Today, we’re shining a spotlight on Rebecca Hopper, our creative conference executive.
Rebecca studied Event Management at Leeds Metropolitan University. During her time at university, she took a placement year with a local charity organising multiple events where, rewardingly, the funding went directly to the charity.
Upon graduating from university, Rebecca went straight into healthcare event work, organising conferences overseas in Abu Dhabi, Colombia, India, Brazil, and many different European countries.
Having trotted the globe, Rebecca decided she’d prefer to stay in the UK and found Millbrook Medical Conferences. She’s now been part of the Millbrook team for six years and we love having her bubbly self on board!
Keep reading to get an insight into planning an event at Millbrook Medical Conferences…
“I’m currently organising a new Beyond Aortic Stenosis meeting and the Fundamentals in Structural Intervention Course.”
“Today I’m trying to put a plan together for when I go on maternity leave for baby number three. I’m making sure I can plan my meetings to ensure a smooth handover to my colleagues.
“I’ll be looking over event contracts for future meetings and getting these signed off, working over post-event budgets to ensure these are all completed before maternity leave commences in November.”
“I enjoy coming into the office, there is a nice vibe, and everyone gets along. I also enjoy being on site, experiencing new venues, and meeting new clients and attendees.”
Thank you for taking the time to chat with us, Rebecca! Visit https://millbrook-medical-conferences.co.uk/upcoming-conferences/ to browse all our upcoming conferences, including some of the ones mentioned earlier, and see if anything takes your fancy!
Millbrook offers several event management services from venue sourcing and society administration to organising face-to-face, hybrid, e-Conferences, and webinars. If you have a conference idea that you’d like to turn into a reality, a query about one of our conferences, or are interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at a meeting, please email enquiries@millbrookconferences.co.uk, or call 01455 552559 to see how we can help!
We’ve all had post-holiday blues, but what about post-conference blues? Whilst we prepare for our September meetings, we have just the thing to tide you over! We have recently added 11 conferences to our on-demand platform, the Millbrook Hub!
Whether you want to relive your favourite moments, make sense of your shorthand, or were unable to attend in-person and want to see what you missed, the Millbrook Hub is the place to go for hours of medical education.
Moreover, the Millbrook Hub gives you the option to skip ahead to specific talks and live cases, so you can tailor your learning by watching content that’s relevant to you.
The newest additions to the Millbrook Hub include:
Once a conference has been recorded and edited, it will be loaded onto the Millbrook Hub within two weeks, so you won’t have to wait long to get your fill of medical education!
Since its launch in 2021, 5,435 healthcare professionals have signed up to the Millbrook Hub and this year alone the Millbrook Hub has received 184,430 page views.
Access to e-conferences on the Millbrook Hub is for registered persons only. To register for access, please click here and complete the form. Access is free to healthcare professionals only; the Millbrook Hub is not open to industry professionals.
If you have registered for a Millbrook e-conference in the past, you will automatically have access to the Millbrook Hub using the same login details.
Millbrook welcomes feedback about your Millbrook Hub experience – please email events@millbrookconferences.co.uk with your thoughts and suggestions.
Click here to access the Millbrook Hub.
Today, we’re introducing you to Matt Daly, our webinar whizz. Matt is in his 30th year of events management after starting from as an apprentice for Coventry City Council way back in 1993, congratulations! His first conference was centred around the 90s craze line dancing, which he volunteered to lead on yet strongly affirms line dancing is not his thing.
Following the success of the first conference, Matt was given five more meetings within that first year focused on sport, such as swimming, football and golf; the latter being right up his street!
Like Tilly, Matt is very well-travelled having run events in Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Spain, France, USA and Australia. He has organised meetings at some amazing places like Sydney Opera House, The MCG, The Burj Khalida and Universal Studios Orlando.
He then created and ran his own events company in Sydney, Australia, from 2011-2015 and we’re pleased to hear that it’s still going strong today!
Matt joined Millbrook in June 2019 initially on a one-year contract as he was working as a freelance events manager on his return from Australia. That then became a permanent contract in February 2020, with Matt being hired as an Executive Conference Manager.
Keep reading to get an insight into planning an event at Millbrook Medical Conferences…
“I’m currently planning for the IAU meeting in October, the Shockwave AICT meeting in November and the 2023 BRAIN Conference in December. These are the largest conferences I’m involved with alongside some smaller meetings like CORE PAD for Abbott and some Shockwave calcium meetings.”
“Over the next few days, I’m visiting venues to assess their suitability for meetings. I’m also measuring up at two venues for the exhibition for IAU and BRAIN alongside our H&S manager.
“I’m editing some videos from some previous meetings; a skill that I acquired during lockdown when all our meetings were online.
“Myself and my colleague Shalome will be on site for the WMPA meeting on Friday 7 July 2023 to ensure it runs smoothly.
“In addition, I’m attending a business network event in Nottingham for our new sister company Millbrook Conferences and Events to promote the new business.”
“The thing I enjoy the most is working with the fantastic Millbrook team. I believe we all work well together which creates a really positive atmosphere where we feel motivated, supported and valued. We also have some great suppliers like Talking Slides, Creative62 and The Jade Studio who are good to work with.
“Building good relationships with venues like the Royal College of Physicians make life easier when planning for conferences. I also enjoy working with some amazing clients like Shockwave and Abbott who trust us to deliver first-class meetings for them.”
Thank you for taking the time to chat with us, Matt! Visit https://millbrook-medical-conferences.co.uk/upcoming-conferences/ to browse all our upcoming conferences, including some of the ones mentioned earlier, and see if anything takes your fancy!
Millbrook offers several event management services from venue sourcing and society administration to organising face-to-face, hybrid, e-Conferences and webinars. If you have a conference idea that you’d like to turn into a reality, a query about one of our conferences, or are interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at a meeting, please email enquiries@millbrookconferences.co.uk, or call 01455 552559 to see how we can help!
Millbrook is pleased to announce the appointment of Sian Rudkin as Administrator. The team total now stands at 16, with three members Sian, Charlotte and Shalome joining in the first half of 2023!
Millbrook welcomed Sian in June to assist with general administrative duties, such as processing and accepting delegate registrations, updating previous and existing conference spreadsheets, preparing and sending out evaluation surveys, adding on-demand content to the Millbrook Hub and much more.
A lover of baking and crafts, Sian has tonnes of experience and qualifications under her belt, having studied a course in media make-up earning her stripes in TV and film make-up, wig making and as a nail technician and hairdresser.
Spanning more than ten years, Sian began her career in administration, starting out as a Senior Receptionist at a solicitor. She then moved on to become a Payments Office and Sales Administrator at a bank, Financial Support Administrator for an investment company and finally, a Sales Administrator for a recycling company.
For the last seven years, Sian worked within a primary school as a Teaching Assistant. In the last two years, the mum-of-two studied and passed a Higher Level 3 Teaching Assistant qualification!
Sian brings many skills to the Millbrook team, including excellent written and verbal communication, a sound knowledge of Microsoft Office, the ability to work on her own initiative as well as part of a team and the ability to prioritise and manage multiple priorities.
Speaking of her previous experience, Sian said:
“Throughout all the roles I’ve worked, I’ve gained lots of experience in how to deal with many different tasks and priorities with varied time scales and at very busy times. I’m very much a ‘to-do list’ kind of person and I get lots of satisfaction in getting things crossed off and tasks completed.”
Now she is back to her administrative roots and Sian’s appointment couldn’t have come at a better time when additional capacity is needed as Executive Conference Manager Emma Robinson prepares to go on maternity leave at the end of June for her third child.
Plus, we are excited to welcome back our Administration Assistant Chloe Tyler later this year following the birth of her second child in August 2022.
Today, we’re introducing you to Tilly Broadbent, our cheerful Conference Coordinator. Tilly has worked in hospitality since the age of 16 and studied Event Management at Leeds Beckett University, which she graduated from in 2017.
As a part of her degree, she completed a placement year in America, working at Greenwich Country Club where she shadowed an Event Manager and undertook other duties within the club. Once Tilly completed her degree, she lived in Australia for two years, again working in the hospitality, events, and customer service industry.
Upon returning to the UK, Tilly joined Millbrook as an Administration Assistant, but it wasn’t long before she moved into an event organiser role. Tilly works on many of our face-to-face and virtual conferences. Our well-travelled Tilly is our go-to for everything venues with bags of knowledge on hotels and hotspots across the UK.
Keep reading to get an insight into planning an event at Millbrook Medical Conferences…
“I’m currently working on a Valve for Life webinar focused on TEER for mitral and tricuspid regurgitation as well as a few BCIS meetings, including the Coronary Intervention Trainees Course, Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest Study Day and Coronary Intervention Trainees e-Course. I’m also planning for the 2023 Bristol ACHD Course, BISMICS, CHIP and CTO 2024!”
“My to-do list looks a little something like this:
Valve for Life Webinar
BCIS Coronary Intervention Trainees Course
CHIP
BISMICS
CTO 2023/2024
“I enjoy being on site and seeing the hard work prior come to life.”
Thank you for taking the time to chat with us, Tilly! Visit https://millbrook-medical-conferences.co.uk/upcoming-conferences/ to browse all our upcoming conferences, including some of the ones mentioned earlier, and see if anything takes your fancy!
Millbrook offers several event management services from venue sourcing and society administration to organising face-to-face, hybrid, e-Conferences and webinars. If you have a conference idea that you’d like to turn into a reality, a query about one of our conferences, or are interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at a meeting, please email enquiries@millbrookconferences.co.uk, or call 01455 552559 to see how we can help!
Millbrook is on track for another successful year with 58 conferences in the diary for 2023. To support the exponential growth of the company and Executive Conference Managers, Millbrook has hired a Societies and Associations Administrator and an Assistant Conference Organiser, taking the team total to 15 (yes, that does include our pawsitive pup Nico).
Millbrook welcomed Charlotte in March as a Societies and Associations Administrator – “a complete career shift” as Charlotte describes it, joining the team from an insurance background. Charlotte has worked as an insurance broker for a decade, bringing a plethora of transferable skills with her, including computer literacy, effective communication, leadership, relationship building and more. Charlotte isn’t completely alien to the medical sector, though, having recently achieved a level 3 qualification in healthcare and midwifery!
Charlotte ensures the societies, associations and initiatives that Millbrook supports are thriving. No matter what is needed, Charlotte is there to help push these important organisations forward through the management of large and small projects whilst maintaining flawless day-to-day administration.
When Charlotte isn’t busy looking after members of the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society (BCIS), West Midlands Physicians Associations (WMPA) and Valve for Life, she enjoys cycling and watching medical dramas.
Shalome joined the team as an Assistant Conference Organiser in late April, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience in the events and hospitality sector with her. Naturally outgoing with a dry sense of humour, Shalome is no stranger to planning fun and memorable events with experience in the wedding industry. The mum of two has worked as a personal assistant, event manager, charity and events fundraiser – the list goes on!
As well as managing some of Millbrook’s conferences and webinars from start to finish, Shalome supports the conference team on a wide range of conference-related tasks, adding additional capacity to the team where needed.
Speaking of her new role, Shalome said: “Millbrook is a breath of fresh air. I am excited about the journey ahead, supporting the team, managing conferences, and adding additional capacity to a truly esteemed organisation.”
Commenting on the appointments, Managing Director Fiona McDonald said:
“I’m delighted to welcome Charlotte and Shalome to the Millbrook family! As the number of new business enquiries and societies that we manage grow, we need the best people on board the Millbrook team to develop and grow the business whilst maintaining our exceptional standard of easily accessible, sustainable medical education.”
You will be hearing (and seeing!) more of Charlotte and Shalome at Millbrook’s upcoming conferences.
2022 saw Millbrook Medical Conferences (Millbrook) celebrate its 30th anniversary, and what better a way to commemorate the milestone than with a shiny, new website that really showcases the business and all its accomplishments over the last three decades. In addition, Millbrook has invested in CVENT, which puts event registrants at the heart. Throughout the last year, Millbrook has worked incredibly hard behind the scenes to design, develop and test the website and CVENT, which were both rolled out on Friday 6 January 2023.
Recognising that its events are unique and that its registration technology should be as responsive, intuitive and flexible as the event it plans, Millbrook decided to move away from its previous registration and event management system to CVENT.
The move to CVENT strengthens the business’s commitment to providing the best user experience possible. The event management software solution paves the way to a seamless registration process by combining advanced functionality with a user-friendly interface, which in turn, allows Millbrook to design a specialised registration process for its audience. Attendees will have greater ownership of their registration, with the option to amend their booking(s) by adding accommodation, additional days later down the line or cancel it themselves.
The most notable change for website visitors is that each upcoming conference will have its own identity outside of the Millbrook brand in the form of a fully customisable microsite. As such, the Millbrook team will have greater design freedom and the ability to implement feedback from clinical organisers on the look and feel of each individual microsite. Utilising images, colours and fonts reflective of the meeting, Millbrook will kick off its events in the right way, giving attendees a taste of what they can expect. What’s more, every conference will have its own stamp with added functionality and information included to suit the conference itself, rather than limited flexibility with only text functionality.
As an independent microsite, healthcare practitioners interested in attending a particular conference can quickly and easily refer to the conference-specific microsite for all the latest information related to the event, including programme and faculty updates, directions, and frequently asked questions. A time-saving benefit as users would previously have to navigate through Millbrook to find what they are looking for.
Registering for medical education is made simpler with CVENT as attendees can amend their booking(s) with just a few clicks. The transfer to CVENT offers the same features attendees know and love, as well as some new capabilities, such as the ability to add their own accommodation, additional days attendance, or attend a dinner. Now, delegates can go one step further by adding those extras later or cancelling them.
The event technology platform for face-to-face, online and hybrid events creates a smoother, quicker, and more efficient delegate experience. The registration process is tailor-made to suit the requirements of each conference and opens the opportunity of storytelling and taking the user on a journey.
Away from CVENT, the Millbrook website itself is easier to navigate and bursting with information, including biographies on the Millbrook team, services offered and case studies and news, without compromising the visibility and information available on its conferences.
The changeover is extremely beneficial to delegates, clinical organisers and Millbrook Medical Conferences alike.
CVENT removes some previously manual processes, which allows for more streamlined and efficient working as well as increased capacity within the team, and CVENT will act as a one-stop-shop for everything related to each conference with the organiser having full visibility and ownership of this. What’s more, with its increased reporting functionality, CVENT makes it easier for Millbrook to access and identify areas for improvement, allowing the business to proactively act on these changes and implement measures for stronger results.
Utilising such technologies allows for integration with other systems for automatic processing and linking of information between multiple services, which also increases the scope of growth.
The overhaul of Millbrook’s website is reflective of the future of the business and the direction it is taking. In addition to high-quality content and a refined colour palette, the website features more information on the services offered by Millbrook, for those interested in running their own conference with Millbrook Medical Conferences as a partner.
Speaking of the investment, Business Development and Marketing Manager Sarah Moore said:
“Millbrook has seen huge growth in the past 18 months and with this the business is ready to take the next steps to expand and invest in its future.
“The implementation of a state-of-the-art event management and marketing system will allow additional functionality for our team to help promote efficiencies and allow for more advanced ways of working, as well as providing a more streamlined and pleasant registration and delegate experience for those attending our conferences.
“In addition, we’re proud of our new website which better reflects the direction of the business. We’re really excited about these new changes and look forward to the possibilities these systems will create and to build on our recent achievements well into the future.
“Whilst we’re excited about our new technological advances, it’s our wonderful team that are at the heart of the business and are the main reason for its continued success.”
Millbrook Medical Conferences welcomes feedback about your experience – please email enquiries@millbrookconferences.co.uk with your thoughts and suggestions.
It has been an eventful and special year for Millbrook Medical Conferences, too, being the 30th anniversary of the business. Bouncing back from the pandemic, Millbrook Medical Conferences (Millbrook) organised 50 meetings in total: an increase of 26 from 2021! Of the 50 conferences, 24 were e-conferences or webinars, whilst 26 were in-person and hybrid conferences. Millbrook returned to some major cities throughout the UK, and visited some new ones, including Derby, Galway, Glasgow, London and Manchester, managing a total of 13,485 attendees worldwide!
By providing medical practitioners in several different disease areas with accessible medical education through a variety of different conferences, Millbrook is facilitating them with the knowledge they need to make informed, and often lifesaving decisions, as well as contributing to vital medical advancements. This education is vital to the NHS as well as private and international healthcare systems to improve patient outcomes and the standard of healthcare for all, forever.
Before Millbrook Medical Conferences begins chapter 2023, the business is reflecting on some of its best bits of 2022 outside of organising conferences.
In 2022, Millbrook and Managing Director Fiona McDonald were delighted to have been shortlisted for the Best Legacy Award within the ABPCO Excellence Awards. The nomination focuses on the legacy and impact Millbrook and Fiona has and continues to have on medical education. To support its application, Millbrook was invited to submit a short video and, as you can tell, the Millbrook team had a lot of fun filming it.
Millbrook turned ‘the big 3-0’ last year and such a milestone could not go unmarked. In the run up to the anniversary, the Millbrook team went on an undercover operation to create a celebratory video for Fiona. The mission involved contacting her former colleagues, family and friends, and asking them to record a short congratulatory message, which were all collated into one long video. On Friday 11 November, the team travelled down to London for a ride on Funicular’s The Murdér Express, where they enjoyed an immersive theatre dining experience to celebrate the business and all its achievements.
Millbrook began the year continuing its work as the secretariat for the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society (BCIS), which is just shy of 2,000 members! In 2022, Millbrook organised a total of 22 conferences for BCIS, equating to approximately 55 hours of education. The meetings included educational forums, dedicated sessions for AHPs, consultants and trainees and its flagship conference Advanced Cardiovascular Intervention (ACI). BCIS ACI 2022 was a rip-roaring success, educating over 900 delegates and giving every single one of them the opportunity to participate through a dedicated app and education dome.
Millbrook also strengthened its relationship with Valve for Life UK as its administrator. Valve for Life UK aims to increase access to transcatheter heart therapies in the UK through various means, including the Valve for Life UK bus tour, which made headlines on Sky News last November. As the administrator for Valve for Life UK, Millbrook maintains the Valve for Life UK website, social media channels and assists in internal and external activities.
Millbrook expanded its team employing Patricia Sloneczny (also known as Trish) as Operations Assistant. Previously a Director of Quality, HR and CSR in the construction industry, Trish joined Millbrook in March to support the management team in the development and maintenance of quality management systems. Since joining Millbrook, Trish has refined Millbrook’s current processes and procedures adding to the already robust health and safety requirements and ensuring they are complied with. Trish is committed to supporting the management team with the day-to-day running of all office functions to ensure the safe and smooth running of the business and development of all employees.
In June, Millbrook also welcomed Sarah Davies (better known as Sarah D to avoid confusion) to the team as a Marketing Executive who supports Business Development and Marketing Manager Sarah Moore on everything digital at Millbrook. Sarah D keeps Millbrook on the map, taking care of several social media channels and communications, as well as writing articles and case studies. Sarah D graduated from the University of Bedfordshire with a first-class degree in Magazine Journalism.
If you are a @MillbrookMed Twitter follower, you will know that Millbrook ran its own version of Channel 4’s the Great British Bake Off in September, aptly named the ‘Great Millbrook Bake Off.’ The team enjoyed sweet and savoury treats from a Kinder Bueno drip cake and Tres leches cake to moreish bread and sausage rolls! Millbrook can officially reveal that Sarah Moore won the Great Millbrook Bake Off with her yummy eclairs!
To support the exponential growth of the company and Executive Conference Managers, Millbrook is recruiting for a Conference Organiser and an Events, Societies and Clubs Administrator.
2022 has been an outstanding year and with many new business enquiries, 2023 shows promise of being another busy and successful year!
Thank you for supporting Millbrook throughout 2022.
Millbrook Medical Conferences has reached an exciting milestone as it celebrates three decades of organising first-class medical education.
Millbrook Medical Conferences (Millbrook) was established in 1992 by Managing Director Fiona McDonald during her maternity leave after realising a need for the service whilst working within the NHS as a secretary.
Fast forward 30 years and Millbrook is a multi-award-winning business that serves healthcare professionals worldwide by ensuring the delivery of high-quality education through its range of in-person, virtual and hybrid conferences.
Millbrook has received many accolades since its inception, most recently in October 2022 when it was named as a finalist within the ABPCO Excellence Awards for the Best Legacy Award. The nomination focuses on the legacy and impact Millbrook and Fiona has and continues to have on medical education. Wish Millbrook luck when the winners are announced on Friday, 9 December at Birmingham ICC!
In the lead up the anniversary, the Millbrook team were working behind the scenes (and did very well to keep schtum!) to create a special 30th birthday video for Fiona. The Millbrook team reached out to Fiona’s previous colleagues, family, and friends old and new, and were overwhelmed with the response. The aim was to get 30 people to record a short congratulatory message, which were all collated into one long lovely video. Before setting off to the capital for a fun-filled evening, the team shared the video with Fiona over a glass of fizz, who was bowled over by the messages of thanks and well wishes.
The 20-minute video featuring the Millbrook team, Adrian Banning, Dan Blackman, David Gershlick and Nick Curzen to name just a few, is available to view in the video below.
Afterwards, the team headed down to London for a ride on Funicular’s The Murdér Express, where they enjoyed an immersive theatre dining experience to celebrate the business and all its achievements in style.
For Fiona, the surprises didn’t stop there as the Millbrook team had a wall mural specially created to mark the 30th birthday. The wall art contains a collection of words and locations of significant importance to the business and its growth, depicted in different sizes.
Here’s to another 30 years of organising high-quality education!
Fiona McDonald, Managing Director of Millbrook Medical Conferences, is delighted to have been shortlisted for the Best Legacy Award within the ABPCO Excellence Awards.
Fiona is recognised for her tireless dedication to organising first-class medical education through the establishment of Millbrook in 1992, which today serves healthcare professionals worldwide by ensuring the delivery of first-class education through a range of in person, virtual and hybrid conferences. In the last ten years alone, Millbrook has educated over 10,000 medical practitioners and organised 371 conferences!
By providing healthcare professionals in several different disease areas with accessible medical education through a variety of different conferences, Millbrook is ensuring the facilitation of the knowledge they need to make informed, and often lifesaving decisions, as well as contributing to vital medical advancements. The education is vital to the NHS as well as private and international healthcare systems to improve patient outcomes and the standard of healthcare for all, forever.
Speaking of the nomination, Fiona said:
“I’m flattered to have been put forward for this prestigious award. When I founded Millbrook Medical Conferences 30 years ago, I was aware of the need for professional, high-quality, accessible and focussed medical education.
“Looking back over the years I’m so proud that, along with an incredible team, we have gone some way to filling this gap and moving forward our intention is to continue to provide these hugely worthwhile face-to-face conferences and increase the access globally via streaming or viewing on-demand video footage.
“The reason I am so confident of our future challenges is because, even after 30 years, I continue to love coming in to work knowing that I have a fantastic team supporting me.”
BCIS Lifetime Achievement winner Fiona is nominated alongside the ICC Wales team for its work on Protect Duty and ExCeL London which has nominated EASL for the International Liver Congress 2022.
Winners of the awards will be announced on Friday 9 December at Birmingham ICC. Click here to find out more and book your tickets. Shortlisted candidates for all categories were selected by an independent panel of judges, and the winners of four of the awards will be decided by delegate judging prior to, and during the event.
