The Woo
Marketing isn't optional
Events
Bambi Gordon
Greg Rowell
Before leaping head first into small business I worked for 20 years in mass media marketing including roles as National Marketing Manager for the Ten Network, National Marketing Director for the BRW Group of Publications, Marketing Manager at Fox FM, and marketing manager at Olympic Park Melbourne, 3MP and promotion roles for the Herald & Weekly Times.
My last gig as a corporate employee - and biggest event - was Crowded House on the Steps of the Opera House before I fell out of the corporate world, as so many do, into my own business in the late 90s; taking on marketing and promotions projects as diverse as centre mall touring tourism shows, the PR launch of the cute and fuzzy Furby and directing the marketing and fund raising for the passionate and loyal tribe of the South Sydney Rabbitohs during their two year fightback campaign vs News Ltd and the NRL.
In 2002 I joined forces with Greg Rowell and for over two decades we have been marketing, running events, and developing our own projects.
I bring to your business empathy for being a small biz owner as I have lived the challenges of juggling limited resources whilst having to develop new skills. I share with you the experience I've gained over decades of real world best practice marketing, and drive you to learn how to strategically market your business into the future.
After more than 10 years in small business I'm still excited by being in charge of my own destiny and especially not having to wear make-up every day.
I enjoying yacking at people in groups & one-on-one, live and online, about how they can market their own business. Usually the first thing I says to them is: "Yes - That's my real name".
..but for now my journey continues in the Not For Profit sector.
Some 40+ years ago I left the what the so-called comfort zone of being employed to go and try out some new ideas. Yep to start my own business - with no safety net.
The first five years was tough, being a solo-ist running community festivals that each took hundreds of hours of planning and implementation. And then I was successful in winning a contract to manage a business expo. Which led to another business expo. And requests from further afield to put on more of my business expos. And from there - after four years of running business expos throughout Victoria - I formed a partnership with Bambi Gordon who provided inspiration to grow the business further.
We took a big step for a small business re-directing our business model to became a promoter, putting our own money on the line because we believed in ourselves, the strength of small business and importantly the quality of communication and events that we could deliver.
So now some 32 years later we are still doing great events, business to business and business to consumer marketing campaigns, festivals and markets and helping other businesses be the best they can be.
I have learnt to manage expectations, manage people, mould committees, grow small businesses and importantly listen. Enthusiasm is contagious and when a group of people are working for a common goal a successful result provides an enormous high.
We are results driven - Our aim is to be singing “another one bites the dust” at the end of each event, knowing we have done our best and appreciating the appreciation we get from our clients.
...but for now I enjoy managing the Warrandyte Riverside Market and being a Team Leader at Marvel Stadium.
