To Whom It May Concern

Dear Sir/Madam;

I believe that you are currently seeking an Events Professional for your Company. I would like to be considered for this important, and no doubt exciting position. I believe that with my vast amount of experience covering all aspects of the profession, I would be a great asset to your organization. OK I’m now going to bore you with probably ‘way too much’ information about me but I have a big story to tell. I have enclosed/attached a wealth of information about myself and my experience.

Before you go further here are a few bullet points about me.

I am a Scotsman presently living in the Lady Lake area of FL.

I am a British citizen – with a current passport and NI#. I also have a USA green card with SS#.

Twenty five years experience in all aspects of the event and conference production/management profession.

Excelled on both the corporate and agency sides of the profession.

Successfully produced events/conferences throughout the UK – Europe – USA

My extensive corporate communications background would be useful to your organization.

Salary and hours would not be a big factor, in any decision I would have to make.

Available at your convenience and I would not be looking for relocation assistance.

I also have found that my Scottish accent is well received throughout the US.

Should you require any further information or clarification, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Regards – J. Barry Thomson

Just because I make it look easy…doesn’t mean it is

FORMAL APPLICATION FOLLOWS

From my resume, you will find me to be a dynamic, results-oriented executive with a talent for working with and leading teams to achieve your client's objectives through its conferences and events. My proven expertise will certainly be a valuable asset to your team and membership.

Originally from Scotland I have been living in the US for over 20 years. I am a UK citizen, and a legal resident of the US with a "green card".

I have extensive experience working in the USA, UK and Europe and I feel that I could bring fresh thoughts and ideas to the table. For many years, my role has been to build and sustain strong client relationships, leading and supporting diverse clientele through wide ranging projects, with responsibility for the full event management cycle - from conception to planning and development to delivery.

The core of my experience comes from a distinguished 25+year career with ScottishPower. During this tenure, I had the opportunity to ensure the highest levels of public communication and partner satisfaction over the course of a number of critical initiatives. No stranger to highly regulated and controversial projects, I am well known for discretion and diligence; additionally, I was well regarded amongst my peers for my creativity and passion for the event profession.

More recently, I employed my skill-set as a Senior Meetings and Event Producer for a production company in New York. During my tenure I produced, managed and stage managed various Corporate and Association events, throughout the USA and Europe - many costing more than $1Million (US) in staging alone.

My past experience provides me with the full knowledge of what is involved in setting up and running an event or conference. My management style is to work alongside my colleagues as part of the team, utilizing the existing high level of talent and expertise.

My past responsibilities included - being the Company face to the client, working with our in-house creative team to develop a creative strategy. Once the project plan was approved I would take complete responsibility for the entire event. This included producing timelines, site visits, guiding the detailed creative development of the theme and message, (the 'look and feel' of the event). I managed the production of all deliverables for presentations. On the technical side I contracted for all audio visual equipment, and all other support services leading to a successful show. Throughout the entire process I was in regular contact with all relevant parties to guarantee that message, budget and any deliverables were on target.

Consequently, I believe that I am well qualified for this position which will allow me to leverage my expertise in strategic planning, tactical execution, program leadership and financial expediency to benefit you.

I would welcome the opportunity to explore your needs in more detail and of course willing to discuss any of my experiences in greater detail. I am confident in my ability to make an immediate and long-term contribution.

Many thanks for your consideration.

Sincerely,

J. Barry Thomson

MY RESUME

Executive Event and Conference Management

conferences - corporate meetings - live events

Personable – Articulate – Persuasive

A Consummate Professional

Innovative and versatile executive manager/producer with more than 20 years of experience in developing, managing and executing high-profile special events, programs, and public relations initiatives.

Combine strong administrative, organizational, and communication skills with the ability to independently plan and direct high-level business affairs.

Possess strong team building, problem solving, and decision-making skills.

Outstanding performance in relationship development and management as well as strategic planning.

CORE COMPETENCIES

strong project management skills

strategic planning and content development

securing high-level speakers/entertainment

stage management/ logistics planning/on-stage rehearsals

robust negotiation skills/ develop and manage event budgets

experience managing all elements of onsite execution

mentoring and team building

extensive audio video knowledge

Strict attention to detail

energetic and willing to “roll up sleeves” to get the job done

“a clear understanding that

not all success happens between

9:00 am and 5:00 pm”

Relevant Experience

FUSION PRODUCTIONS – Webster, New York

Senior Meetings and Event Producer (January 2008 - July 2009)

Leading a team to coordinate and execute conferences and events; work with talented individuals across departments to continually provide personalized touches that make the client distinctive and reinforce their unique position within their industry. Managed the logistics and operations for large-scale industry conferences, including all stage management, technical rehearsals, speaker rehearsals, floor managing and show calling. Provided design and creative direction for the production of all communication materials, ensuring that they consistently convey the client’s culture.

Responsible for various corporate and association conferences in the US (Miami, New Orleans, Chicago Baltimore, Washington, New York, Las Vegas, Hawaii, California) and Barcelona.

Employment Gap Explained - In 1994 I became financially independent, later in the year, I met and married a lady from Manhattan, NY, later we moved to Florida, we bought a boat and spent a good few years sailing (hence the yacht club connection) during these years I kept very active, carrying out various voluntary duties at the yacht club). In 2007 I chose to return to my chosen profession.

BIRD KEY YACHT CLUB – Sarasota, Florida

Commodore / Member of Board of Governors (1995 – 2006)

(voluntary – unpaid positions)

Contributed to operational leadership team by this member owned private yacht club with more than 600 members. Chaired numerous committees, including House and Grounds, Food and Beverage, Membership, and Strategic Planning throughout leadership tenure. Oversaw $1M clubhouse renovation project, including consulting with architects and contractors to plan and execute four-month project. Designed and produced club’s advertising and promotional efforts to recruit and retain membership. Advised board of governors on the development and implementation of organizational strategy and image. Acted as a key advisor in establishing organizational priorities, developing strategic initiatives, and managing club communications.

SCOTTISHPOWER – Glasgow, Scotland

Corporate Communications Executive - Events (1968 – 1994)

Managed special events projects within the Corporate Communications Dept, including cultivating and maintaining relationships with all vendors.

Spearheaded annual report development, event planning, photography, and video production to support the company’s corporate communications and public relations mission. Supported colleagues in internal communications, investor relations, publication development, and press relations. Built and nurtured excellent working relationships with company senior management, internal staff, vendors, and the community. Supervised and approved advertising media contracts for print and television campaigns. Led negotiations with vendors on all contracts and monitored expenses to ensure budgets were met. Planned company presence at conferences and exhibitions. Oversaw development of all visual materials.

Professional affiliations

Past Member, Institute of Public Relations of Great Britain.

Past Member of the Glasgow Round Table.

Former Chairman of ScottishPower Head Office Social Club.

Other relevant information

U.K. citizen with U.K. passport.

Permanent U.S. resident with Green Card and Social Security number

Computer skills include - Microsoft Office Products.

Interests – my profession/photography/tennis/cooking/entertaining/travel.

Even more about me follows

I produced an evening show for 1500 invited guests at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Center in Glasgow, Scotland. This was an event held to announce to the ‘world’ the Company’s new name/corporate identity/vehicle livery/retail signage. Invitees included many British politicians, VIP’s, press and staff. We had engaged local entertainers and musicians, along with a military band. I conceived a set which, at the appropriate time, exploded to reveal the new name and corporate identity. The use of the military band gave us a few security problems due to terrorism threats (in those days the IRA) which any association with the military might cause. This meant that I worked closely with police and the British internal security service. The evening was videoed and within a few days I delivered a series of road shows to members of the staff throughout Scotland and parts of England. This consisted of pre-recorded pieces from the live event – as well as live presentations by Senior Staff and others. Prior to this I had visited and pre-booked various locations, including hotels, movie theatres, and local meeting halls. The road show crew consisted of specialists in staging, set, lighting, sound, video projection. Due to size variations in each of the venues we designed modular stage pieces to work within the various sizes we encountered. Attendees at each presentation ranged from 80 to 200 per session with two sessions per day; once complete we would wrap and move to the next venue, arrive and reset for the next day. Rehearsals were held in the morning, with the first show beginning around 10:00, the second following later in the day. I managed the entire event and called each show.

A ‘round the world’ road show was planned as part of a campaign to entice institutional financial investors to purchase shares of the newly privatized Company. This required one private plane with the presenters on board and two other planes filled with two complete presentation packages (stages/sets/AV etc.). These three planes ‘hopscotched’ between each venue. Presentations were held in most major European capitals and selected cities around the Middle East and Asia. It was an interesting exercise, as we had to organize customs carnets, and arrange for local labor. The kicker was that we had to provide our presenters/speakers with clothing as they seldom spent an overnight in a hotel where they could get timely laundry service. As to the number of attendees at these investor presentations, quantity was not the prime factor; it was the quality of the attendees not the numbers; however, it did run into many hundreds overall.

I directed one of the largest and logistically complicated events ever staged in Scotland - the official opening of Torness Nuclear Power Station near Edinburgh. I conceived and managed the entire event with a budget in excess of $3.5M, overseeing staff and contractors throughout the six-month event planning process. I arranged and coordinated VIP relations, including hosting the then Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. I visited No 10 Downing Street where I met with her and her staff to ensure that the program was acceptable. I planned and executed a two-week series of special events including daytime opening ceremony for 600 plus, an evening event for 1200 guests, contractors’ open houses, VIP open houses, and two days of public visits. We planned for, and installed portable kitchens, VIP bathroom facilities, rotating stages. As I had conceived the unique opening event to take place on top of one of the operating nuclear reactors, where numbers were limited, we had a 16-camera ‘outside broadcast system’ installed which beamed a live feed from various locations throughout the power station to all those VIP’s and guests who were in attendance. Once again due to security considerations the entire area had to go through a series of strict security checks, and as the main organizer I had to be thoroughly vetted by the British internal security services.

I spearheaded the Company’s rebranding initiative - as part of UK government utility privatization program. I oversaw the identity change from the South of Scotland Electricity Board to ScottishPower, including development of a new corporate identity program. I coordinated with designers and vendors to implement changeover across 100 retail outlets, encompassing hundreds of vehicles, signage, staff uniforms as well as physical plants. All of the above had to be completed within a very tight time schedule. I also created a corporate identity program with a policy manual and standards, and policed it for some time thereafter.

Working on behalf of an international pharmaceutical company I was tasked with producing an event in the Hotel Arts; a Ritz Carlton property. My first visit to Barcelona was to carry out a site visit. To demonstrate why an event producer is essential, please read on. On arrival in Spain I found that the client had signed a contract with the hotel, and in the small print, the client inadvertently had agreed to use the in-house audio visual company. As this project entailed some extremely complicated audio visual segments, for a very demanding client, I was uncomfortable using a company that was unknown to us. I had a meeting with the hotel’s General Manager and eventually persuaded him to allow us to bring in a well known European audio visual company, one with whom we had previously worked successfully. The event went fairly smoothly; thankfully, few were aware of the items that did not go to plan, which were totally due to the client making major last minute changes to their scripts and visual materials. Fortunately, I had persuaded the client to let us bring along to Barcelona an outstanding computer graphic artist who prepared exceptional material – mostly at very short notice. This was a five day intensive conference, for a fairly small group (80 to100) of senior executive management from all parts of the globe. Due to the seniority of the attendees we actually rented executive leather swivel chairs for the general session areas. We were working mostly 18 hour days, with rehearsals in the early morning, the conference itself, followed by more night rehearsals which ran well into the early morning. The entire production staff was put under extreme pressure during this event, mainly due to the demands of the client. However, I managed to instill a sense of comradeship and professionalism with everyone and when we left Barcelona we were proud of what we had achieved.

My company won a contract with a US Association to produce their general sessions for their annual convention being held in the Honolulu Convention Center. Attendance would be in the 3000 + range, coming from all parts of the US and the world. In addition to the general sessions, there were numerous breakout and educational sessions being held throughout the days in various locations in the Convention Center. The Association was celebrating its 25th Anniversary, so our design concept was based around that milestone. Working with our in-house graphic designers we developed a number of anniversary logos which I wanted to use as the main feature of our stage setting. Once approved in principal with our client, I then had to ‘produce the unit’. Meanwhile I organized a three day site visit to the Convention Center; included in the party were representatives from the client, convention center, video, audio, rigging and staging, along with a local DMC, which had been contracted to organize local off-site evening entertainment. Our anniversary graphic, now approved, had to be constructed. On the mainland that would not have been a problem; however, in Hawaii it proved to be quite a challenge. I had countless conference-call meetings with sign manufacturers with little success. Eventually I found a company who could fabricate the unit and the sign was produced.

For the opening general session – I had hired native Hawaiian drummers who paraded around the Convention Center and, like the ‘Pied Piper of Hamlin’; the thousands of attendees followed them into the hall. The lights dimmed and the show began. After some well choreographed pieces by the Board members who stood in pinpoint spotlights picking out major milestones of their 25 years, the entire hall went dark, the drummers started to drum and drum, louder and louder until they reached a crescendo; at that moment a number of effects occurred simultaneously – stage fireworks erupted around the set (white flames), the Anniversary sign was illuminated and came into view (using a kabuki drop), in the audience area confetti cannons went off and millions of pieces of multi-colored confetti showered the audience. This took an enormous amount of detailed planning…timing had to be perfect, and it worked.

The rest of the day and the following days were less intensive than the opening day. We had various presenters and entertainers each day, and again rehearsals for the next day were scheduled for the afternoon prior. Crew call times were usually around 07:00 until around 16:00, if not later, much of that depended on when the following day’s speakers or entertainment were available. The event was a great success.

Fontainebleau Hotel, Miami – 3 day conference for a franchise marketing company. Produced each general session and managed their breakout sessions. 600 attendees.

New Orleans Convention Center – 4 day annual conference for a US medical related Association. Produced general sessions, breakout rooms, etc. Conceived the stage set, booked the guest speakers, entertainers, audio visual company. Stage managed and ran speaker rehearsals. Called all the general sessions and ensured that all other areas were running smoothly. Approximately 3000 attendees.

Baltimore Convention Center – I produced two annual Business & Accounting Expositions for a financial association. These consisted of two-day general sessions with breakout sessions for further education. Attendance was into 500 to 600 per day.

Marriott Marquis, Times Square, New York - 1 day conference for a financial client, with speakers including Lawrence Summers, Karl Rove, Paul Begala. Designed the set and produced the event for 600 attendees. As I had not been involved in booking the accommodation, and the client had not pre-booked an early load-in time, it proved challenging to install everything in time…however we did.

Mandalay Bay Hotel, Las Vegas – a number of visits to this venue for Associations, producing events with participants numbering in the thousands. Produced mainly the general sessions, which included stage and set design, audio visual equipment, sourcing and booking the speakers and entertainment. Had a watching brief on the organization and running of the educational sessions.

Rose Bowl, Pasadena – produced an evening event on the field for approximately 600 guests. Including a chili cookout competition, games, disco, buffet dinner and an awards ceremony. There were lots and lots of balloons - unfortunately it was a very windy night.

Fairmont Hotel, Chicago – produced a one and a half day conference for a financial Association, consisting of an awards dinner show and a full day general session. 400 attendees.

Organized - The World Youth Sailing Competition – ScottishPower was the main sponsor of this Olympic organized event, held in Greenock, Scotland.

ScottishPower Annual Shareholders Meetings held in Glasgow, with attendance ranging from 400-1000 shareholders.

UK Government sponsored Public Inquiries.

Designed and managed numerous public exhibitions, promoting new power station and transmission line construction (including video presentations, three dimensional model preparation, artists’ impressions, etc.).

Managed ScottishPower Annual Report production (including design, collation, photography and distribution).

Responsible for the production of all audio visual, video production, speaker support preparation for senior executives.

Supported countless presentations to government and local officials.

General – over the years I have commissioned and managed and directed photography, video, commercials, design and print material.

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