Lauren Marshall

+27-82-569-**** ǀ laurenmarshall*1@gmail. com ǀ 71 The Arch, Venda Road Sebenza Ext 4, Johannesburg, South Africa

Date of Birth: 11 November 1968 Nationality: South African Driver’s License: Yes PROFILE

Primary Role: Event/campaign specialist

Secondary Role: Communication, marketing & brand management A well organised, goal orientated, individual. Combining a strong inherent solution driven attitude with strong leadership and communication skills have culminated in a well-seasoned, multi-disciplined, experiential brand event specialist.

Entrepreneurial thinking, created the start and running of a successful and rewarding small business, spanning over a decade. Gained valuable hands-on experience within the Meeting, Incentive, Conference and Event (M.I.C.E) arena. Simultaneously developed strong communication, PR, marketing and brand management skills. Building on this experience, pivoted into the government sector through the role of - project manager - bringing AFOSAI as a first-time hosting by the Auditor General to South Africa. During various agency’ tenures, opportunities were presented and capitalised on to strategically develop and rollout local and national behavioural change, and marketing campaigns on multiple platforms. Creation and management of various campaigns and business events; encompassing fundraising, community awareness, sophisticated and sometimes complex conferences, concerts to long term educational/ awareness campaigns.

Dedicated to key account management excellence, with a client centric core, combined with a developed ability to listen to the client’s needs and objectives, has culminated into the transformation of tangibly successful projects. This has always been done with collaboration of correct role players and stakeholders maximising budget allocation.

Seeking new challenges and always willing to engage with any opportunity to expand an extensive skillset within campaign, marketing and brand management. Being agile allowing transition onto virtual landscapes.

Staying updated with best practices and current consumer insights and trends KEY SKILLS

• End to end event/ campaign project

management

• Key account management

• Leadership

• Verbal/written communication

• Strategic and analytical understanding

• Stakeholder engagement

• Staff & Stakeholder communication

• Brand and marketing management

• Development and presentation of

proposals and plans

• CSI & fundraising

• Fact checking and attention to detail

• Budget management/ROI accountably

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

• Exhibition awards for, Komatsu, Standard Bank and Eskom

• Guinness World Record - 49M: https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world- records/most-people-on-space-hoppers

• Strategic creation of all tactical activations for 49M: www.qdm.co.za/49m-factsheet/

• AFROSAI – First time hosting of this international conference in South Africa

• Diamond PRISM award - IPL 2009

• Gold PRISM sustainability category - 49M 2012

• First vehicle launches for Daimler Chrysler back into the South African market CAREER HISTORY

GROUNDED MEDIA June 2019 - July 2020

Events / Activations Manager

Responsibilities:

• Full account management of the experiential activation portfolio under the strategic brand management contract for Corporate Affairs, Generation divisions of Eskom Holdings.

• CSI portfolio (Eskom Development Foundation)

o full control of the annual Business Investment Competition - hosted both on digital and physical platforms.

• Conceptualisation of the business seminar. This annual seminar has transcended comfortably into the virtual space with beneficial savings to the client.

• Collaboration with specialised agencies in the business divisions, formulating their annual business event strategies, managing event marketing, communication and activation elements, ensure

• Integrated Demand Management

o Full tactical integration - Identify and leverage strategic speaking, meeting and/or exhibition opportunities for B2C and B2B, face to face/ virtual and social media for the IDM client the new marketing campaigns. Targeted at all demographics of the electricity landscape. Identifying and onboarding key stakeholders, advocates, thought leaders and influencers as channels for key message distribution in support of the national digital campaign.

• Comprehensive closeout reporting, identifying key learnings and recommendations. Annual budget planning, spending and ROI accountability of the combined multimillion- rand budget of all projects.

FREELANCE

Consultant Event Strategy

June 2018 - May 2019

Freelance - Outsourcing my experience and skills to consult on correct costing and proposal preparation to a range of clients before accepting a contract from Grounded Media GLOBAL INTERFACE CONSULTING August 2012 - April 2018 Project Lead / Client Services Director

Headhunted to a senior level position in public relations, activation & stakeholder relations, managing the behavioural change programme 49M.

Responsibilities:

• Full oversight and management of the media team, national and regional media plans, media engagement, press releases, reporting, monitoring analytics and AVE reporting.

• Conceptualise and implement of TTL national activations directly engaging 15 million South African consumers; Imperial measurements showed consumers engaged on average of 14 times with the educational tactical game during the national mall and social media mobile home competition during 2012/2013.

• B2B - Partner programme over the five-year period onboarded in excess of 135 companies (<25% JSE listed) via active employee engagements and digital portal. Toolkits and experiential activations provided ongoing education to partner staff and clients.

• An annual CSI fundraising Golf Day sponsored by the partners raised over R2 5 million rand over 4 years from a zero budget.

• The project was ended 2016 with all focus shifting to the energy loss management campaign. Worked with collaborating agencies to formulate the annual strategies and growth ensuring full integration to reduce electricity theft.

• Management of annual budget of all PR/activation elements of campaigns. Full financial and milestone achievement closeout reporting (ROI) MAGNA CARTA PUBLIC RELATIONS (Pty) LTD June 2008 - July 2012 Senior Account Director

Summary:

Project management, working with the South African Auditor General committee to plan and execute a 7-day international conference. Full international diplomatic protocols implemented and observed. Short-term contract transformed into long term project management including, IPL activations & PR and the global brand change for Standard Bank. Worked with corporate and government sectors in HIV/Aids awareness campaigns space. Opportunity to bring the 49M energy efficiency campaign to life through clever experiential activations. Vital team member instrumental of brand growth brand to 73% consumer awareness in 5 years. Headhunted by newly appointed agency to continue with the campaign

CONFERENCES INTERNATIONAL October 1995 - June 2008 Managing Member

Full integrated service package inclusive of conference, exhibition, campaign and stakeholder engagements, press conferences and product launches, international client/ staff incentive excursions, highlighted clients:

Dell Computer launch into SA market

Komatsu South Africa Gold medal for best outdoor stand Electra Mining, launch ADT trucks to SA market Schering Plough: Oncology Division product launches and physician international conferences AstraZeneca New drug launched to specialist physician ALEXANDER FORBES June 1992 - June 1995

Direct Marketing Manager – Family Financial Services Mid-level position at ALEXANDER FORBES in the direct marketing sector in a partnership with Readers Digest and short-term insurance sectors.

STANDARD BANK March 1987 - April 1990

Customer Services Supervisor

Junior level position held at STANDARD BANK in the Financial sector EDUCATION & QUALIFICATIONS

MATRIC – 1986 DAMELIN COLLEGE

University Pass

SAACI

Full PCO International accreditation 1999 – 2008

Event Organisers Network Membership – Current

REFERENCES

Latetia Venter adoxqu@r.postjobfree.com 082-***-****

Corporate Affairs: National Marketing and Communication Manager Growth and Innovation

Vanessa Carpel adoxqu@r.postjobfree.com 082-***-****

Corporate Affairs Business Partner

(Generation Division) Eskom

Colin Edwards adoxqu@r.postjobfree.com, za 079-***-**** Owner Little Chilli Company

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