Interview: Muldoon aims to become the main event

It’s been very much a case of keeping it in the family for Rebecca Muldoon, the managing director of Nottingham based MCS Event Pro.

TheBusinessDesk.com met up with Rebecca to find out how she’s taking the business forward since being handed the reigns by her father four years ago.

Can you give me some background on how you came to lead the company?

“MCS Event Pro, formerly MTS [Midland Technical Services] and latterly Midland Conference Services, was set up by my father, Pete Wyles, in 1987. With the support of the whole family and a solid team of dedicated and experienced freelancers, he built a business that thrived on exceptional service and seamless event production.

“I joined the business in 2007, bringing an even more rounded service offering with a career history in events, PR and marketing. With a view to retire, my dad (then aged 62) began handing the business over to me. He formally stepped away from the business in 2014 and I became MD, inspiring change and growth for a new era of our family business.”

How hard was it to build the company after taking it over from your father?

“On becoming MD, I acquired 10% of the business and took control of the day-to-day business operations, focussing on client relations and ensuring our culture remained intact. Dad and I worked together for the first nine months which helped me find my feet and grow into the role.

“It was certainly a learning curve! Initially, I did everything myself and ran the risk of burning out. I undertook career coaching to ground myself, taking time to focus very specifically on what I wanted to achieve. I had a strong desire to grow the business in a correct and strategic way, but had always been fearful of taking that step. The coaching gave me clarity and direction; but above all it gave me the confidence to move forward decisively and grow the business.”

What was the first thing you changed?

“I began by investing in our workforce to forge a team that would lay the foundations for expansion and allow myself to step away from the day-to-day jobs, thereby having a more strategic role. I then carried out a brand refresh and made improvements to our website so we were well-positioned to expand our client portfolio.

“Next steps in my second year as MD were to invest in our technical offering and introduce a more structured corporate responsibility strategy. This all culminated in March 2016 with the business relocating to a new, larger and fully-owned head office which would meet the demands of the growing team, the enhanced client portfolio and the amassing stockpile of AV equipment.

“Later that year (in November 2016), I was delighted to discover that I’d been named Director of the Year at the Midlands Family Business Awards. By no means do I perceive this as something I’ve achieved all by myself. I am hugely fortunate to have a fantastic team behind me who has helped me realise my vision for MCS Event Pro, which is to take it from your standard AV production company, to a unique full-service offering of event management, technical production, graphic design, creative and administrative services, all under one roof.”

Do you consider yourself a “woman in business”, or does gender not come into how you’ve gone about building the company?

“As a working mum of two, heading up a company in what has essentially been a male-dominated industry, gender – in some ways – can’t help but come into play. However, and whilst I understand the challenges that women in business can face, I am passionate about being an active role-model for ‘anyone’ looking to embark on or further a career in the AV and events sector.

“At MCS Event Pro, we have good diversity within our team with a 50% split of men and women, however I’d like to see more women pursuing technical skills, and more men pursuing marketing and event management disciplines.

“For me, I’m committed to offering flexibility so that our internal and freelance teams can pursue happy and healthy careers which work around their personal or family commitments, whether they are a working mum, a single dad or maybe even a part-time carer.”

How is the company helping build a broader mix of people from different backgrounds coming into the industry?

Rebecca with her father, Peter Whyles

“We are a family business and, as such, we view the people we work with as an extension of the family. With any event, it’s a team effort and each individual plays an integral role in our success. I’m looking for people who will complement our family culture but can also of course do the job and work well with our clients. This is all regardless of gender, background or age.

“Earlier this year, we welcomed a new starter to MCS Event Pro. Having worked with us as a trusted freelancer for over 15 years, David Horton, aged 51, joined us as a full-time team member. As warehouse manager, his knowledge and experience of the events industry will be a huge asset to our clients.

“To foster young talent and show support for enticing new blood into the industry, we continuously offer work experience placements and we’re also this year launching our first apprenticeship scheme.

“As mentioned before, I’m committed to offering flexible working arrangements. This helps to attract the right skills into the industry. We see a lot of women with a marketing and PR background returning from maternity leave but seeking variable hours that suit their schedules. Their skills are easily transferable to events and we’ve hired a number of women like this on a freelance basis so they can pick and choose the projects that work for them. This benefits our clients too as, by having a broader pool of trusted, dedicated and like-minded freelancers, we can pick the right expertise and personality that will best suit their needs.

What’s next for the company? What milestones are you building to, and how will the company expand in 2017?

“Our major focus this year is to refine our service offering. In response to economic pressures facing some of our clients, we have developed a unique suite of simple and variable low-cost event packages that they can easily adapt and tailor to their requirements. We have also been seeking ways to diversify, one example being to grow the graphic design expertise we have, leveraging it into a stand-alone service offering for existing and new customers.

“There will be continued investment in our equipment, as well as the team. We of course have our first apprenticeship scheme launching and we are working towards accreditation with Investors in People; we are also looking to expand the team at a more junior level, whilst developing the skills of our existing senior personnel.

“I am really excited about the future and legacy of MCS Event Pro. It is thanks to my father that service excellence is at the core of our business; since day one, the customer has always come first. Today, 30 years later, we continue to work hard to earn our clients’ trust and deliver our services to an exceptional level. It’s not just about being a profitable business; we want to really make our clients happy. The investment we have made in our people, our facilities and the development of a unique full-service offering to clients provides us with a great foundation for continued growth, remaining true to dad’s original vision.”