Events Coordinator at CSA Catapult, Hannah Fullegar, joined the Catapult in Summer 2019. Hannah and her team have delivered some of company’s largest industry and collaborative events at their Innovation Centre. Fast forward one year, Hannah tells us how her team have switched up their priorities to deliver digital and memorable events.
Tell us about your role at the Catapult
I am the Events Coordinator at CSA Catapult, which means that I arrange all events that we deliver and attend, internal and external. We run a variety of internal events which include informative learning sessions and full company briefings. The learning sessions, our Innovation Forums, are held on a monthly basis and a member of the team delivers a short presentation on a topic that’s related to their role, or gives us more of an insight into what they do at the company.
We also run technology and industry events which showcase the expertise and capability we have at the Catapult. They’re also a great way for individuals from both academia and industry to network and discuss potential ideas. We delivered our Power Electronics showcase in March, which was very well attended and now we are in the process of planning our RF & Microwave, Photonics and Advanced Packaging showcase events to be planned after the end of lockdown.
What do you enjoy most about Events?
I love that each event is different. It is a collaborative industry that we are a part of. Our Innovation Centre is a flexible and versatile space and it’s satisfying seeing it in full swing during busy event days.
We’re collaborative in the initial stages of planning, right up until the day of the event. I love that I’m able to work with different teams such as technology and business development. By working collaboratively with one another, it allows us to be more innovative in our ideas.
I also enjoy watching clients’ first impressions of the AMPhitheatre and AC/DC, our main event spaces. It’s an impressive venue and it’s always great to see how visitors react when they see it for the first time.
A lot of events are moving digital. Tell us about how CSA Catapult is delivering virtually
Our goal at CSA Catapult is to connect the right people together so that great things can happen. We’re planning a new series of digital events, these include webinars, thought-leadership and workshop style events. This will enable our stakeholders to network with one another virtually to spark new ideas.
Our most recent webinar focused on the 5G funding calls. Different companies were invited to pitch their project ideas and explain why they wanted to collaborate on a joint bid. This virtual event demonstrated that ideas don’t stop when we’re working remotely, they simply pivot and adapt. We’re connecting people through our virtual events as we usually do when we deliver them in person. Even collaborating virtually great ideas are shared.
Currently, webinars are at the forefront of our minds and are how we reach a wide range of people. June and July are looking busy for us as we have a variety of virtual events coming up. These range from technology introductions, workshops and thought leadership sessions.
When the time is right, we’ll be back delivering events in person at the Innovation Centre.
What positives have you taken out of these times that we’re in?
I’ve found that I’ve been making more of a conscious effort to keep in contact with family and friends. We have weekly quiz nights and catch-ups, which gives me something to look forward to in the evening and on weekends.
I’ve also been running a lot more to make the most of the lovely weather. Cardiff Bay is a great place to go for a run, especially in the sunshine. When I am not running, I’ve been making my way through my pile of jigsaws as this helps to switch off after a busy day.
For more information on CSA Catapult events, click here to learn about our upcoming webinars and workshops.
