Susan Duncombe - Founder, Secret Spaces

Looking for Somewhere different for your event? We went to speak to Susan Duncombe who set up her businesses Secret Spaces to offer something different to the meetings and events industry. We wanted to find out about Susan's view of where the event industry is going....

Secret Spaces is a collection of carefully curated spaces, places and venues that provide the perfect backdrop to a corporate event, wedding or special occasion. A Secret Space is not defined by size but has something special about it. A Secret Space can be stunning, quirky, unusual, hidden or quite simply, amazing.

With all venues located in and round the UK’s Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Secret Spaces captures today’s trend towards experiences; bringing together the escape from the city with beautiful countryside, sweeping coastlines, chocolate-box villages and historic towns.

GBS: Where did the idea for Secret Spaces come from?

Susan: Secret Spaces was born out of my belief that no event needs to take place in a bland conference room, with no opportunity to deliver the wow factor to guests. And that the venue for an event makes a statement and sets expectations about what is to follow.

Choosing a venue that inspires is particularly important when it comes to planning a corporate event. Whether you’re taking a team away from their desks for the day, or need to attract delegates to a conference, the venue and location are the backdrop to your event – and hold the key to creating an unforgettable experience for your guests.

Coming from a business development background, I am also passionate about helping the venues I’m work with to succeed by showcasing them to our followers and ultimately helping to them to grow their business.

GBS: How does being showcased on Secret Spaces help your partner venues grow their business?

Susan: Secret Spaces acts as a portal to drive additional event enquiries to the partners we work with. Our marketing is very much focused on attracting corporate event bookings. Often venues find themselves booked up at weekends with weddings. This creates the opportunity to host mid-weeks events that generate incremental revenue.

I’m also out and about networking regularly. It’s a great way of being able not only to raise awareness of Secret Spaces, but also to talk about specific venues that meet the needs of businesses seeking venues for their events.

GBS: What tips would you give someone who’s been asked to plan a corporate event?

Susan: Planning and attention to detail are key when organising any event. Having a thoroughly documented project plan will help to ensure that not only is the event delivered on time, but that nothing gets missed. A few initial tips to consider are;

1. Choose your date and start planning early - it sounds obvious but the longer the lead time the longer the planning time. You are also more likely to secure the venue that you want on the date that you want too
2. Objective – what is the event being held for? What is the desired outcome?
3. Know your budget - knowing what you have to spend and keeping accurate records are a must to prevent overspending. No one wants to blow the budget!
4. Location - think about your guests or attendees; where are they coming from? How will they get to the venue? Will they need to stay over? Is there parking when they get there?
5. Visit several venues – even if the first venue you see ticks all the boxes, it never hurts to view more than one to get a perspective

Of course, choosing the right venue is key too. So why not think outside the box, and consider a barn, a brewery or a stunning manor house for your next corporate event?

GBS: What trends do you predict for the events industry in 2019?

Susan: As has been the case with travel in recent years, the emphasis will focus more and more on experiences that engage and inspire. 2-dimensional corporate events are no longer enough as attendees look for events that enable them to interact and immerse themselves in a multi-sensory environment.

The Gloucester Business Show as an example has been devised on the premise of bringing a festival-feel to a business event. Its format offers a depth of experience to the attendees from the traditional exhibition floor, to the many live talks and the Business Games, designed to bring an element of educational fun to the Show.

Technology is becoming an increasingly key component of event guest engagement and experience. Everything from the perhaps obvious need for Wi-Fi with the speed and connectivity required to cope with the number of attendees to cutting-edge technologies that disrupt and create conversation.

Increasingly common place is the use of microsites, event-specific apps and online registrations. Whilst many events are pushing the boundaries further with the use of A.I., V.R. and A.R.

Sustainability will also feature. Event ogranisers will need to respond to awareness of the environmental issues caused by things like single use plastics. Twickenham, for example, launched the use of reusable plastic cups for drinks at a recent Six Nations Game. Venues and suppliers can expect to get more questions from their clients about their approach to sustainability and their green credentials.

GBS: You are keen to encourage businesses to head out of town to the countryside for meetings, why is that?

Susan: Being surrounded by nature is undoubtedly good for the soul. Who wants to be stuck in a boring meeting room staring at four walls when you can choose to be somewhere with stunning views and the ability to get outdoors? Choosing a meeting venue in a countryside location isn’t just about the peaceful and calm environment though, it can spark communication and enable people to see things with a fresh pair of eyes. Away from the office environment and the structured atmosphere of a town or city, the literal ability to see further can facilitate the metaphoric ability to see more. Windows providing views onto verdant vistas stretching into the distance lead the eye and open the mind to new ideas.

Simply being able to go for a walk during the lunch break or maybe planning something fun like a treasure hunt can add some ‘head space’ to intense business days full of presentations and discussions. Of course, you can take full advantage of the location and space by combining meeting time with some team building time too.

Not all of our Secret Spaces are surrounded by glorious countryside but many of them are. Being able to see the sky gives a whole new depth of meaning to the phrase ‘blue sky thinking’! 

GBS: You mention team building, what suggestions do you have for some fun team building activities?

Susan: Team building used to personally fill me full of dread as it always seemed to involve extreme outdoor pursuits. Nowadays though there’s much more choice with the emphasis on inclusion, with an element of fun. Think duck herding, cookery classes, art workshops or even learning to be a magician. Of course, physical activity can have additional health benefits so shouldn’t be ruled out. I think the key is to balance competition with collaboration especially if the goal is to create unity within a team or across departments.

Getting off site and away from the distractions of the office is beneficial too. And picking an amazing venue can turn the whole experience into something of a treat or reward for your team.

Many venues are able to offer packages of team building activities to fill the day. Or will work with their clients to create a day that is bespoke to them. Of course, there’s always the option to split the day; a morning spent getting down to business. Followed by an afternoon of team fun to finish things off. 

GBS: Thanks Susan

You Can find Susan and the Secret Spaces exhibition stand in the Gloucestershire Business Games area at #GBS19. Susan is working with the #GBS19 team to coordinate the Business Games space and activities.

If you'd like to find out more about Secret Spaces, or The Gloucestershire Business Games, then you can visit the Secret Spaces stand at #GBS19 on 21st & 22nd May at Cheltenham Town Hall, email Susan at:

[email protected]

or email the #GBS19 team on:

[email protected].

Facebook & Instagram - @secretspacesuk

Twitter - @SecretSpaces_UK

Linkedin Company page – linkedin.com/company/secret-spaces

Linkedin Personal Profile - www.dhirubhai.net/in/susanduncombe