The ARC Events team comes from a background of event catering, from waitresses to managers; that experience and knowledge is what defines our company. Combined, myself, Rob, Francesca and Charlotte have over forty years of industry experience, planning weddings and events, as venue managers to marquee managers and everything in between! We therefore appreciate every single person’s role at the event. We are a fun bunch, and so close; I consider them my ‘work family’. We love organisation, and work hard. We are as operationally as strong as we are creative…”
Anna Wills, Founder, ARC Events
Anna Wills is the founder of ARC Events, a creative wedding and event planning service based in London, England. The team comprises Anna and three additional full-time planners, along with a roster of trusted freelancers. All team members have established strong relationships with Anna and share a similar background in the industry. Here we discuss how ARC selects the best venue for a special occasion and how the team ensures it runs smoothly, start to finish…
C&B: “Anna, your events appear to cover the entire spectrum of creativity; how do you consistently come up with new ideas?”
AW: “We are designers, curators, visionaries here at ARC, and so we are always pushing the boundaries for what is possible. We don’t follow trends or follow the crowd, but like to be inventive and look to start the trends! I did a degree in Fine Art and so my eye for detail is what makes ARC’s events truly memorable. We don’t half-ass anything, always using our full ass over here!”
The client’s vision for the celebration will help define venue, supplier partners, budget, guest experience, and overall design. We sit down with them early on to get under the skin of what they are about, what they love, don’t love and ultimately what their event will look like, whether this is for a brand, corporate milestone, private party or wedding…”
Anna Wills, Founder, ARC Events
C&B: “There are many event planners out there and many potential clients – what is your USP, how does ARC Events go about creating rapport then tailoring the event exactly to the clients requirements?”
AW: “Tailoring events are what makes each celebration unique to that couple/person/company/brand. It needs to feel authentically theirs, and we ensure this by doing a discovery call early on in the planning process to uncover their personality, lifestyle, cultural background, personal stories, cherished memories, preferred colours, artwork, fashion, style, meaningful heirlooms – the list goes on!”
C&B: “Once you’ve been appointed, how do you keep in contact with your clients – does it require several meetings or do you do everything via zoom?”
AW: “We regularly communicate with our clients via their preferred method, whether that be in person, on whatsapp or on email. We create a detailed timeline that outlines the planning process, with clear milestones for decisions and deliverables. Progress reviews are scheduled to ensure clients feel in control and can make informed decisions without feeling rushed. We imagine and design mood-boards, give them access to an online portal if they want to review guest list management, seating plans, budgets, timelines, supplier contracts, and the wedding website. We present creative options for review, arrange tastings, walkthroughs, mock setups and always encourage feedback. We pride ourselves on being transparent with our approach, there are no hidden costs – for example, we don’t ask for commission from suppliers, we keep things honest and transparent!”
C&B: “The first major decision is often the venue – how do you choose your location for a luxury event and how important is it for you to establish a relationship with them?”
AW: “Our venue partners have seen us in action over the years, know and trust us to deliver highly complex and unique events, so we are lucky enough to be their recommended planners. We know these venues well, their logistics, capacities, limitations and ability to accomodate a beautiful experience. Luxury is a word that means different things to different people, so we don’t align ourselves with venues that are necessarily ‘luxurious’, but those that will mean something to someone, and who care about the success of the event…”
C&B: “Often you’re creating celebrations for VIPs with high profile guest lists; how do you address security and discretion – before, during and after?”
AW: “This is our top priority, discretion is at the core of our business, and we always maintain a safe, confidential and comfortable environment for our clients to plan with us. Secure channels, agreements, professional security teams, discreet locations, surveillance, media coordination, secure travel logistics, VIP comfort, are just some of the ways we ensure a seamless and secure environment for our clients…”
By understanding our clients expectations, preferences and vision we carefully curate a shortlist of appropriate venues. We have access to the renowned and iconic, or unique and hidden venues of London and beyond, offering exclusivity to our clients…”
Anna Wills, Founder, ARC Events
C&B: “What is your most important focus when it comes to theme and the overall impact of the special occasion?”
AW: “We very much focus on the guest experience; from the moment they open that invitation to the day after, everything is carefully curated with the guest in mind. From colour palette, stationery, to menus, entertainment and lighting – each element of the design of the event is considered with the client and guests in mind…”
C&B: “Talking of guest experience, how do you select your vendors? They’re crucial to the operations and over all vibe of the event…”
AW: “We select the very best suppliers to collaborate with on our events, those who understand us and are aligned in their business morals and values. The supplier will be handpicked based on the client’s vision for their event. We work with teams that go above and beyond, have been tried and tested, and will ensure the success of the event. Having worked in these sectors of the industry ourselves, we know the benchmark we are looking for…”
C&B: “Once you have the right vendors on board, how do you ensure every aspect of the occasion runs perfectly?”
AW: “Meticulous planning, clear communication and a structured approach. We work with trusted, experienced suppliers in the industry, those who know what to expect from an ARC event. From detailed master plans, site visits and meetings, on-site management, contingency planning and more – we ensure that all suppliers work harmoniously together to deliver the event…”
C&B: “Do you ever find that you come up against challenges before or during an event?”
AW: “Yes. We work on a lot of challenging events, it’s why we work with high-profile clients. There are always going to be challenges that present themselves but we pride ourselves on our level-headedness on-site, which gives us the ability to problem solve quickly and efficiently. Our team is able to accommodate unexpected changes without compromising the event…”
Within the last year, or so, we have started delivering events in Europe for our clients, so are now very clued up on the hot ticket venues across Italy, France, Greece, Portugal among others!”
Anna Wills, Founder, ARC Events
C&B: “You work with a culturally diverse client base; how do you ensure the event reflects their traditions and heritage?”
AW: “If it’s part of a client’s identity and meaningful for them, then it’s so important to incorporate into the celebration. From the venue selection to the dress code, we exercise sensitivity and creativity when planning each element of the celebration. We are lucky to have the knowledge and experience of embracing different cultures that feed into a well thumbed, diverse little black book; from entertainment to officiants!”
C&B: “Last question: for you personally, what is the main indicator that an event has been a success?”
AW: “At my first meeting with the wonderful design team at Bolter, the wizards behind my branding, they posed a question to me. What emotion Anna would you most like your clients to feel after the delivery of an event with ARC? After some thought, the answer was really quite simple: Gratitude – for a job well done. This aim perfectly encapsulates my objectives for the business with honesty, comfort, value for money, transparency and sustainability being the pillars. As I set out on this adventure, knowing there is a pretty crowded market, my aim was clear – to provide a reliable, trusted service marrying my knowledge of the industry with my creative flair to deliver aspirational, memorable events – merging old-school hospitality with an artistic modern twist…”
CONTACT: http://www.arc.events
