Behind the scenes of the Walpole British Luxury Summit with Olivia Lowdell

Walpole: How many Walpole British Luxury Summits have you worked on since you started at the organisation?

Olivia Lowdell: I have probably worked on around 10, but maybe more as occasionally we do two a year!

How has the Walpole British Luxury Summit changed since it started back in the early 2000s – and how has it evolved during your time organising it?

Perhaps the most significant change is that, since we started orgnaising this event, Walpole's membership has grown exponentially – so, because of that, each year the Walpole British Luxury Summit has become bigger and better. I always strive to make improvements year-on-year in terms of the look and feel of the event. Partnering with The Londoner in Leicester Square makes this part of my job rather easy! I would say it is the best location in the capital for this type of event. If you want a venue with the best in house AV team and facilities in London, book the Ballroom at The Londoner.

When does your planning for the Summit start and what are your key considerations each year at the outset?

The planning starts the day after the previous Summit finishes. We try to get the date booked in as soon as possible to make sure the team has enough time to secure the very best speakers. During the year, we put together a project plan to follow so that everything is set and agreed from when we start selling tickets to finalising the menu for the day.  

Who helps you in the process of planning the Summit?

The Summit is very much a Walpole team effort. I work closely with Bethanie Summerfield, our Marketing & Events Manager, alongside the Marketing, Comms and Content teams, and Charlotte Keesing, our Director of Corporate Affairs & International, who curates the always-superb Summit programme.

What is a challenging aspect of the Summit planning – and how do you overcome this?

The most challenging aspect is usually last-minute changes. That could mean anything from speakers dropping out (very rare), content changing or receiving presentations late in the day. We overcome this by having a full day of rehearsals on the Sunday before with our production team and the in-house AV team at The Londoner. This usually prepares us for any unforeseen tech issues as we have a whole day to rectify any problems before the event day takes place.

What has been your proudest achievement of all the Summits you have worked on?

The proudest moment is usually when the event is over and everything has happened without a glitch. Unfortunately, as is the case with all events, something will always happen that is outside of our control, but managing the issue calmly and making sure the audience are not aware is the main aim. When this happens, I am very proud of the team!

What’s something new for the Summit this year that you’d be able to tell us about at this stage?

We have an incredible line-up of speakers this year, I am especially excited to hear from Mary Portas and Thomas Heatherwick. In terms of the venue and the look and feel of the event, you can expect the usual five-star luxury experience. As The Londoner is such an adaptable space, it will feel suitably different to previous years thanks to clever lighting, styling and florals from Walpole Member, Wildabout.