H&C News always welcomes the opportunity to meet successful individuals working in and with the UK hospitality sector, and was recently pleased to meet Bimla Safka, Director of Smart Live (pictured below), the creative event operation that’s part of Smart Group.
SMART Live describes itself as ‘bursting with energy and imagination’ and working with ‘corporate, private and third sector clients to create ‘wow’ events that have one thing in common: people remember them long after they leave’.
It’s quite a challenge working on events for such client organisations as PizzaExpress, New Look, Mercedes Benz UK, or Sainsbury’s. So how’s it done?
SMART Group
Established for over 20 years, SMART runs a group of specialist hospitality and events companies that pride themselves on professionalism, creativity and attention to detail. The expertise that can be called upon is considerable – and valuable:
SMART by Angela Hartnett: award-winning Angela Hartnett is creative director for the Group, ensuring exceptional food for any and every occasion.
SMART Experiences: specialises in partnerships with prestigious, high profile sporting and cultural events.
SMART Hospitality: market-leading caterer aiming to deliver outstanding food for events of all types and sizes.
SMART Christmas Parties: festive celebrations that excite with amazing themes, catering, entertainment.
SMART at Battersea Evolution: with capacity for up to 4000 (conference) or 2000 (diners), a venue that hosts the largest, most dynamic parties, launches, and celebrations of all types.
As can be seen, these operating units work for profile clients and on events where expectations are high, and immaculate delivery essential. So how does SMART Live fit in?
The name of the game is ‘bespoke’
Delivering the ‘wow’ factor at an event requires creativity, but it also requires detailed understanding of the client and their objectives, as well as a team with the experience and professionalism to ensure that every aspect of a complex event is delivered flawlessly – every time. Poor execution has the same result here as in hospitality in general: clients do not return.
To deliver the right concept for a specific client needs real empathy with that client; understanding their history, values, ambitions; and developing the brand awareness and understanding that results in creative proposals that meet or exceed expectations.
But creativity and flair does not exist in isolation: for a start, it has to be delivered in a specific context – and location. Whether it’s Battersea Evolution, a Park Lane hotel, a historic venue, the latest on-trend bar or nightspot, or a disused factory…the team needs to know about both long-standing and the latest venues, and the opportunities they offer.
As indicated above, every event is therefore ‘bespoke’: though many of the elements in a team-building day or Christmas party may have been used before, the event builds upon them to deliver what each separate client needs.
For example…Christmas Parties
Expectations are always high – though many guests think they’ve seen it all before – so how do you deliver a Christmas Party that’s truly memorable?
Smart LIVE have partnered with Troxy and have developed a Speakeasy Christmas experience for 2014. They’re offering a Prohibition Party that promises to be ‘like no other’ and will provide award winning food and drink; plus the best party DJs and entertainment London has to offer so that guests can get ‘loosey-goosey’, eat, drink and dance the night away. And there will be Speakeasy surprises and special entertainment throughout the evening, including the charismatic ‘Freddy Four-Fingers’ who will be host for the night.
SMART also organise Christmas parties in major venues in Manchester and St.Albans, as well as Battersea Evolution, where SMART Live is responsible for the creativity – no small challenge given the numbers involved.
What’s required to deliver such events?
Bimla Safka started by organising fundraisers as a student; then moved to London and worked on conferences and events at the LSE, before joining the third sector and delivering equality rights charity Stonewall’s conference and event programme.
After a period with London’s GSP, where she extended her experience of corporate events, product launches and brand activations, she joined SMART Group in 2012, becoming Director of SMART Live within a year.
Since then, SMART Live has been busy contributing to the Group, and building business as it grows its own client and event portfolio in a highly competitive sector.
This range of events’ experience and the clients and their individual characters and requirements has shown her the benefits of empathy with the client in order to identify the right concept for that client. It has also demonstrated the value of developing good relationships with clients: warmth, friendliness and being easy to work with make for better communications and a better final outcome – which, in turn, helps to generate repeat business.
What next?
SMART Live is a young but growing business, part of a larger business that can provide both support and opportunities. Bimla Safka leads a small, talented and ambitious team that will be worth watching in the next few years not only for its likely pace of growth, but for the creativity and quality they deliver to clients.
For more information about SMART Live click here