Guest Blog with Francesca Hubbard – The Big Smoke Events
July 3, 2020
Please tell us about The Big Smoke Events?
We are an events company based in London specialised in bespoke Scavenger Hunts. Wether it’s for a birthday, hen party or company’s team bonding experience we create 30 bespoke challenges for them to do in teams, in a 2 hour race against the clock. The events are all about bringing people together in a community, getting them talking, and out and about having fun.
What inspired you to start The Big Smoke Events?
I always loved planning events and entertaining my friends. As a child I thought of it as the perfect hobby, pursuing a degree in Business & Economics helped me learn how to make my passion into a career.
How has covid-19 impacted your business?
Being in the events industry, covid-19 has greatly affected our business as essentially we can’t offer our previous products to clients.
How have you reinvented yourself to overcome lockdown?
We have been quick in reacting to the pandemic and offered various remote products, virtual and home friendly, which allowed us to enrich and strengthen our client base. There include our stay at home scavenger hunt (https://www.thebigsmokeevents.com/the-stuck-at-home-scavenger-hunt) which is completely free and has allowed us to focus on building our customer base, the BYOB quiz which is a remote LIVE Wednesday quiz (https://www.thebigsmokeevents.com/wednesday-byob-quiz) which has really built a sense of community which will be important for the brand going forward. We are also offering remote scavenger hunts for our corporate and hen clients, and bespoke remote Quiz which is all personalised to the company/client and has allowed us to keep our personal brand positioning.
What positive things do you think will come out of this worldwide coronavirus pandemic?
In my view lockdown will have positive effects on the way we live the city – enjoy being outdoors, being able to go the park with friends or to the local pub for a drink or even the smallest things that now have been taken from us like shaking our neighbors hands.
Do you have any exciting plans for the immediate future?
I am obviously eager for things to go back to normal, I think with people thrilled at the idea of being able to be outside our Scavenger Hunts will prosper. On the other hand I am also conscious of the fact that we will come out of this as different people – and we will have to come up with new products to satisfy a new way of living life. In the events industry, innovation never sleeps and I am excited to see what we will do next.
How do you manage your work / life balance?
As the events industry is known for being a restless 24/7 kind of job, putting in place a routine that allows you to be the best at what you do whilst also enjoying other aspects of life, is key. Making sure you dedicate at least one hour a day to something important to you is vital to your mental and physical health – wether it’s a pilates class or a chat with a friend over coffee.
What advice would you give to anyone starting their own business?
Starting out your own business can be quite daunting and you have to be agile in overcoming unforeseen obstacles (like this pandemic) in order to prosper and survive. Something that I find it’s fundamental is to surround yourself with the right people – even if you’re passionate about something and want to make it your business, there are other important things that come into play so make sure you do your research!
Most importantly I would say having supportive family, friends or partner can be of huge help, mentally and economically – I am extremely grateful to have a partner, friends and family that not only support me in the day-to-day life, but that have also helped me from a business prospective by participating in new product launches like the BYOB Quiz, sharing our news on social media, and bouncing new ideas around with me! I am very grateful for that.
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Quick Fire Questions (don’t feel like you have to answer all of them)
FIRST SONG YOU EVER BOUGHT?
Louise – Lets go round again
FAVOURITE FILM?
Love actually (especially the Hugh Grant dance)
IDEAL WEEKEND?
UK long pub lunch and walk on the beach!
ONE THING YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT?
Pablo my dog – he is very naughty but keeps me sane and in a good routine with lots of outdoor time!
IF YOU COULD HOST A DINNER PARTY AND INVITE ANYONE, WHO WOULD YOU ASK?
My grandmother, I never really knew her as an adult as she passed away when I was very young. She had her own business which for a woman of that era was incredible – and I think we would have a lot to talk about when it comes to entrepreneurial ideas, and she has certainly inspired me.
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING TOWARDS?
In the short term – keeping the business going, as it is certainly a struggle at the moment in the hospitality industry. The plan this year was to launch Big Smoke Events in several other cities in the UK, and to expand our product offering even further. It’s still on the cards!
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