Sarah Watson Email & Phone Number

✧ Responsible for the operational delivery of the CIPD event portfolio.✧ Newly responsible for large scale launches across the wider portfolios in the business.✧ Involved in new business tender proposals and pitches.

✧ Responsible for the operational delivery of the CIPD event portfolio.✧ Transitioned physical events into virtual formats in response to COVID restrictions and then hybrid events.✧ Strategic planning and project management of the “CIPD Festival of Work”, a unique launch event which ran physically in 2019 and virtually in 2020.✧ Line manage a team of four, including training, appraisals and continuous goal setting.✧ Build and negotiate event budgets; control costs to ensure… Show more ✧ Responsible for the operational delivery of the CIPD event portfolio.✧ Transitioned physical events into virtual formats in response to COVID restrictions and then hybrid events.✧ Strategic planning and project management of the “CIPD Festival of Work”, a unique launch event which ran physically in 2019 and virtually in 2020.✧ Line manage a team of four, including training, appraisals and continuous goal setting.✧ Build and negotiate event budgets; control costs to ensure financial targets are achieved.Achievements:✩ Led the delivery of the CIPD Festival of Work as a virtual event with only five weeks’ notice. Awarded “Best Conference by an Agency Organiser” by The ABPCO Excellence Awards 2020. ✩ Won “Best UK Conference of the Year (over 1500 delegates)” by The Conference Awards 2018. Show less

Promotion into Head of Operations role

✧ Responsible for operational delivery of the entire CIPD event portfolio (in house at CIPD)✧ Day-to-day project management of the large-scale events; oversee delivery of the conferences.✧ Line management of a team of five, including training, appraisals and continuous goal setting.

✧ Delivered multiple events in the UK and Europe with up to 1,000 attendees.✧ Worked closely with exhibitors and sponsors to identify their objectives; generated and implemented solutions to achieve them.✧ Collaborated with sales teams to strengthen client relationships, resulting in high retention.✧ Management of budgets, including accurate monthly forecasting of revenue and costs.- Line managed and trained new members of the UK team.Achievements:✩ Inducted and… Show more ✧ Delivered multiple events in the UK and Europe with up to 1,000 attendees.✧ Worked closely with exhibitors and sponsors to identify their objectives; generated and implemented solutions to achieve them.✧ Collaborated with sales teams to strengthen client relationships, resulting in high retention.✧ Management of budgets, including accurate monthly forecasting of revenue and costs.- Line managed and trained new members of the UK team.Achievements:✩ Inducted and trained a new senior manager in Australia to run that region’s flagship event, including working and travelling across the time zones. ✩ Process improvements implemented by the UK and global teams. Created communication templates, rebuilt the event manual, and revised evaluation questions and process. Show less

Continuation of previous role with increased responsibility:✧ Helped develop event strategies, including input on location, pricing and attendee experience. ✧ Sourced venues with specific space requirements and tight budget constraints.✧ Involved in the testing of a new CRM system, tailoring it to the requirements of the department.Achievements:✩ Saved 23% against budget through effective control of operational costs.✩ Took on senior management departmental… Show more Continuation of previous role with increased responsibility:✧ Helped develop event strategies, including input on location, pricing and attendee experience. ✧ Sourced venues with specific space requirements and tight budget constraints.✧ Involved in the testing of a new CRM system, tailoring it to the requirements of the department.Achievements:✩ Saved 23% against budget through effective control of operational costs.✩ Took on senior management departmental responsibilities following multiple redundancies. Show less

✧ Delivered events in Europe, North America and UK with up to 1,000 delegates.✧ Control of event P&Ls from building of initial budgets through to final reconciliations. ✧ Developed solutions for sponsors to maximise their brand and advertising presence at events; for example, twitter boxes for Oracle, a Mitsubishi Village, and a digital hub for SAP.

✧ Developed WTG awards portfolio from two small events into five global annual ceremonies.✧ Worked with internal teams to determine award categories, select judges and attract sponsors. Achievements:✩ Successfully pitched to the board on the company’s awards portfolio strategy.✩ Established all operational processes as none had previously existed.

Achieved £100K revenue over six-month period by attracting B2B sponsors.