About Us

About

Hi, I’m Helen — and I’ve been steering mdem longer than I’d like to admit (let’s just say it’s been a while!).

I didn’t plan on a career in hospitality — I sort of stumbled into it. My first love was languages, especially French. My very first job? Translating for a French rep at a food processing machinery company (yes, really!). It involved everything from tense client meetings (think factory-floor drama) to exhibitions in Calais and even translating technical manuals. Glamorous? Not exactly. Character-building? Absolutely. After I’d done just about everything I could in that role, I went in search of a new adventure and landed in the world of conferences and video production. That’s where things clicked.

Editing suites weren’t quite my thing — hours in the dark transcribing videos didn’t exactly set my soul alight. But then one day, someone asked me to find a venue for an event. Cue the lightbulb moment!

There’s just something about venue research that I adore. It’s hard to explain, but when you know you’ve found the perfect spot for a client’s event — that buzz is unbeatable. I’ll often give clients a shortlist of great options, but deep down, I always have a strong hunch which one will be “the one.” I love being right.

During the lockdowns (hello, event postponements every six months!), I decided to start a blog — somewhere to share thoughts and notes after those long-awaited site visits. That’s how www.venueresearcher.com was born. I designed, built, and launched it myself, and it’s now a space where I regularly post venue reviews for the events and corporate market as well as here on this website.

Of course, there’s more to me than work! I’m a proud mum of three and share my home with a small zoo: hamsters, rabbits, rats (they’re lovely, I promise!), Edgar the bearded dragon, and our dog Nero.

I’ve had a few unexpected turns along the way — I trained in Lau Gar Kung Fu, co-drove a rally car (with and without bits of Armco attached!), married a racing driver, and traveled around UK and European circuits.

Fun fact: I didn’t even own a pair of trainers until about five years ago. Now? I’ve got several pairs and a full-blown hockey obsession. I started as a forward, picked up an injury, and was promptly volunteered for the goalkeeper kit. Let’s just say I’m fiercely protective of my spot in goal — and I now proudly captain my team. These days, you’ll find me most Saturdays flinging myself across the pitch to stop a tiny ball from crossing the line. And loving every second of it.

Contact

Blog website: www.venueresearcher.com

Office : 01256 381363

Mobile : 07831 455206

Email : helen@mdem.co.uk