Member Spotlight: Shaun Gibb, Events and Marketing Manager, pro-manchester

Each week we get to know one of our members a little better. This week it’s… Shaun Gibb, Events and Marketing Manager here at pro-manchester.

1. Favourite quote or saying?

“On the day of an event, a good event manager is always the first to arrive and last to leave.” ― Amit Kalantri

2. Career highlight?

Joining pro-manchester. I joined a week before lockdown – obviously a scary and uncertain time for anyone starting a new position but the team have made me feel so welcome and the organisation have put great trust and faith in me, and I will be forever grateful of that. The pinnacle of that being the successful delivery of this year’s first virtual Made in Manchester Awards!

3. Why do you love pro-manchester?

From an outsider looking in I love that the programme of activity is not only interesting and valuable, but it fosters ‘easier’ ways to network. I think the membership ensures everyone who joins has a mutual understanding and a desire to forge business relationships in the right way. Especially in the current climate, I really believe that pro-manchester can be a tool to the GM business community to help us all build back better and stronger.

4. What are you reading at the moment?

Louis Theroux: ‘Gotta Get Theroux This’. I’ve always been a big Louis fan and watch all of his documentaries. I’ve enjoyed his new podcast in lockdown and I’m also a big fan of Adam Buxton – a school friend of Louis’. Adam has a long-running podcast and when the two of them are on that together you hear a whole different side of Louis and hilarity ensues.

5. What are you watching at the moment?

Where do I begin? I’m a bit of a telly addict and I always have a few things on the go at once depending on the scenario. So currently… if I’m watching TV with my wife Stacey and we’re in the mood for something funny then it’s Brooklyn 99, something more serious currently Hotel Cecil and Unforgotten. If I’m on my own then currently working through Boardwalk Empire. All brilliant!

6. Favourite meeting place in Manchester?

Corbieres Wine Cavern on Half Moon Street. It’s a basement bar in the city centre. Originally a wine bar but now home to good beers, winding stairs lead to cavern-style room with a bar at the far side with a famously retro jukebox.

7. Favourite lockdown activity?

All the extra quality time I get to spend with my daughter Aria. She’s 2 years old and keeps me on my toes. She is a bossy madam, but she is also so funny, she makes me laugh every single day. Lockdown has also enabled us to smash potty training perhaps a little quicker than we might have done in normal times.

8. Most creative meal that you cook?

I usually act as Sous-chef to my wife but I do have a couple of dishes that are my simple specialities that I get called into the kitchen for. Namely, on the odd occasion we have something with mash, I make the best wholegrain mustard-mash in the world (so modest about it as well). I also make a mean lasagne which includes a layer of chorizo.

9. Most creative thing you’ve seen on a video call during the lockdown?

The Made in Manchester Awards 2021. We streamed live over Zoom to some 500 delegates via VE-M’s studio. Hosted against a live audience video wall backdrop with loads of audience participation throughout the night, it felt like we achieved something truly ground-breaking for pro-manchester.

10. Most mundane task you’ve completed since being in lockdown?

The house is an ongoing decorating project. We moved in to a bit of a fixer-upper 3 years ago with money and time our only obstacles. Those obstacles are still very much in place with a 2-year-old running riot, but any spare time we get goes onto doing something towards that.

11. Do you write a blog that you’d like us to share?

It’s an ambition, but not there yet. I take great inspiration and pointers from our pro-manchester blog area which our members contribute to on a daily basis HERE. A very dear friend of mine, Ben Cotton, writes an award winning blog which is another great source of inspiration for me to knuckle down and start my own.

12. What are you looking forward to doing again the most after lockdown?

Following the most recent announcements from the Prime Minister on the Roadmap to coming out of lockdown, if those dates remain as they currently are, the final restrictions will be lifted on my birthday. So I’ll be keen to celebrate in style… best get planning!