Interview with Ruby Sweeney – The Events Hub

Following on from the fantastic Unlock 2020 event last week, which featured the brilliant Ruby Sweeney, founder and Director of The Events Hub, we wanted to find out more about how The Events Hub started and what challenges they have faced during Covid-19. We spoke with Ruby to find out more!

How did The Events Hub start and when?

The Events Hub started out of frustration in 2011!  I left my current job to work for a larger organisation which I hoped would be a step up for me, but it ended up not living up to their reputation or my expectations.  I left after a short stint, feeling that I was ready to be my own boss and that I had lots to offer to potential clients.

What are the biggest/main events that The Events Hub manages?

We predominantly manage conferences.  We see conferences and events as an integral part of an organisation and so we ensure that every event that a business hosts is fully integrated and aligned and has clear objectives set out from the offset.  Conferences are typically a key event in our clients’ calendars or yearly activities, but they can also cause a lot of stress and be a big drain on time and resources.  We aim to take that pain and hassle away from our clients but still have them involved in the decision-making or creative elements of a project as we progress together.

What has been your biggest challenge during Covid?

Our biggest challenge was the uncertainty.  In a matter of a week, we saw all of the conferences, events and exhibitions that we had spent months planning with clients fall at the wayside and we didn’t know if and when they would come back.  It was tough seeing events and projects get cancelled or postponed – and then postponed again.  Then there was the headache of cancelling venues and moving dates, not knowing if the next date would guarantee that a face-to-face event would take place.  For us as a business, we had a few quiet weeks at the start whilst everyone was taking stock of what was happening.  In early June, it felt as though our clients had found some clarity and direction and were ready to make virtual event plans for the next few months and into 2021.  Since then, we’ve seen encouraging signs of recovery for our clients and have also been working with several new prospects.

Were virtual conferences and events new for The Events Hub pre-Covid or did you have to adapt quickly?

Virtual conferences and events were new to us.  We brought on a highly-experienced Tech Director to help bridge the gap in our knowledge of tech production and live streaming and this has allowed us to continue being there for our existing clients as well as supporting new ones.

What does the near future hold for The Events Hub?

The future for us is definitely hybrid.  I believe that the concept of hybrid events is here to stay for the long-term and so for us as business, we are adapting to the virtual conference and events world and bringing lots of our existing knowledge and expertise into this space.  It’s exciting for us as we’re learning as we go along and there are so many cool things that the platforms and technology allow us to do.  We haven’t essentially changed who we are or moved away from what we are good at or well-known for.  We have simply changed the delivery of great events from live experiences to the online world.

If you want to find out more about The Events Hub, check out their website and get in touch! https://theeventshub.com/