PAST PROJECTS
WORLD TRADE CENTER LAUNCH
Following the tragic events of 9/11, the lower Manhattan area underwent a significant metamorphosis to be able to both remember and move forwards. At the heart of the renewal was The Oculus (designed by Santiago Calatrava) and the opening of this space in 2016 marked the culmination of nearly two decades of development works.
​
This was an important landmark for many stakeholders and an emotional moment for all. Consequently, the opening had to deliver on many levels in terms of being respectful but also celebrating a new phase for New York. The planning for this spanned the 8 months prior and necessitated not only working around ongoing construction but also close cooperation with the Port Authority, significant collaboration across multiple internal teams and management of external agencies.
​
The launch program spanned the whole day, ensuring the seamless fulfillment of all stakeholder requirements and aspirations. Starting with a memorial service raising the flags on the plaza through to speeches, NYC-themed performances and culminating in a moving performance by John Legend in the early evening.
​
With the heightened security, myriad of dignitaries and performers and a large public presence, the logistics and communications management were key to the smooth running and overall success of the day. The event generated significant PR for both Westfield and the Port Authority and marked what was the start of us bringing events back to lower Manhattan.
Other high-profile launches of significant urban regeneration projects in the UK include Bullring Birmingham, Westfield London & Westfield Stratford City.
STRATEGIC BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT – WESTFIELD UK
When I joined Westfield, the company owned and operated ten centers across the UK. With three large developments due to open in quick succession (Derby, London and Stratford City) it was the perfect opportunity to redefine what revenues a non-retail lease business could deliver.
​
Previously such revenues had been delivered at a low, albeit consistent level through a variety mall carts, small ad-hoc brand promotions and a paper-based media network. There was no growth potential in this model but to change the trajectory would require a new approach and moving away from much of the ‘tried and tested’ methods.
​
One barrier to growth was that the audience was considered ‘low value’ from a brand perspective and the standard of activations only served to support that view. In order to change that dynamic, a new business model needed to be created.
​
The first requirement was to take a step back and evaluate the entire opportunity. What were brands looking for, what did the new and interesting pop-up retailers want, what was the future media landscape looking like? It was clear that with the right foundation there were significant revenues to be secured if brands understood the true opportunity. Therefore, a reeducation of the marketplace was crucial to establish the true value of the audience. With the ongoing fragmentation of media, the shopping center audience in reality represented a high quality and difficult to reach market, something which continues to hold true today and which the initial strategy was founded on.
​
By thinking differently, using trend insights, analytics and industry feedback to drive innovation, a new business was created which was ultimately able to continue to adapt to changing dynamics and deliver significant revenue growth.
Key drivers for success included:
Investment in people – ensuring we had the right people in the right roles with the right tools to be successful. This involved significant change management, performance and coaching as well as recruitment and team building.
Clear process and reporting – creating visibility of sales and conversions, ensuring contractual obligations were fulfilled and reducing bad debt. This was crucial to ensure accurate forecasting, pipeline management and clear definition of risks and opportunities.
Innovation – this included a fully Digital Media Network, creation of ‘Activation Ready’ spaces with investment in infrastructure, dedicated support teams and consistency across design standards. All of this created a point of difference for Westfield above what was available within the mall industry at that time.
Growth Plan – mapped out a clear 5-year growth plan with robust objectives and key results expectations especially as new developments came online.
Results:
Exceeded growth plan with overall initial revenue growth of over 300% in 3 years and a sustainable incremental growth of 6-10% for the following 3 years. Additionally, reduced bad debt to less than 1% and increased sales productivity by 30%.
Saw higher quality and more frequent activations from brands such as PlayStation, Xbox, Samsung, Ferrero Rocher, Lego, Cadbury and Amazon. Established ongoing commitments from clients including being a venue for brand launches and film premiers with activations happening across multiple locations.
Attracted unique ‘pop-up’ retailers who delivered iconic unit designs, driving customer engagement and talkability.
Set new benchmarks in terms of digital media which launched at Westfield London and were subsequently rolled out across the rest of the portfolio.
Secured long term partnerships with BMW, Adidas, Amex, Samsung, Sony and Coke.
DIGITAL MEDIA NETWORK
Having created a state-of-the-art retail space which raised the bar in terms of design and customer experience, Westfield London also needed a new approach to advertising in the mall space.
​
The then prevalent format of scrolling paper poster units was not going to be a suitable solution but equally the format needed to be something which brands and media companies could get behind if the network was to be successful from a commercial perspective.
​
With this in mind, I collaborated with the Westfield design team to create bespoke housings which would deliver a unique and premium look for an all-digital screen network. This also required a significant data and power installation within the construction to ensure a robust backbone which could be relied on if the screens were going to have the reliability necessary to ensure credibility in the marketplace.
To preserve standard industry ratios, the portrait formats were delivered via LCD screens throughout the mall. They were supplemented by a handful of large format LCD locations to create high-impact opportunities.
​
Alongside the technical backbone, I successfully specified, tendered and negotiated the agreements with the advertising companies who would subsequently sell the space on the screens.
​
This was UK's first fully digital media network within the mall space. The combination of small and large digital format screens have subsequently gone on to see award winning content and set a new benchmark for media within the shopping center industry.
Digital media is now considered the normal industry standard.
MUSIC CUBE
Music Cube was created to solve the challenge of live music performances within an indoor retail environment. Whilst retailers love the additional footfall and dwell time of events such as these, a multi-hour series of performances can negatively impact those with stores adjacent to the event space.
​
With this in mind, alongside the desire to create a unique and immersive customer music experience which would deliver a festival like event over multiple days, the concept of a live ‘silent disco’ was created.
​
A transparent soundproof box (The Cube) was designed and constructed for the artists to play in. The sound feed was then taken directly from the mixing desk straight into wireless headphones for the audience, giving a sound quality unmatched in a concert setting as you aren’t fighting general acoustics. Not wanting the experience to be sterile and ensure fans still had a physical sense of the music, ‘kickers’ were installed under the audience platform to create the vibration you get at a concert from the base and drum lines.
​
In addition, a streaming option was layered in via an app in case anyone who was passing wanted to join in from the sidelines. After the event there were also on-demand opportunities to view the performance, all of which provided additional exposure for the various sponsors as well as advertising opportunities for retailers.
​
The result was a totally immersive, high-quality experience akin to an intimate gig in a small venue environment - unforgettable and unique.
​
The Cube was manufactured in such a way that it could be moved across centers and re-used for multiple years ensuring a business case could stack up as well as be an attractive sponsorship opportunity.
​
Music Cube delivered a 7-day Music Festival across two centers for three consecutive years, each event averaging:
50 artists
8000 attendees
11,000 streams
10,000 on demand views post event
50,000 website views
c£1.1m PR coverage
VENUE DEVELOPMENT & MANAGEMENT
WESTFIELD LONDON
As part of my role developing new (non-retail) revenue streams within the Westfield UK portfolio, I was responsible for defining and delivering a profitable and sustainable event business for Westfield London.
​
With 1000 sqm (c 10,000sqft) of floor space at the heart of the mall there was a real opportunity to attract product launches, events and displays of all kinds. This was not just a revenue objective but also a Westfield profile and PR ambition. The challenge was that shopping centers traditionally weren’t considered prime locations for premium launches or events and often didn’t have suitable space or infrastructure to support them.
​
A key requirement was to make the space easy to use, being as ‘plug and play’ as possible was essential for success. This included specifying and installing full event infrastructure (lighting, sound, power and back of house spaces), designing and establishing internal processes, plus recruiting and managing the operational team needed to run the space on a day-to-day basis.
​
Creating a novel and robust sales strategy needed a gentle reeducation of the market place on the opportunity represented by Westfield London as differentiated from a ‘traditional’ mall. To make it easy to buy we gave the space its own identity within Westfield London (The Atrium), enabling an easier conversation about our capabilities and the unique benefits of the location.
​
Having created a premium, easy to use, easy to buy venue within Westfield London we attracted many high-profile activations, effectively delivering against the initial 5-year strategic plan and securing a profitable P&L.
​
Since its creation, The Atrium has seen frequent launches from brands such as Samsung, Microsoft, Kia, Infiniti, Nike, Sony, Adidas, Amazon, Lego and Sennheiser. It has been turned it into a basketball court, tennis court, ice rink and BMX bike/skate park. It has hosted film premiers for Hollywood blockbusters including Kung Fu Panda, Iron Man, Captain America and has staged many star performances (which have included Taylor Swift, Rhianna, Justin Bieber and Maria Carey… amongst others).
​
The Atrium created the blueprint for event spaces within shopping malls.
VENUE DEVELOPMENT & MANAGEMENT
WESTFIELD WORLD TRADE CENTER
As a truly iconic space for New York, the Oculus represented a unique opportunity as a breathtaking backdrop for a variety of launches, events and performances.
​
It was also one of the most challenging locations to activate with its ever-evolving dynamic, multiple stakeholders, high visibility and significant daily foot traffic. This resulted in a complex matrix of requirements and approvals, from the Port Authority and internal stakeholders to preserving access for the public as a key transport hub and ensuring a safe environment for everybody. The challenge was how to address all of these requirements and still have the space be a viable location for brands to consider.
​
A strong infrastructure backbone was a prerequisite, making the space as plug and play as possible to ensure clients didn’t need to bring in large amounts of equipment. A comprehensive framework of power and data distribution, along with lighting, sound and back of house areas were delivered as part the build program. This required ongoing collaboration with Port Authority Construction and Operational teams to ensure correct placement of the infrastructure within the building. Dovetailing this with the internal procurement processes was a critical aspect to ensure items were delivered on time and according to specifications.
​
In conjunction with the infrastructure, it was key to devise a process which would ensure clients met the approval requirements but one which wasn’t so complicated as to become a deterrent. With the difficulties inherent with the location itself, it was essential to create a clear and consistent protocol, one supported by the Port Authority. The resulting documentation served as a comprehensive handbook for clients - providing clear checklists, detailed guidelines, best practice and timelines for approval. This was then combined with the recruitment of a strong support team and communication strategy to help clients through all the stages and deliver successful events.
This protocol was embedded into the sales process and discussed upfront with clients to ensure everyone was aware of the requirements and timescales from the beginning. This ensured brands allowed enough time for the process and were able to integrate the requirements into their own timeline and build program.
​
As a result, we created a profitable events business and secured high profile activations from brands including Bulgari, McCallan, IBM, Dior, Disney, Stella Artois, Ford, S&P, Gucci, Unilever. La Prairie, Hyatt and Marriot.