With a forensic attention to detail, an extraordinary little black book of contacts and a love of to-do lists, Marble LDN co-founder and COO Emi Gibbs is a consummate party professional. She breaks down Marble LDN’s management style and explains why private and commercial events have to learn from each other
Up close and personal
Marble LDN’s integrated approach to events is testament to the foresight of its four directors: Teddy, Darren, Robbie and Emi. They were each schooled in different sectors of the industry and together bring a combined 50 years experience.
Chief Operations Officer, Emi began her career at Kasimira, the go-to for high-end private events with a special focus on children’s parties – “a whole other world of incredible private sector work,” she says. After buying Kasimira in 2012, Emi continued her journey into super-lux private events around the world and is now Marble LDN’s go-to girl for making sure internal systems and processes are running smoothly.
“I look after anything we can implement to aid clarity internally, such as communications and processes that help people deliver work quickly and efficiently,” says Emi. “Client side it’s really important to stay clear and timely, keep all communication channels fluid, and budget management precise. We want clients to know exactly where they are at, every step of the way.”
It’s this exacting attention to detail and smooth relationship liaison that gives Emi an edge when it comes to event management. The skills honed during her tenure in private events translate beautifully into the Marble LDN portfolio.
“Predominantly we cover commercial work, but it’s a nobrainer to transfer skills from the private sector. Luxury brands now look to treat clients as if they were hosting personal, high-end private parties rather than commercial events.”
According to Emi, clients such as Louis Vuitton, Ralph Lauren and Net-a-Porter are all about VVIP lifestyle experiences. They want their activations to be really boutique and niche – think taking 15 people to Italy on a private jet for the ultimate shopping experience or dinner at a super-chef ‘s table.
“This is your average day in the world of private events, something we understand more than other agencies might be able to because of our heritage – plus our little black book of contacts that help us implement these services worldwide.”
The private sector usually comes with “a lot more hand holding”, because most people haven’t thrown too many weddings or big birthdays before and need to be guided through what can be quite a nerve-racking process. This tends to forge incredible bonds between agency and client, something that Emi finds incredibly rewarding.
“When you deliver an event that exceeds client standards you form these amazing relationships,” she says, “which is something I have always loved – almost as much as I love ticking off a to-do list! We have retained many of our clients for more than a decade now; they return for each phase of events in their lives – and now they trust us with their businesses, too.”
It is important to note that Marble LDN takes a similar approach when working with its commercial clients, training all teams to give companies the same degree of support as they would a private client.
“We use the same channels and process across the board. It needs to be a great experience for everyone, everytime. Just because commercial clients might not be spending their personal money, the events are still a huge responsibility,” says Emi.
Something she is particularly excited about is the recent launch of the Marble Private website, the embodiment of her industry experience. A compliment to the Marble LDN stable, this website is dedicated to highlighting beautiful private events to inspire clients and showcase how the company “flexes its muscles in this area,” says Emi. “Ultimately, we focus on forming a rapport with our clients across the board and a lot of the feedback we receive is incredibly personal. Our team is really enthusiastic and passionate about delivering the best result – I guess our repeat business speaks for itself.”