Meet us: Michelle

by Helena Moore, Content Executive and Assistant Producer

We caught up with Michelle Trotter, our Head of Design, to get to know her a bit better…

What do you enjoy most about working in events?
Although I’m not an event organiser, as Head of Design I get to enjoy the occasional recce and to attend events to see all my work come to life. Typically, a designer will get to see their work online or in print and as exciting as that can be, there is nothing better than seeing the lights shine down on the stage set you spent many hours measuring to perfection. You can’t beat the feeling of seeing large format displays go from your little screen to the 27m heights of the East Wintergardens in Canary Wharf or jumping on a plane to Tokyo to set up areas where you have created more complex displays.

Tell us something not many people know about you?  
Since the age of three to about 18 years old I have performed on stage in front of hundreds of people. I started off dancing away to Hawaiian/Polynesian songs in my little grass skirt. I then joined a dance school for British Filipinos where you could find me jumping between clapping bamboo poles, which is the national dance of the Philippines, just one of the many cultural dances we performed but the hardest of them all. This experience gave me the opportunity to dance multiple times on Michael Barrymore’s TV show and also in front of the Queen to Under the Sea with Dave Benson Phillips.

What do you do to relax after an event?
If it’s the weekend and we’ve just come back from a long event abroad, I’ll cuddle up with my family and try to catch as many naps as I can.

What main skills have you developed since working in Events?
I studied Graphic Design at university and went straight into working on projects digitally and within print, but I never expected to find myself working on 3D projects or building content for virtual events. I have also learnt about event logistics from behind the scenes. Working with a great team who are very close to each other has enabled me to help out and to understand how an event all pulls together.

Three essential items to take on-site /on a recce?
Bring my colleague Sara with me as she’ll have everything you need packed already, like first aid kits, Pro Plus and portable chargers.

If you help with an event anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Hmmm, Disneyland or Universal Studios in Florida would be amazing, so that we could enjoy the rides before the big show, or party at night and have the parks to ourselves. Dellar Davies has organised events at both of these theme parks, but it was before my time and I think it’s time for a revisit!