SHE FACTOR: The queen of the MICE industry

dubai - Natalie Crampton runs an event management firm

Never give up and never be afraid to ask for help: this is a mantra Natalie Crampton swears by.

The UAE's vibrant MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) industry is a testimony of how the nation has turned out to be a global hotspot for networking. The founder of corporate event management agency TEC affirmed that running an events firm has helped her evolve as a role model for aspiring women entrepreneurs in the industry.

"The UAE has many programmes in place to help entrepreneurs. The formalities of setting up a business are much easier now as most of the work can be done electronically. There are incubators, worksharing spaces and mentorship programmes available for entrepreneurs. Many corporates and venture capital companies are also open to investing in your business if you have a sound business plan and the passion to succeed," says Natalie.

"TEC started as The Event Company and we went through a rebranding. We are now known as TEC. We are event experts, specialising in live events, exhibitions, employee engagement and destination management events throughout the Middle East, Asia Pacific, Europe and North Africa. We average around 250 events per year and just celebrated our 10-year anniversary. Our objective is to be the leading events company in the world," adds Natalie.

The TEC is embarking on a plan to globally expand its operations in 2019. "Early next year, we will execute our inaugural event in Sri Lanka. Our plan is to continue to expand our geographical footprint and invest in our team," adds the entrepreneur and a mother to 4-month-old twin boys.

Natalie realised her passion for events at a young age while working part-time alongside her high school education at a conference and wedding venue. She has not looked back since. In 2008, after graduating from the Leeds Metropolitan University in the UK, she founded TEC in Dubai.

Today, the company is one of the leading corporate event management agencies in the region, headquartered in Dubai. Starting as a one-man show, she was soon joined by a passionate team. Her husband and sister also helped out with the company. Natalie is married to Aron Bentley, who works with TEC as operations director.

So, how does Natalie balance work and home? "Now that I am mom to twin boys, I am more focused on having a work-life balance. The secret is to have a strong team, be organised and learning to delegate."

The company has secured a very impressive client portfolio over a period of time, including leading global brands such as HSBC, Cisco, Toyota, Microsoft and Facebook, and Natalie attributes this to clients recognising the firm's creativity and passion.

Natalie's career highlights include working with a host of well-known personalities, including Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, Formula One Champion Lewis Hamilton, former Mayor of New York Mike Bloomberg and international band The Rolling Stones.

This year, Natalie and her team executed events such as Rihanna's visit to Sephora Dubai Mall, HSBC's Economist roadshow across all GCC countries, Visa's Mena client forum in Rome, DHL's event in Malta and several conferences for Cisco and Facebook.

Natalie is extremely passionate and knowledgeable about the events industry and has lectured at various universities and industry conferences in both Europe and the Middle East.

"It is important to make sound financial decisions, keep track of how much the company is making and how much should be allocated to expenses. Choose your clients, suppliers and partners wisely. Learn to manage time and be more organised so that you can have a healthy work-life balance," she concluded.

- sandhya@khaleejtimes.com