We sat down with Emma Vinyard who heads up Corporate Sales here at Troxy to find out a little more about her…
Tell us a bit about your background and when you joined Troxy…
I studied event management at the University of Gloucestershire and my placement year was with an East London venue. Once I finished my placement and studies I was fortunate enough to go travelling for 18 months and visited South East Asia, Australia and New Zealand. I am very thankful I was able to do that after completing my studies and believe those early experiences influenced my career path.
After a slight job change in 2020 I returned to the events industry and immediately applied for the role advertised at Troxy. I like to think that it was a case of the right time and right place! I always had a soft spot for East London venues and Troxy’s fiercely independent reputation precedes it. I’m so glad that my career has taken me in this direction and that I get to be part of Troxy’s continuing legacy.
What does your role entail?
As Corporate Sales Manager I act as the first point of call for all corporate enquiries and handle all sales for private events that come in for Troxy. This can range from award ceremonies, drinks receptions, charity galas and even film premieres! As the clients first point of call, I help to manage their booking from the signing of the contract to post event. It’s a fast-paced role that I love and there’s never a dull day! There’s always some unusual and wild enquiries that come through my inbox which keeps it varied and is all part of the fun at Troxy.
What motivates you in your role?
Recently, we had the team from IGB in to celebrate their awards ceremony. The end result was hundreds of incredibly happy people leaving at the end of the night and our client grateful for everything we did at Troxy. Even better, they have contracted to work with us again next year!
What has been one of your favourite events you’ve worked on so far?
My favourite event that I worked on was The Alternative Hair Show, because it highlighted how much we can offer as a venue and how versatile our space really is. This was a large-scale hybrid event that required additional AV equipment and production for the fashion show that was taking place on stage.
We pride ourselves on being diverse and this highlights that we can do anything we put our minds to. It was extra special that the show raised £100,000 for Leukemia research and development. It was a great night to be a part of.
If your friends could describe you in three words, what would they say?
I cheated on this one and went straight to the source but I’m happy to report that they described me as outgoing, passionate and trustworthy. I promise I didn’t pay them to say those words! It does feel great that’s how they see me though.
What was the first and last music gig you went to?
Okay, so my first gig that I went to was Pop Idol on tour, where Gareth Gates and Will Young both performed. I was a big Gareth Gates fan and I was absolutely gutted that Will Young won but I have made my peace with that.
The last gig I went to was actually at Troxy! I was fortunate enough to attend the Four Tet, Fred Again + Skrillex night as a punter, definite perks of working at the venue! That was honestly one of the best gigs I’ve experienced because the atmosphere was electric and everyone was so excited to see all three of them play together. That’s my standout gig of the year I think and the year has only just begun!
Tell us a fun fact people might not know about you?
This is something people might not know but I started ballroom dancing when I was 7 years old and I’m a fully qualified Latin and Ballroom dance teacher. I still try to dance every now and again but it’s probably something that I would have to label as my party trick rather than a continued passion that I do as a hobby. I still love to dance though – it’s something that won’t ever leave me and it’s such a fun experience, I think everyone should try Salsa.
What’s next for you at Troxy?
We are off to a brilliant start at Troxy and we’ve got an exciting year of excellent corporate and live bookings coming up. I think having the sell-out show of Four Tet, Fred Again + Skrillex in January has just set us up on the most unbelievable high – and for a January gig we surpassed demand for tickets which was incredible.
We’re focusing on building back up our roster of corporate events back to pre–pandemic levels, expanding our audience reach and putting on incredible shows which wouldn’t be possible without such a great and knowledgeable team.
If you’d like to find out more about our venue hire options then get in touch with Emma on hello@troxy.co.uk.
