David Tilbrook Email & Phone Number

Manchester, United Kingdom

Manchester, United Kingdom

This role involved ensuring all VSC’s events ran smoothly and the participants on the programmes received the highest quality materials and experience on the programmes that they attended. The VSC deliver leadership and management programmes for leaders working within the children’s services sector in local authorities. My role was to book and liaise with high quality venues, liaise with suppliers and other stakeholders within each programme, including contributors. The role developed into managing projects, using aspects of PRINCE 2 methods. The projects would encompass a larger number of tasks than just purely event management including financial tracking and risk analysis. I was solely responsible for the administration of the VSC Scotland activities which included maintaining a membership database, coordinating committee meetings and managing larger events for the VSC and other clients such as the Scottish Government. Over the five years I also took responsibility for the VSC website and would ensure that this was updated when required along with updating the Twitter feed. I would also take on ad-hoc projects such as setting up a new office in Nottingham along with developing and administering a 360 Analysis system.

Having worked on an ad-hoc basis while studying, it was a natural progression to take on a full time role. I organised exhibitions and conferences for clients. I was involved from the planning process to the actual day itself. Working to tight deadlines, co-ordinating suppliers and taking on responsibility was common in the role. Marketing plays a vital role for each event and so I undertook all the marketing from drawing up the promotional plan right the way through to implementation and monitoring. I also managed a conference centre. The contract with the local council was to completely manage the centre for them from handling the marketing to producing accounts and reports. I had to deal with people every day and ensure a high level of customer service at all times. This contract lasted for 4 years, in which time I successfully built up the brand new centre whilst managing a team of staff to ensure smooth running of each event.

This started out as a one-year placement in the marketing department but stayed on to work over the summer full time and then part time around my university hours. The position included responsibility for administration of the ‘players club’ which is located on the website, research using the members of the ‘players club’, involvement in the testing process of new models (which includes visiting test sites and collecting test information) and amongst other things, photography of new models for promotional materials and involvement in trade exhibitions.