until the age of eighteen, working my way up to a supervisor before I left to move to Plymouth for University.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR PREVIOUS CAREER/CLIENTS?
I worked at The Park Royal Hotel for three years as their weddings & special events co-ordinator. I thoroughly enjoyed working in this role and in the hotel environment as I got to meet so many different people. In the role I was able to take the ownership and manage this department.
Some of my clients included Kier Highways, Warrington Wolves, and the NHS to name a few, plus many private clients. It was a very versatile and enjoyable role, where no event was the same. It allowed me to develop key skills that are crucial to the industry, and that I have taken with me to develop further in my career with TLC.
WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THE FUTURE?
I’d really like to build on my events career to date, perhaps working on larger corporate conferences to gain more expertise in this area. I’d like to attend more networking events to get the name and brand of TLC, and myself, out there and making more connections with industry professionals. I would love to be able to assist with any development opportunities that arise for myself and the team which enhances the business, that could even include creative courses/software courses etc. to enable us to enhance our skills and give us the edge over competitors. I love the events industry and can’t envisage myself doing anything else. Alongside this, I would like to continue to travel and see more of the world, and at some point, I would like to start a family, but not just yet!!
AT PLAY
WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME?
In my spare time I like to go to the gym or for a run. I joined a running club close to where I live last year to help to motivate me to run again, and I’ve not stopped since. My first 10K was in May, my second in September and I hope to complete my first half marathon this year! It helps me to relax and destress and it puts me in the present moment. Running clears my mind and allows me to focus on myself. I’m forever chasing those endorphins! I feel so much better after exercise.
FAVOURITE TV SHOW
My favourite TV show has to be Friends. I don’t know what it is about the show, but I’ve watched it hundreds of times and it never gets old. It’s light-hearted, an easy watch and I feel you can really connect with and understand each of the characters.
NAME A MOVIE THAT DEFINES YOUR GENERATION?
Mean Girls! This was the movie we grew up to. It perfectly captures the social hierarchy in schools, teaching us the impact of gossip and rumours. Showing us the importance of finding an identity and who your friends really are. Since then, my friends and I will forever requote the most iconic scenes of the movie.
BEST READ
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I Loved the book just as much as the film. My mum introduced my sisters and I to it when we were younger. There are four of us and she could see each of us in the characters. My older sister was Meg, I was Jo, my two younger sisters were Beth and Amy. Growing up we were so close, yet very different and so like the characters in this book. It felt so real, and I really could connect with the characters. It just reminds me of home and how important family is, but also reminds me that it’s also ok to have your own aspirations and goals. It’s an inspirational book and made me feel extremely lucky to have the sisters I have. If you haven’t read it or seen the movie, I would 100% recommend. All the movie interpretations are great; however, I would recommend the 1994 version with Winona Ryder and Christian Bale.
FAVOURITE PLACE TO EAT
Fazenda
GO TO PLACE FOR DRINKS OR COCKTAILS?
The Terrace, Gin & Cigar Lounge Warrington
https://sanlorenzowarrington.com/the-terrace/
WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH THE MOST?
A very good live comedy show / comedy night
WHAT PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO YOUR YOUNGER SELF?
Follow your heart. Do what you want to do and not what other people think you should do. Stop worrying about the future and stop caring about what other people think. Follow your passions, and what’s meant to be, will be. Be kind to yourself and remember to always know your worth.
MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO IN 2024
This year I am most looking forward to pushing myself out of my comfort zone. I want to see how far I get with my running and hopefully complete a half marathon, maybe even a marathon, by the end of the year. I’m looking forward to making more important work relationships and connections in the events industry. And last, but not least, I’m very much looking forward to cruising around the Caribbean for 11 days with my partner Henry. It is a trip that’s been planned for what feels like a forever and I cannot wait to go.
HEAD SCRATCHERS
WHAT IS A CURRENT TREND THAT YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND?
Mullets! I just don’t understand how this hairstyle has come back. (Sorry if anyone has one, it’s just not for me.)
WHAT IS YOUR HIDDEN TALENT?
My hidden talent is that I can tap dance. I used to dance from the age of three – all round tap, ballet, modern and jazz. I fell in love with tap and it’s something I can still do. However, it definitely won’t be something I would start doing on a night out.
SOMETHING THAT WOULD SURPRISE PEOPLE ABOUT YOU?
In lock down I set up my own candle business called Alaura. They were therapeutic self-care candles. We did so much self-care in lockdown, something we neglected so much when we were working, so the aim was to encourage customers to “take time for you.” It was doing extremely well, the business was growing through the website, Instagram, word of mouth and the regular makers markets I attended.
However, as we came out of lockdown, I started a new job back here at TLC and the event industry was doing incredibly well and we were extremely busy. It was with a heavy heart I made the decision to temporarily close the business. One day I may restart it, but for now I’m focussing solely on the events here at TLC.
LAURA’S THIS OR THAT
Early bird or night owl?
Night Owl
(I very much want to be an early bird but it’s just never going to happen, I physically cannot drag myself away from my bed).
Tea or coffee?
Coffee in the morning, Tea in the afternoon!
Gym or jog?
Both
Arctic or tropical?
Tropical
Cosy night in or big night out?
Big Night Out
Soup or salad?
Salad
Bath or shower?
Shower
Ant or Dec?
Dec
Plan it or wing it?
Plan It
Home or abroad?
Abroad
Heels or trainers?
Heels
Save or spend?
Spend (I’m awful at saving)
We hope you’ve enjoyed our meet the TLC team blog with Laura. If you have an event and need some organisational wizardry, world class entertainment or a bespoke element to WOW guests, contact Laura at laura@tlc-ltd.co.uk