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Steven Duggan 31, creative designer and director of Steven Duggan Events
Have you planned parties for any famous faces?
‘I’ve done Elton John. But currently Adele is our most famous: she’s a frequent client. That’s not to say she hosts a lot of massive parties – it could be for something small she’s having at home where I offer a creative helping hand.’
Did you always yearn to throw big bashes as a child?
'I was fascinated by the circus when I was a child, by the fact that it’s a pop-up production and you never know what’s going to happen. That’s where my interest in events started.'
How did you make a success of your event business?
‘I studied events management and PR, and I have a degree in architecture and interior design. It’s a mix, but I think all of what I studied helped my pursuit. I like the whole design aspect of events.'
What is the weirdest party you've ever organised?
'I think the funniest was a petting zoo. It’s not very unusual, but we were chasing goats around a garden, which is not a thing you imagine you’ll be doing. That was a Peppa Pig party for a first birthday.'
What's a typical week for you?
‘Our events are quite big productions, so we probably do one every two or three weeks on average. Otherwise it’s all design and meetings. I like to walk around the city to get ideas. I think it’s important to see, for example, the difference in fashion throughout Soho compared with the way people dress in Knightsbridge. I have to see the change in trends, so I don’t ever want to stick to 50 hours in an office.’
It sounds like a dream job.
‘Well, the parties can be very labour-intensive. We could be working from 6am one day until 6am the next, and I would’ve changed clothes in the back of a van. But to watch a birthday girl or boy walk in and see their happy reaction: that’s so rewarding.’
Hours: 50 per week
Starting salary: £20,000 p/a
Qualifications: Events management experience
Or, why not become a cat rehomer?