Let's meet... Emma, Account Manager at The Vox
Today we meet Emma Peplow, Account Manager at The Vox & NEC Conference Suites.
How long have you worked with us? I’ve worked at the Vox since 2014 (hard hat days), so for nearly 8 years, and I specialise in event sales.
What brought you into the events industry? I fell into it from working in hotels. I’ve always worked in really gorgeous hotels and venues and ended up covering for someone’s maternity leave and then never left. I just love events and the buzz of sales has always given me the best of both.
How do you start the day? Always an early start for the school run, so at the moment I start the day by putting clothes on the radiator to warm up, making packed lunches and trying not to lose my cool when I realise my son is still in his PJs minutes before we have to leave.
What do you enjoy most about your role? As much as I’m a people person and enjoy meeting new/old clients and showing off the venue, the best part about my job is my team! The support and trust I’m surrounded by is unrivalled. We have (and still are) going through such a chaotic time and we really do go above and beyond for each other. I couldn’t be happier to work with such loyal people.
What is challenging about your role? Apart from learning to walk in heels again after a year on furlough and the 60+ live enquiries. More recently the sales team for Vox and NEC conferences together, so learning about the NEC was something new and exciting – but came with challenges as both venues did things so completely different, and still do to a degree. So just navigating that has been interesting, but I wouldn’t call it a challenge anymore and in fact has really helped with the opportunities for our clients to find a suitable location, I’ve got double the choice.
Looking ahead to the next year, what are you excited about? Targets, Bonus, Figures… I’m such a geek, but there is nothing better than chipping away at a target. Before lockdown the Vox was flying and we’d finally started to see the results we knew the Vox could pull in. I’m super keen to see both the Vox and NEC conferences stand proud and valued within the NEC Group and really show what we achieved before can be done again. I’m also excited about growing the team again and seeing some new faces.
Birmingham insider top tip when visiting: The Jewellery Quarter is so much more than it used to be. The shops are fantastic and you can buy some beautiful pieces of jewellery, but there are also some really fab places to eat, some Michelin star restaurants and it now hosts lots of great independent bars and live music venues to stay out late.