Jo Beames is celebrating her first year in business with Jo Beames Consultancy (and as part of the micebook team) this month. So we caught up with her to get the lowdown on the journey so far…

Congratulations on your one-year anniversary as Jo Beames Consultancy. What are your highlights so far?

Thank you, Susie, I can’t believe it’s been a year already! I’ve had so many highlights. From starting my consultancy business with two fabulous London hotels and a stunning private house in Sussex along with my buyer community director role at micebook, to finishing the first year on a high having been appointed to represent a five-star resort in Tenerife. It’s been incredible.

micebook was one of your first clients. Can you tell us more about what your focus has been over the past 12 months? 

My core focus has been to build an exceptional network of event buyers. I’m extremely proud of the communities I’ve been building, including the Corporate Collective for senior corporate event leaders and the female agency leaders’ group, which I am working with you on. It’s been great to see these communities thrive and enable these incredible leaders to support one another through in person meet ups and active WhatsApp groups.

micebook is the voice and heart of the industry, and I look forward to continuing to build our communities into a thriving place where buyers can feel supported, attend incredible events, connect with the best suppliers, have access to the latest industry news and spend time with their peers for meaningful discussions. My next project is to create a next-gen community which I’ve called Future Leaders. I’m excited about this as I feel so passionate about supporting our next generation of event professionals on their journey and feel it’s important we understand them better and how best to engage with them as these are our future industry buyers, influencers and leaders.

You’ve also been working with Cowdray Estate now for a year – how has the property evolved its MICE offering and any new experiences to share?  

As soon as I visited Cowdray and met Neil I was spellbound by all the house and estate has to offer for a corporate event. Neil’s passion to ensure they deliver exceptional events is contagious and the team are constantly coming up with new ideas and evolving their offer. It’s the ultimate countryside escape, just an hours’ train ride from London, and there is something very magical about exclusively taking over a private house, but with all the services of a hotel.

I’ve loved running my mini fam trips showcasing Cowdray and the type of events they can accommodate from luxury incentives and retreats to leadership/C-suite meetings product launches, in addition to their social events business. There are an array of experiences for corporate groups, including acres of spectacular grounds for outdoor teambuilding activities and dining in the summer months with incredible fireside feasts and BBQ’s. In the winter months, cosying up in the house with roaring fires and making good use of the billiards room, bowling alley and indoor pool before dining in the magnificent Buck Hall is something quite spectacular.

I also love the work being done by land manager Nick who continues to put the environment and sustainability first and is very keen for our corporate groups to get involved with some of the projects. It’s well worth following Cowdray on Instagram to see all the amazing events and the things they are doing on this working Estate.

You have two gems in London that you represent – can you tell us more about the work you’re doing with them?  

They are absolutely my two hidden gems in London, and I love it when I hear clients saying the same. The Ampersand, which celebrated 12 years this year, is located on the doorstep of the Natural History and V&A Museums with the Royal Albert Hall close by, and playful colourful interiors reflecting these iconic landmarks. It also happens to have two of the best interactive afternoon tea experiences – the award-winning Science offering a mix of exciting and curious dishes, and the Jurassic, where gastronomy and history collide – both of which can be offered for private events in the Games, Drawing and Wine Rooms.

Vintry & Mercer opened in 2019 in a first-class location nestled in the heart of the City. For a boutique hotel, there is lots of space for events including dNd, a sophisticated speakeasy cocktail bar, along with Vintry Kitchen and Mercer Roof Terrace with sweeping views of the London skyline, all of which can be taken for private hire for receptions and private dining

You’ve just been appointed to represent a new exciting property in Tenerife. What’s unique about the property from a group’s perspective?

I’m so excited to be bringing Gran Hotel Taoro to market. I have been looking for the right five-star international property to partner with and this is absolutely the one! Located 20 minutes from North Tenerife Airport in the undiscovered and authentic location of Tenerife in Puerto de la Cruz, it’s an iconic historic hotel from the 19^th century with a rich history, set in beautiful French botanical gardens with panoramic views of Mount Teide and the Atlantic Ocean.

Re-opening in December after a full renovation and taking groups from April 2025, it will have 199 bedrooms, event space with capacity up to 650, spa and wellness, multiple restaurants, swimming pools, spacious outdoor areas for all types of events, and can also be taken over for exclusive use. It’s going to be another, larger, gem in my bijoux collection suitable for all kinds of MICE events and I can’t wait to tell my professional events community about it. I am sure many will have a perception about Tenerife, but I think I am going to be showing them a part they will love, and which is fit for any luxury event. I’ll be planning a Fam trip to see it in May to showcase the hotel and surrounding area.

And finally, what are you most excited about for year two?

I’m excited about seeing the micebook communities grow and thrive. I am also excited to see the next phase of micebook. As you know Susie, we have some very exciting plans to create even better, bolder events such as X by micebook for both our buyer and supplier communities.

For my properties, I will continue my proactive work in engaging with the MICE community, keeping their presence in the market visual and supporting them on achieving their MICE strategy and goals in 2025. None of us have a crystal ball, but all I can say is that I’ve loved this first year, and who knows what year two has in store for me.

I’d like to say a huge thank you to all the clients I work with, my industry friends, peers, event professional community and followers who have supported me in my business so far – Thank you I am eternally grateful and wouldn’t be in this position without you. So, it would be an understatement to say, it’s not only been a busy year it’s been a brilliant one!

And before we finish, being a massive ambassador for mental health, one thing I have learnt in the many years I have been in the industry is there are never enough hours in the day, and there will always be something that needs to be done and stakeholders to please. But we are human and we need to replenish to avoid burnout and take a pause to recharge because when we are fresh and feel appreciated, we do our best work.