We’re highlighting brilliant women in the events industry, getting to know how they got to where they are today, and hopefully inspiring others to join the hugely rewarding and creative world of hospitality. 

This month, we caught up with Anna Fenten, Marketing Director at Searcys, our in-house caterers here at 116 Pall Mall. 

 

How long have you been working in events and what was your route to where you are now?  

I have been working in the sector for over 25 years now. It sounds scary! I started in a travel management company looking after corporate accounts - can you imagine organising complex logistics without a mobile phone? That certainly taught me the importance of planning and attention to detail.  

In early 2000, I moved venue-side and joined Sodexo Prestige as a business development manager for Bateaux London, their restaurant and events cruisers on The Thames. I have never looked back. Since then, I’ve worked in leisure and sports hospitality, leading marketing teams in the sector and relaunched 5 leading brands, including Leith's and Payne & Gunter, before joining Searcys just over 4 years ago. And what a journey it's been so far - from reshaping the brand and looking after some of the most iconic venues in the UK, to working through Covid. I am very proud of each and every one of our team's hard work and achievements - it was such an honour for the team to receive Propel's Marketer of the Year Award for Best Communications Strategy and Best Leisure Caterer Award earlier this year.  

The past three years have shown us how much we missed face-to-face interaction, and this human touch and genuine, warm hospitality, overseeing people's precious moments together, is what the events industry is all about.  

 

How do you bring your own creativity to your events? 

I think creativity never stops, and you always bring your experiences from a wider world into your work. I love travelling, and always bring lots of ideas and props with me. You can find inspiration everywhere - from the London landscape to a newspaper article or perhaps a quick dash to the National Gallery, just across 116 Pall Mall, which always boosts me.  

This year, I have been looking through Searcys' archives to prepare for our 175th anniversary. We have discovered that Searcys made a wedding cake for a Royal wedding in 1896 of Princess Maud, then the future Queen of Norway, to Prince Carl of Denmark. Considered the society wedding of the year, royal attendees included Queen Victoria, grandmother of the bride and the Prince and Princess of Wales. So, in tribute to its founder, we’ve recreated that royal wedding cake, which you can see - and try - at 116 Pall Mall from 17 May, and the National Baking Day.

Tell us about your favourite event you’ve worked on  

The International Women's Day event at 116 Pall Mall comes to mind. Together with The IoD, Deploy and British Design Council, we hosted a panel discussion on 'Women Leading Sustainability' followed by a catwalk show with sustainable clothing brand DEPLOY, plus shopping, canapés and fizz. Read more about this event here.

 

Do you have a favourite type of event to plan? 

It has to be brand activations - you have a chance to work with some of the most amazing brands - big and small, UK-based and international - and each of them has the most remarkable story that bring to life through an event. I love working on Searcys champagne masterclasses - our ticketed event series where we uncover interesting facts about my favourite drink, Champagne, and pair them with food. This is a real marriage of art and gastronomy. View the calendar of 116 events here.

 

What challenges have you faced as a woman in the industry?  

I would say it is about a balancing act between the job and the family - so lots of planning is involved! 

 

Who in the events sector inspires you?  

I think for everyone involved in events, it is more than a job or career, it is a real passion. So, hats off to everyone! A lovely detail that we have found in the Searcys archives, is one of the company directors from the 1930s, John Searcy Physick, who approached each occasion with “the enthusiasm of a producer and the shrewdness of a psychologist." I think these qualities, required of an event organiser, ring true today as they did almost 100 years ago.  

I’ve also had the privilege of working with Prue Leith, what a legend! She is an absolute hero of mine, an incredible person, a creator, a leader, businessperson, driven, always challenging herself and others. I keep her hand-written notes on my mantlepiece.  

On another note, I admire what Liz and Julian Agostini and her team at Mash Media, lead by Martin Fullard, have been doing for the events industry as a whole. Great journalism, with integrity and passion.  

 

What advice would you give to other women hoping to enter the events industry? 

It is such a multifaceted industry, so there is a role for everyone, whichever stage of your life or career you are at, or however different your requirements might be. Never be complacent. Always get excited, try new things, keep an open mind and enjoy! 

OTHER ARTICLES YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN…

5 reasons to try London’s newest afternoon tea at 116 Pall Mall

Searcys appointed new catering partner at 116 Pall Mall

4 mistakes you didn’t know you were making in your meetings

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EVENT SPACE FOR HIRE AT 116 PALL MALL

116 Pall Mall, a historic, Grade-I listed Georgian masterpiece in the heart of London can be hired as a venue for any kind of event, from weddings to conferences, launch parties to fashion shows.

Make an enquiry to find out more information, including arranging a personal tour of 116 Pall Mall.