Then and now... Jennifer Smith

In the latest instalment of Bdaily’s Then and now series, Jennifer Smith, head of sales, events and hires at The Glasshouse International Centre for Music, discusses how female mentors have helped guide her career, how a passion for Sunderland AFC kicked off her journey into sales and what’s shaping the future of conferences and events.

You’re head of sales, events and hires at The Glasshouse International Centre for Music. What does your role entail?

My role is all about growing conference and event sales, and delivering the strategy to drive external hires.

Many people know The Glasshouse as a home for live music, but part of my job is letting people know we’re also a venue that helps organisations, businesses and charities celebrate their achievements and successes. 

Over the past 20 years, we’ve hosted annual conferences from a wide range of local, national and international organisations.

Did you always want to work in the hospitality and events sector? Or did you have other ambitions when you were growing up?

A part of me always wanted to work in this sector. 

While I never saw myself in a sales role, I’ve come to see events as a really purposeful kind of sale.

I always like to say events are about problem-solving, not just selling.

I’m the first port of call for people looking to hold a conference or event at The Glasshouse, and a big part of my role is helping prospective clients envision their event in the venue. 

When I was younger, my dream was to be Delilah, Sunderland AFC’s black cat mascot at the Stadium of Light. 

Once I’d ticked that off, I went full throttle into events!

What was your first job – and did you enjoy it?

My first ‘proper’ grown-up job was at SAFC Foundation – now known as Foundation of Light. 

I was admin for the coaching department, which involved things like booking kids on soccer courses, taking registers and getting flyers made. I really loved it. 

It funded my Saturday nights out, taught me about office life and introduced me to the world of work.

Were there any mentors or individuals that helped shape your career? And are you still applying lessons you learned then to your workforce of today?

I really admire a strong woman in a tough environment, so I have to mention my former colleague Jess McCabe, who is still a good friend today. 

I first worked with her in a maternity cover sales coordinator role at The Glasshouse (back when we were called Sage Gateshead).

She was a great mentor and when that contract ended, she pushed me to apply for a sales manager role elsewhere. 

Even now, I’d still go to her for advice.

I’ve always looked up to my sister too; she worked at Sunderland AFC for many years and I followed in her footsteps. 

Working in football as a woman taught us both to be confident in our abilities and to support each other.

I also made three friends for life at Sunderland AFC. 

When you’re in the minority working in a demanding 24/7 role, you need to stick together. I learnt something different from each one of them, including how to be the best version of myself, how to handle difficult situations and how to be confident in what I’m doing.

What attracted you to the events and hospitality sector?

It’s such a cliché, but no two days are the same.

I’m a person that loves to see an end result, so whether that’s delivering an event, making sure a dinner is served on time or getting a contract signed, it’s those ‘we did it’ moments that make this job so rewarding.

I’m also a people person, and you get to meet and interact with people from all walks of life.

How do you feel you’ve changed as a person over the years? Have career roles brought new dimensions to your personality?

Like many people, I’ve faced redundancy more than once, and I think that really shapes how you see things. 

I love my job and give it 110 per cent, but it’s important to have a work-life balance.

The coronavirus pandemic was a huge turning point. 

Like so many in the events industry, I was made redundant. 

I went to work in my brother-in-law’s butcher shop packing meat hampers and doing social media.

I also made wax melts at home and started selling them online.

I’d worked hard to get where I was, so losing that overnight really knocked my confidence.

It was an old connection that brought me back to life after that experience, and I started my career again at an executive level at Sunderland AFC.

I spent almost four years working at the football club, reaching the sales manager position.

You’ve seen many changes to the employment world across your career – how do you see the workplace evolving in years to come?

The most immediate changes will be brought about by artificial intelligence and technology. 

While there have been some really positive developments, like cloud computing and improvements to software and systems, I still think in my world of sales you need that face-to-face approach to sell a venue. 

I’m confident in the world of conference and events sales that there won’t be many chatbots answering the phones. 

Another change we’re seeing is that conference organisers are increasingly looking to work with venues and destinations that can demonstrate how they’re minimising the environmental impact of meetings, events and conferences. 

At The Glasshouse, we’ve introduced a lot of new and innovative ways to improve our fuel efficiency and achieve our goal of being net-zero by 2030. 

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