In this episode of Event Matters, David Watt is joined by Adam Blackwood, Founder of Private Drama Events, who has spent more than 25 years bringing theatrical storytelling to events for leading brands and private clients.

A RADA-trained actor, Adam never planned to build an events business. Performing Shakespeare at corporate dinners led to a partnership with Shakespeare’s Globe and a career creating experiences that make people feel something – and remember it.

From murder mysteries aboard the Belmond British Pullman to opera for Rolex, Adam shares how he finds a story in the client, the venue and the occasion. He also explores the detailed planning, trusted relationships and commercial decisions behind the performance.

Expect insights on:

• Using theatrical storytelling to create memorable events
• Finding creative connections between brands, venues and occasions
• The planning and teamwork behind ambitious live experiences
• Building client trust and delivering when things go wrong
• Using AI while managing expectations and realistic budgets
• Building a creative business that can thrive beyond its founder

Adam offers a vivid look at how imagination, attention to detail and trusted people come together to create experiences guests remember.

Host: David Watt, Partner at Kershaw Partners
Guest: Adam Blackwood, Founder of Private Drama Events

In this episode of Event Matters, David Watt is joined by Matt Grey, CEO and Founder of event:decision, to explore what it really means to deliver events responsibly – and why the conversation needs to go much further than carbon and recycling.

After nearly three decades in the events industry, Matt launched event:decision during Covid with a focus on measuring event carbon footprints. Since then, the business has evolved to look at the much bigger picture: environmental impact, social value, governance and the contribution events make to the communities and supply chains around them.

Matt explains why he now prefers to talk about responsibility rather than sustainability, and why agencies shouldn’t wait for clients to ask before taking it seriously. He also challenges an industry built around telling stories to get much better at telling its own – not just through headline economic figures, but through the people, businesses and communities that benefit from events.

Expect insights on:

• Why responsible event delivery goes far beyond carbon and recycling
• The social value events already create and how to measure it
• Why agencies should think about responsibility before their clients ask
• How the events industry can get better at telling the story of its own impact
• Turning surplus event food into something valuable for local communities
• How technology and AI are changing the way event impact is measured
• Why live events remain such a powerful source of human connection in an increasingly digital world

This is a practical and thought-provoking conversation about recognising what events already contribute, finding ways to do it better and giving the industry stronger evidence – and better stories – to show the value it creates.

Host: David Watt, Partner at Kershaw Partners
Guest: Matt Grey, Founder and CEO, event:decision

In this episode of Event Matters, David Watt is joined by Lee Clubb-Sansom, CEO of Sarah Haywood Exceptional Celebrations, to explore what it takes to turn a founder-led events company into a business built to last.

Lee’s route into events is far from conventional. Having started his career in luxury retail before moving into the world of floristry with McQueens Flowers, he brought with him experience in people management, operations, finance and high-end service. He explains why those skills have proved so valuable in an events industry where talented people can find themselves running increasingly complex businesses without necessarily having been taught how to do it.

The conversation explores Lee’s move to Sarah Haywood and the work he and Sarah have done to take the company from a business centred around its founder to an employee-owned organisation with a team capable of carrying the brand forward. Lee shares how they built the right team, transferred knowledge, stress-tested the business and gradually reduced its reliance on Sarah without losing the reputation, service or personality she created.

Lee also talks about why emotional intelligence matters so much when delivering highly personal events, what he looks for when recruiting and why some of their strongest hires have come from outside the traditional events world. Along the way, he shares his thoughts on AI, supplier relationships and why the best person for the job isn't always someone who has done exactly the same job before.

Expect insights on:

• What the events industry can learn from luxury retail and other sectors
• Building stronger business skills alongside exceptional event delivery
• Moving from a founder-led company to employee ownership
• Protecting a founder’s legacy while building a brand that can thrive without them at the centre
• Recruiting for attitude, emotional intelligence and transferable skills
• Why service and guest experience sit at the heart of luxury event delivery
• Where AI can improve efficiency – and where Lee believes human judgement still needs to lead
• Creating a culture where employees genuinely take ownership and accountability

Lee’s story is a fascinating example of how an events business can evolve without losing the qualities that made it successful in the first place. It’s a conversation about leadership, people and building something that can continue long beyond its founder.

Host: David Watt, Partner at Kershaw Partners
Guest: Lee Clubb-Sansom, CEO, Sarah Haywood Exceptional Celebrations