The Glue Between

Founder & Content Chief

GDS Group

Responsible for the Group's creative strategy, alongside creative leadership of the company's new SaaS product. Ownership of all copywriting, brand origin & multimedia storytelling, content strategy and live presenting requirements (including mentoring new creative teams).

From strategic design thinking to tactical sales & marketing content, the role encompasses all creative facets of brand and product storytelling. As a Presenter, I work to identify and pilot new use cases for storytelling and engagement opportunities within the platform. As a Copywriter, I own all internal & external brand messaging (both written and rich media). As a Creative Director, I lead the vision of the product's potential across forms of communication, including sales and operations consultancy.

Creative Director

I led the Group's Virtual Showcase product from concept to it's first 12-month cycle – securing £4.1m delivered revenue from 86 live shows in its first year – with studio-production digital broadcasts for a range of Fortune 2000 B2B client profiles and CXO engagements.

Responsible for all operational & production functions – including Design, Video, Presenters, Producers & Technical operators – to execute the activation of content, storytelling levers and digital functionality,  delivering TV-studio broadcast productions that land messages, drive pipeline and engage audiences in a truly unique broadcast format.

Operations Director

Bigg

Bigg is a full-service digital marketing agency, specialising in white-label, scalable SEO packages for the UK's two leading directories and its SME customer base – delivering c. 1200 SEO campaigns per month.

As Bigg's MD, my role was to build on the foundations set as its Operations Director and steady net profit as we moved through the pandemic. Having improved its gross profit by c.30% over a preceding 9 month period by removing third party costs and bringing core services in-house, I was able to successfully secure the required strategic relationships, react to client and market demands for 'pandemic-ready' product pricing and stabilise campaign churn as we headed through 2020/2021. Ultimately, this delivered the board's primary aim and protected both P&L and staff alike.

Managing Director

I led the build of the Group's debut, centralised Client Services function – directing an international team of 14 CSMs – into a new service delivery model for the GDS Group.

Accountable for a mid-to-high touch B2B IT & Marketing tech client portfolio in excess of 150 logo campaigns globally – delivering across the organisation's three core revenue streams (Summits, Roundtables & Live events) – my primary responsibilities nested in:

• Nurturing and growing Tier 1 client relationships 
• Directing the service delivery of net new and growth logos
• Implementing a new CS Journey – moving from reactive client servicing to proactive customer success
• Customer engagement strategy
• Reporting directly into CEO & Chairman

Group Client Services Director

Meet the Boss

As a product owner and the company's CSD, I consulted on pre-sale fulfilment and led the post-sale delivery for a global portfolio of IT & Marketing Technology clients, accountable for a team of 7 CSMs managing a client servicing and communication strategy across concurrent contracts.

From resource forecasting and capacity planning at both internal stakeholder and product levels – to senior stakeholder reporting (internal & external) – the role required exceptional process evolution and divisional leadership & training to ensure superior standards for a CXO audience.

Client Services Director

I led the transformation of the post-sale client servicing strategy for a portfolio of c.50 high-touch accounts, with reach across the brand's digital and physical products. This included building MOPs, training and mentoring a team of CSMs and implementing a new standard of client services across the business – from first-to-last touch of contractual delivery. 

This included commercial risk and issue mitigation; client-facing and branded content creation; product and product delivery evolution; and pre-sales relationship engineering.

Head of Client Services & Operations

Responsible for presenting both live and pre-recorded interviews, group discussions and closed-door events for senior executives across the IT and Marketing tech space – including live studio production and live in-person events. 

During my tenure, I hosted in excess of 250 virtual roundtables, 30 in-person events and 10 live studio shows, with full storytelling ownership – from concept to conversation.

Presenter & Senior Editor

Moving from print to digital content, I led the online editorial strategy and web management for MeettheBoss.TV across organic SEO and marketing-supported campaigns. From short and long form editorial to rich media (infographics and video), I worked closely with the brand's presenters on content strategy and scriptwriting for interviews to link back into the editorial strategy.

Digital Content Manager

Responsible for content strategy, creative and execution for a print portfolio of B2B industry thought leadership magazines for IT and marketing technology providers including Dell, IBM, HP, Cisco, Novartis – with a specific focus on Pharmaceuticals, Energy & Business Transformation.

Working in lock step with the Editor-in-Chief and Sales Director, I had full editorial ownership of cover and copywriting, pagination, feature articles and interview schedules.

Example partnership editorial with Frost & Sullivan's Growth, Innovation & Leadership (GIL) eBulletin: http://bit.ly/2EZhoSO

Editor

Western Morning News

Intern

SilverWood Publishing

B2B Copywriter & Storytelling Strategist | Thought leadership and insights content for creative enterprise marketers

Hi, I'm Nick.

I write long form content for B2B content marketers & agencies who:

1. Need marketing-ready campaign content delivered on time and on budget
2. Want to build authority and trust with their audience
3. Don't have the resource or expertise in-house to do so

With 14+ years' experience delivering for high growth and large enterprise B2B clients, I've built a system that allows me to...

- Snap into your content operations and marketing teams with ease
- Find the right information from you, fast
- Spend more time speaking with your audiences 
- Turn complex topics into crystal clear content that connects
- Deliver high-performing long form content for enterprise marketing campaigns

In doing so, I've...

- Delivered Annual Reports for one of the 'Big Four' to a global audience of 4m+
- Produced long-form content for 162 of the world's Fortune 500
- Written over 220 eBooks, reports & guides to help deepen brand and product insights

If you're a B2B content marketer or agency AD who needs their quality content in expert hands, drop me a DM or book an appointment in the link at the top of my profile and let's talk.

Nick Pryke

🎤 Are you an events or marketing prof worrying that your next event is going to be a bit… flat? Maybe you’re:

- Struggling to keep audiences engaged (and off their phones)

- Nervous your speakers won’t land - too salesy, too dry, or underprepared

- Juggling a million logistics and wishing you had a safe pair of hands in the room who “gets” events

🤔 And be honest, have you really nailed things like:

- How your speakers feel 15mins before they go on stage

- What happens in those awkward gaps between sessions

- Keeping energy high during the post-lunch slump

- Making the audience feel part of the event, not just talked at

If you’re reading that thinking: “Yes, this is my brain at 3am in the run-up to an event”... you’re my person.

👋 I’m Steph - your fun, professional, non-diva event MC and presenter.

I host & moderate stages for B2B & corporate events, summits, conferences, networking events, leadership days and community gatherings – bringing energy, warmth and audience engagement they appreciate.

Before stepping fully into presenting, I spent years as an event manager and producer. I’ve been the one building the RoS, sweating over last-minute changes and praying the tech behaves.

So when I’m on your stage, I’m not just there to “hold a mic and be fun”. I’m thinking like a producer, acting like a host, and doing everything I can to make your life easier and your event more memorable.

➡️ What I actually do (beyond “bring the vibes”):

🎤 For your speakers: Briefings, format support, liaison with tech, pre-stage reassurance and keeping sessions on time

👯 For your audience: High energy, interaction and clear explanations so they stay present and engaged

🤳 For your team: A safe, friendly pair of hands on stage, spotting issues early, smoothing transitions and mucking in with last-minute tweaks when you’re under pressure

🤝 For your brand & sponsors: I support speakers, understand the politics of keeping sponsors happy and gently coach to deliver amazing content, not a secret sales pitch

🪩 Types of events I host:

- B2B conferences and summits

- Leadership dinners and roundtables

- Corporate away days and internal events

- Community and networking events

- Awards and product launches

- Virtual and hybrid events

💃 If you’re…

An event or marketing manager planning your next conference, summit, dinner or community event, and looking for a host who’s fun, professional, calm under pressure and understands events from your side... we should talk.

DM me or head to https://stephaniegarey.com/contact-me and tell me about your event 🙌

Stephanie Garey

If you’re a freelancer staring at your calendar right now, thinking: “Coooool… I guess I’ll be living off instant noodles for a while.” Here's what I recommend you do TODAY.

I've been there.

Your inbox is quiet, but LinkedIn is telling you everyone else is booked, busy, and thriving.

First thing - and I say this with love:

Do not panic.

Spiralling won’t summon work.

Here’s what I recommend you do that will help:


👯 Start reaching out to people you already know 👯

Old clients. Past colleagues. Friends & family. LinkedIn connections. Friendly humans.

Don't send a pitch or short novel.

Just a simple, friendly message reminding them what you do, that you’re available for work, and would love to bring your value/support them. 

This is how I get most of my work.

DM me if you'd like to see an example of what I send.


🤝 Get yourself booked onto some networking events 🤝

Eventbrite and LinkedIn are full of industry-specific events. 

Virtual or in person, it doesn’t matter. 

Start meeting new people and telling them what you do. 


📈 Get your LinkedIn profile optimised 📈

LinkedIn is your shop window.

If someone landed on your profile today, would they instantly understand what you do, who you help, and how? If not - fix that ASAP.


🤳 Start posting regularly 🤳

Obvious, but if you're not doing this, you need to. 

Share insight, tips, BTS, wins, lessons, the lot. And always be authentic to you!


💰 If money stress is loud - get practical 💰

Stop putting off the tax return.

And if you've not done it yet - get your personal budget for the year done!

Figure out how much you need each month to live, and work from there.

Boring? Yes. Calming? Also yes.


🎤 Use the time to improve your public speaking 🎤

This is going to become an increasingly essential skill as the world gets sick of AI and wants real voices.

Work on your 60-second intro/elevator pitch in the mirror.

Ask to be a guest on podcasts (MatchMaker.fm is great for this!)

Reach out to events and ask if they need panellists.

Or get some affordable but professional coaching (hi, I can do that 👋)


🤖 Use the time to automate what you can 🤖

Future-you will thank you.


🙌 Absolutely do NOT be ashamed if you need to take on other types of work 🙌

A part-time job? One-off hospitality shifts? Dog walking?

It's not failure, it’s resourcefulness.

Apps like limber and Pioneering People Ltd are great for 1 off shifts. And you literally get paid to look after dogs on Rover.com.


🏡 Get out of the house daily 🏡

Walk. Move. See daylight and nature. Don't punish yourself or hide and use the excuse that it's cold. Get. Out. The. House.


Quiet periods don’t mean you’re bad at what you do, and it will pass.

Be kind to yourself.

Take the first small, sensible step. Then the next one, then the next.

You got this 💪

Photo of me pretending I'm a talk show host giving this advice on This Morning.

Event MC bringing absolute VIBES to your stage 🎤 I create atmospheres where everyone feels welcome & relaxed and leave inspired & informed ✌️ I speak about presenting, podcasting & speaker coaching

It might be the last session of the last day (🪦) but you’re not going to want to skip this one, especially because I plan on bringing wine… 

I’m so proud to be leading this panel on The Futures Stage, 3.20pm on Thurs 26th Feb:

Real Talk: How to Survive and Thrive in Events Through Hormonal Health, Fertility and Menopause

80% of the events industry is women, and I’d say every one of us has faced either hormonal, fertility, or menopause challenges (some all 3!)

The events industry requires long days, travel, and has a ‘just power through it’ culture (which we all know and signed up for) but it can make symptoms worse.

However, there are things we can all do as individuals, colleagues and companies to make things better.

This is not a doom-and-gloom session!

It’s going to be real, hopeful, and hugely practical.

With the fabulous Arletta Wiencek at Peppy, and Jo Fuller - The Merry Menopause from The Merry Menopause™ we’ll be talking about:

✈️ How unpredictable schedules, travel, and pressure affect hormonal health, fertility, and menopause + tips to minimise

💔 Why and what stigma still exists, and how we break it

👩‍💻 What good workplace support really looks like (policies and culture)

🙌 And generally sharing loads of stories and resources to help

Whether you’re navigating this personally, supporting someone on your team, leading a business, or just want to be part of building a more sustainable events industry - this conversation is for you.

Come for the real talk.

Stay for the insight, empathy, and wine (I'm serious - we'll have earned it by then).

Leave feeling better informed, better supported, and a little less alone.

See you there?! Link with more info in the comments.

Thank you NOWIE - The Network of Women in Events CIC and Event Production Show for having us.

Trying to be Claudia Winkleman of the events world 🎤 Emcee who creates atmospheres where everyone feels welcome & relaxed and leaves inspired & informed ✌️ Always banging on about presenting, marketing & networking

Many of you have been congratulating me on 1 year with Electric Cat - thank you! I'm so proud to see the agency has basically doubled in size since I started, and they're looking for even more talent... 

So if you want to get in on the action, now's the time.

It's perfect for those who:

🤳 Are marketing pros (all areas!)

💃 Know and love the events industry.

🙌 Value transparency, wellbeing, and GOOD VIBES.

🐩 Absolutely adore dogs (not essential, but there are a lot of Zoom meeting dogs. We know it's ironic it's not cats)

Reach out to the fabulous Cat Kevern ⚡️ and Eloise Newing - they'd absolutely love to hear from you. Looking for ideally full-time, but open to part-time/freelance too.

Photo from Feb 2025 - there are now over double this many team members! Macaroni is still queen 🐕

Trying to be Claudia Winkleman of the events world 🎤 Emcee who creates atmospheres where everyone feels welcome & relaxed and leaves inspired & informed ✌️ Always banging on about presenting, marketing & coaching

New year, same me. Hello, I’m Steph 👋 Professional and occasionally funny event emcee, moderator, coach, and professional wing woman.

I do lots of other things, but I’m currently focusing on doing these very loudly, very calmly, and with immaculate vibes:

🎤 I’m a fun, engaging, and energising event MC & moderator 🎤 

I add humour and humanness to every event I present.

All of your stakeholders are human. 

Your audiences want to be engaged.

Your speakers want to be inspiring.

You, as event organisers, want the event to be the best it can be.

In my eyes, that is ALWAYS done by making events feel more human, more relaxed, and with appropriate humour.

Getting the right MC to facilitate this is essential.

🚎 I’m a public speaking & confidence coach 🚎

I’m open to 121 or small group coaching for those who want to improve their speaking confidence, either in meetings, on big stages, or anywhere in between. 

Hit me up for some super-tailored, very fun, very effective coaching.

🤝 I am a professional, onsite ‘networker’ 🤝

For teams who want more than just “nice chats” at events, and actually want meaningful connections and relevant data captured on the day. 

I’m a professional wing person for Wing People | Human Connection as a Service, and I can’t wait to be on-site meeting lots of fabulous people this year.


In short:

I help events feel less awkward, more human, and a LOT more memorable.


I’ve MCed 1000+ events from:

🎤 Large-scale conferences, summits & expos
📣 Senior exec roundtables & networking dinners
🏆 Team building days, celebrations & awards shows


And my superpower is making smart rooms feel relaxed.

Making everyone feel seen, welcome, and inspired.

And making events feel like something people actually want to be at.


In my eyes:

“Professional” doesn’t have to mean stiff.

High energy doesn’t mean chaos or unprofessional.

And humour doesn’t mean fluff or that things aren’t being taken seriously.

You can be credible AND fun. And that's what I am.


So if you're an events pro (or seasoned event attendee) and 2026 is the year you want:

💍 Better audience engagement at your events

🧈 Smoother panels, fireside chats, and keynotes

🤔 Interesting roundtable discussions and workshops

🎙️ Confident and inspiring speakers

😃 Improved audience networking and enjoyment

👏 And generally events that people talk about for all the right reasons

Hello 👋 I’m Steph. And I might be your solution.

Good vibes guaranteed.

Virtual events rarely crash and burn, but they can so easily die by a thousand cuts if you're not careful.

No major tech disaster (hopefully!) 
But the energy’s flat.

No one drops off the call (hopefully!) 
But the speakers ramble.

The meeting doesn’t just randomly close after 40 minutes (hopefully!) 
But the attendees multitask, fiercely.

And among all of that, your event message just doesn’t land, people leave feeling uninspired, and you start wondering if it was even worth it.

That is, unless of course, you've got yourself a superstar virtual event moderator in to make sure everything runs FABULOUSLY.

My job as moderator starts long before anyone clicks ‘join meeting’.

Before every session, I’m thinking about things like:

• Speaker briefings: so no one is guessing what’s expected of them, and there are no excuses for waffling

• Reading pre-submitted questions, and reviewing attendee profiles & LinkedIn pages, so conversations feel relevant, not generic

• Writing questions, prompts, and follow-ups to help guide the conversation meaningfully

Then there’s the part no one sees, most people forget about, but everyone does feel if it’s missing:

• Calendar invites double-checked so nothing is missing for me or the attendees
• Joining 30 minutes early to test tech and calm speakers
• Ensure I’m in a controlled environment to host from
• Hard-wired ethernet (never WiFi if I can help it)
• Clean background + strong lighting for a solid virtual background
• Wired headphones + Rode mic for clear, consistent audio
• All tabs closed except notes. Split screen those with the Zoom call
• Zoom app updates checked before the call
• Smart clothes on and a spritz of perfume, even if I plan to see no one IRL that day
• Glass of water ready
• Phone on silent
• No interruptions
• Ensuring the Zoom waiting room is turned on
• Turning off the annoying ‘ding dong’ noise
• Being happy, smiley, and ready to go as soon as we hit time
• And even a perfectly timed bathroom break 10 minutes before we start, because absolutely no one performs well when they need the loo

And all of this is before I’ve inserted my dad jokes and wit 😂

While none of this is particularly glamorous, it ALL matters.

Because when this prep DOESN’T happen, the session still runs - but it’s not slick. It doesn’t engage or convert attendees, and it reflects both on the speakers in the call and the people who organised it.

So if you’ve got a virtual (or in-person TBF) event coming up and you want it to feel calm, professional, and genuinely engaging (not just “fine”), get in touch.

Virtual events are notoriously hard to get decent photos of, so enjoy some screenshots of recent events 😂

5 extremely mundane things that happened to me in a co-working space (but still somehow more stimulating than WFH) Number 4 will really bore you.

I really love working from home.

But it can get quite dull / lonely / samey pretty fast.

So yesterday, thanks to Ash Phillips, I ventured out into the world and tried co-working at The Square Club 💃

Here’s what happened.

🪟 Got a window seat in the sun overlooking Berkeley Square and immediately entered my “wistful Georgian lady contemplating long winters and windy moors” era.

🐕 Saw an elite number of dogs on the commute walk.

💃 Wore a fun outfit.
Did a full face of makeup.
Straightened my hair.
All before 8:30am, which frankly deserves recognition.

🚶‍♀️Went for a central Bristol lunch walk.
Nice views.
Historic towers.
Sainsbury’s meal deal.
I got the 'no' chicken BBQ wrap.
IYKYK.

🏮During my final meeting, someone turned on a projector that was facing me, briefly blinding me and absolutely ruining my presenting flow, but I kind of loved the aesthetic? Tres chic, no? She's arty.

A fun day.

I even booked myself a speaking gig, so it was all worth venturing out into the wild.

But I'm also very happy to be back at my own desk today, with a home-cooked lunch, and zero surprise projectors.

The power of the girls, gays and theys strikes once again. VB is set to get her first ever solo number 1 - 25 years after the single was released. 

It's truly so nice to see the British people coming together like this.

I have a lot to say on the matter, and have been so gutted this week that I no longer work in an office and can gossip about this at the water colour 😂

But whether you're team Beckham's, team Brooklyn, or like me - team they're both as bad as each other but it's good drama - you've got to admit the internet has been at it's best this week. 

The possibilities that come to life when community comes together like this is mind blowing. I hope and wish we can come together more often for much more important things.

Please let's put this much passion into ensuring R£f0rm don't win 🙏🙏🙏

For now, I'll revel in the small victories and wear my 2008 Spice Girls reunion t-shirt with pride while attempting a famous VB small smile ✌️

Girl Power. 

Viva Forever. 

Zigazigahhhh.

Whether you’re team “this week has been 3 years long” or team “I am THRIVING on that January energy” - well done to us all for making it to Friday.

Which camp am I in, you ask?

Well, instead of ticking things off my long to-do list, I wrote this haiku to describe my week:

She moved forward, slowly.
Very slowly, towards snacks.
Must do better soon.

I’ve got high hopes for week 2.

In all seriousness though, if this week hasn't been the grand start to January you were hoping for, don't beat yourself up. 

And definitely stop comparing yourself to all the "successful" LinkedIn posts you're seeing or Instagram stories of people somewhere sunny (h8 u).

It's very cold, the news is full of terrible things, and whoever decided January was a good time to diet, stop drinking, and restart exercising was a total fool.

Just keep on moving forward slowly. The daffodils will be up before you know it.

So let me know, how’s January treating you so far?


Photo of Steph out on a frosty but sunny 'mental health' walk, with a huge smile on her face, when she should have been replying to emails.

Trying to be the Claudia Winkleman of the events world 🎤 Emcee who creates atmospheres where everyone feels welcome & relaxed and leaves inspired & informed ✌️ Always banging on about presenting, marketing & coaching

Has anyone else noticed that HMRC has the most judgmental tea bag mascot you've ever seen? Or is it just me and the Electric Cat team slowly losing our minds?

You open your third email of the day from them (January vibes)

Serious font.
Official tone.
And there he is.

The little, illustrated tea bag man.

"Arms" crossed.
Eyebrow raised.
Side eyeing you like:

“Interesting business choices, hun.”

“Oh, is THAT how you keep your receipts?”

 "You're an idiot for not submitting your self assessment yet.”

I don’t know who approved him.

But as the iconic Super Hans from Peep Show said, it's like they wanted "to create a powerful sense of dread" for freelancers.

Every time one of us gets an HMRC email now, it’s a full team event.

Screenshot.
Turn him into a WhatsApp sticker
Message the team.

“HE’S BACK.”

Not to mention his dead friend next to him.

Please tell me this isn’t just us? ☕️

Tagging Lucy Saxton-Quinn who is number 1 fellow hater 😂

Electric Cat

Is January my favourite month? No.
Did I wish it would end sooner? Also no.

I don't understand why so many people are so keen to wish their lives away? 😭

Believe me, I get it.

The northern hemisphere weather is far from ideal.

The state of the world is a LOT.

And trying to be “positive” or carry on business as usual can feel borderline dystopian.

But also… we only get one, precious life.

So why are people so quick to say "2026 is ruined because X happened, let's roll on 2027"

How about let's roll back and reassess your attitude for a second 😂

We'll be lucky if we get 70 January's.

And so whether you’re:

Working flat out or job hunting.
Protesting, donating, caring or barely coping.
Thriving in your personal life or quietly struggling.

There are always moments in every day worth appreciating.

And the older I get, the more I realise this is even more true during challenging times.

So this is my January appreciation post.

If you're struggling, I highly recommend you write down a list of all your 2026 wins and things you're grateful for so far.

Here's mine:

🏡 Almost finished redecorating my office (after 2.5 years)
👩‍💻 Moderated 4 virtual roundtables
🎂 Had a gorgeous family weekend celebrating my mum and MIL's bday
💃 Delivered a confidence & communication training course to a lovely group
📸 Took part in a very fun photoshoot in London
🧖‍♀️ Visited a sauna on a Cornish beach

It wasn't the perfect start to the year - I didn’t stick to my daily Pilates plan (shocker) - but it was a start, and I’m grateful.

Looking forward to a fabulous Feb. Are you?

No alternative text description for this image

So excited to be speaking at the Event Production Show 🙌 I'll be at the NOWIE - The Network of Women in Events CIC stage leading a panel on hormonal, fertility, and menopause health in the events world.

Such a vital topic, very close to my heart, and we've got an incredible lineup of speakers ready to share their stories and lots of practical advice. More on that soon!

Who will I be seeing there? Would love to catch up. 

Not registered yet? Click the link in the comments.

#EPS2026

What a “good event” used to look like: Lots of tickets sold. Bums on seats. A packed agenda with a few big-name speakers.
Ticked the boxes. Job done, right? Well, not anymore.

Here’s what a good event looks like in 2026:

- Bespoke audiences and the right people in the room - not just more people

- Attendees coming back year after year (not one-and-done)

- People actually talking to each other, not scrolling awkwardly in silence

 - Phones out only for photos, notes, and social posting

- Speakers surrounded afterwards with “Ooo, can I ask a quick question?” queues

- Genuine connections made (not just lanyard QR codes scanned)

- Social posts tagging the event for days - sometimes weeks - after

- Attendees saying things like “I felt part of it”, “The energy was brilliant” and “I can’t wait to come back next time!"

- Shorter, more intentional speaker sessions + interactive, hands-on workshops & roundtables

- Energy curves rather than back-to-back agendas

- Intentional and well-thought-out networking opportunities. Please no more "here's some coffee and cake... now TALK!" 

- Content designed to inspire and be remembered for longer than an afternoon

- And a hilarious, engaging, fabulous 30-something-year-old MC called Stephanie Garey to host the main stage and make sure all of the above happens.

Ok. That last one isn’t essential…

…but it helps 😇

The shift we've all seen in the industry over the last few years has been huge.

You can sell 1,000 tickets…

But if it’s the wrong people, people leave early, stop posting (or worse, slate your event online), or don’t return next time - something’s off.

A great event should create momentum!

Energy you can feel in the room.

Moments and learnings people want to capture and share with their network.

Ideas that permeate and conversations that continue long after the event is over.

And that’s exactly why content flow, audience experience, and the right moderator or MC matter more than ever.

I don't care how old or lame this makes me, I absolutely love Big Garden Birdwatch weekend. Such a fun excuse to slow down for an hour, get immersed in nature, and maybe spot something that's always under your nose but you never see. 

Also, major kudos to the RSPB social team. Absolute dream role to get paid to make up fake, funny bird conversations.

Just 3 days to go until the #BigGardenBirdwatch weekend kicks off!

Ever wondered how the birds feel about it all? 👀

Birds on: The #BigGardenBirdwatch

🚨 Game changing tool alert for my fellow 'by-nature-not-organised-but-really-wish-you-were' people 🚨

It's Toby ✌️

I read yesterday's HeyOrca email this week which mentioned it was game changing for organising your tabs.

My tabs literally haunt my dreams.

For my various jobs + personal life I have 7+ different Google account logins. Within those 7 logins, I have TONS of tabs I need on an almost daily basis.

I've tried bookmarking / pinning / grouping and always run into troubles and end up very stressed, overwhelmed and ultimately with 32940729347 tabs open, and constantly unable to find what I actually need.

I downloaded Toby on each of those browsers, and it has CHANGED. MY. LIFE.

Free to use. 
Very easy to learn/understand.
Has genuinely made me feel FREE from the shackles of my pinned tabs 😂

I imagine it's especially wonderful for most with ADHD.

I have never said this before, but I recommend you RUN (don't walk) to download it if you're also unhappy and overwhelmed with your current system.

This is not a paid ad. Not affiliate link (although I want one please, Toby, lol).

Let me know how you get on, chicos.

Here’s what a real week looks like when you’re the person responsible for keeping an event calm, engaging, and on track - all while bringing the fun vibes - AKA the event MC 🙌

📆 Monday

Admin-heavy.

Client calls. Speaker onboardings. Agenda walk-throughs.

This is where we can settle any speaker or client nerves before getting onsite.

📆 Tuesday

Maybe travelling.

Maybe moderating a virtual roundtable from home.

Maybe locked into prep mode writing panel questions and researching.

📆 Wednesday

Almost definitely onsite. The events industry love a Wednesday.

Starting early, making sure rehearsals have gone well before doors open.

Final coaching and prep for panellists and speakers.

Keeping the energy up after lunch.

Making timing work without anyone feeling rushed or exposed.

Plot twist: Once I’m back in my hotel room, I see an email land… and an event happening in 2 months is cancelled. New date TBC. Likely not free on those dates - panic it’s now too late to fill the spot. Welcome to being an event MC.

📆 Thursday

Day 2 of the event, more of the same.

Keeping that energy high, even if I’m also feeling a bit ‘day 2’. I’d never let it show.

Oh what’s that? An event attendee is enjoying my work, asks me if I’m free to host their event in 2 months on the exact date of the cancelled one? Crisis from yesterday averted

(Ok, this type of luck has maybe found me ONCE, but I’m manifesting it more)

Networking at happy hour with event attendees and organisers to celebrate a job/event well done.

📆 Friday

Lie-in earned.

Then: Write up the post-event notes for the client.

What worked.
What didn’t.
What to keep.
What to quietly never do again.
What the main learnings from all the speakers were.

This part matters more than people realise!

And if I’ve done my job well?

The event team are calm.
The speakers look confident.
The audience stays engaged.
Future events can be made event better.

If a great MC isn’t there, those things won’t magically happen on their own.

So, if you’ve got an event coming up and you’re wondering whether an MC will actually make a difference, I’m happy to talk it through before diaries fill up. The January rush is well and truly underway, so let’s chat soon.

Genuinely no pressure, just a conversation.

Last year, something finally happened that I’d be thinking about for years, but always ended up thinking ‘no, I can’t do that’

Alongside MCing and moderating events, I fell a bit in love with coaching people to feel more confident when they speak.

Now I don’t know about you, but coach is a word that makes some people I know recoil.

Too fluffy. Too up themselves. Just ‘too much’.

And I let those voices - along with many other factors - put me off for so long.

But why am I letting anyone else’s opinion stop me doing what I want to do? That’s not very me.

So, I don’t really care anymore.

Because the work itself is solid. And it REALLY matters.

More and more, people are becoming shy, isolated, afraid to use their voice.

So ‘arming’ people to feel confident to raise their voices and speak their truth feels more important than ever.

What I enjoy most is working with people who are properly nervous.

The ones who:

- Totally avoid presenting or speaking in front of others if they possibly can

- Feel sick days before they have to speak up at a meeting

- Assume everyone else finds this super easy

- Think confidence is something you’re either born with or not

I find helping someone at that stage incredibly rewarding.

Those first steps matter so much:

- Reframing what nerves actually mean

- Giving them tools they can use immediately

- Helping them survive (and then slowly enjoy) being seen and heard

I love being able to see and feel the shift from session to session.

The look of realisation on their face when they think ‘oh wow… I can actually do this'.

That’s my favourite moment.

I also love working with people further along in their careers:

- Refining how they show up

- Getting specific about presence, pacing, clarity

- Helping them feel polished rather than rehearsed (big difference!)

- Supporting them as they put themselves forward for speaking opportunities

But this year, I’m intentionally focusing more on helping people earlier in their journey.

I also want to make it super accessible and affordable. So slide over to my DMs if you’re at all interested, and let’s see what amazing things we can do together.

Whether we want to call it coaching, support, guidance, confidence building, stage prep - whatever! I’m doing more of it.

🎤 Are you an events or marketing prof worrying that your next event is going to be a bit… flat? Maybe you’re:

- Struggling to keep audiences engaged (and off their phones)

- Nervous your speakers won’t land - too salesy, too dry, or underprepared

- Juggling a million logistics and wishing you had a safe pair of hands in the room who “gets” events

🤔 And be honest, have you really nailed things like:

- How your speakers feel 15mins before they go on stage

- What happens in those awkward gaps between sessions

- Keeping energy high during the post-lunch slump

- Making the audience feel part of the event, not just talked at

If you’re reading that thinking: “Yes, this is my brain at 3am in the run-up to an event”... you’re my person.

👋 I’m Steph - your fun, professional, non-diva event MC and presenter.

I host & moderate stages for B2B & corporate events, summits, conferences, networking events, leadership days, and community gatherings – bringing energy, warmth, and audience engagement they appreciate.

Before stepping fully into presenting, I spent years as an event manager and producer. I’ve been the one building the RoS, sweating over last-minute changes and praying the tech behaves.

So when I’m on your stage, I’m not just there to “hold a mic and be fun”. I’m thinking like a producer, acting like a host, and doing everything I can to make your life easier and your event more memorable.

➡️ What I actually do (beyond “bring the vibes”):

🎤 For your speakers: Briefings, format support, liaison with tech, pre-stage reassurance, and keeping sessions on time

👯 For your audience: High energy, interaction, and clear explanations so they stay present and engaged

🤳 For your team: A safe, friendly pair of hands on stage, spotting issues early, smoothing transition,s and mucking in with last-minute tweaks when you’re under pressure

🤝 For your brand & sponsors: I support speakers, understand the politics of keeping sponsors happy, and gently coach to deliver amazing content, not a secret sales pitch

🪩 Types of events I host:

- B2B conferences and summits

- Leadership dinners and roundtables

- Corporate away days and internal events

- Community and networking events

- Awards and product launches

- Virtual and hybrid events

💃 If you’re…

An event or marketing manager planning your next conference, summit, dinner, or community event, and looking for a host who’s fun, professional, calm under pressure, and understands events from your side... we should talk.

DM me or head to https://lnkd.in/etbVZD8A and tell me about your event 🙌

I think asking good questions is one of the most underrated skills in life - and I’ll die on that hill. Bad questions waste time and are dull for everyone involved.

Specifically at events they can:

Drain energy.
Flatten panels.
Bore audiences.
And they can make brilliant speakers sound average.

As an event MC, moderator and podcast host, asking questions is literally my job, and I’m not too shabby at it. But I decided I want to be AMAZING.

So I’ve spent the last few months properly studying the art of asking better questions:

How to open people up.
How to get past rehearsed answers.
How to stop waffle without killing the vibe.
And how to guide a conversation so it actually goes somewhere interesting.

I’ve been sharing what I’ve learned with my coaching clients, many of whom are leading panels this year and want to raise the bar.

It’s inspired me to put together a cute lil carousel with some of my top tips. They’re designed with panels in mind, but they work just as well for podcasts, interviews and maybe even the smoking area, too. 

What would you add?

5 Ways to Ask Better Questions on Panels

I’d be a disastrous Traitor. I’m hardwired to reduce tension, not create it.

Someone’s anxious? I like to try and soothe.

Awkward silences? I am sure to fill them.

Everyone ganging up on 1 person? I'd defend and look guilty by association.

I'm also frankly a terrible liar. I love being honest about everything.

All absolutely terrible traits for a Traitor.

But hosting the game? I'm built for it.

Dream job.

I'm beyond envious of Claudia Winkleman.

Getting to facilitate the games and round tables.

Watching the dynamics.

Soaking up the chaos (which I very much DO enjoy watching).

That's the life for me. 

It's exactly why I'm an emcee 🙌

What about you? Are you Traitor, Faithful or Host?

Please enjoy this very old photo of me when I had a fringe (nowhere near as good as Claudia's), and if you look closely at my sign, it has your name written on and I'm voting you out.

Are we all excited & energised to be back at work after 2 weeks "off"? 😂

taplio

The Battle

Nick Pryke

Stephanie Garey

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreStephanie Garey's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Nick Pryke

Stephanie Garey

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Stephanie Garey's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreStephanie Garey's LinkedIn Performance