Candy Willans
Hire Space
London
14
years of professional experience
5
years of post-secondary education
I have a solid background in Account Management and Business Development, with a passion for building relationships and creating meaningful professional partnerships. I’m an energetic, engaged and people-focused person who thrives in a fast-paced sales and events environment.
In my current role, I spend my time building impactful partnerships with some of the UK’s leading venues, engaging our events and venue community whilst providing knowledge around premium listings, marketing campaigns and identifying opportunities to drive growth and convert new business.
Work history
EVENTS ASSISTANT
4 Months- After relocating to London, I gained amazing experience working at renowned events including the Chelsea Flower Show, Ascot Races, Hampton Court Flower Show, and Boardmasters Festival. I supported multiple teams during event setup and throughout the event to ensure flawless operations, managing large event spaces and overseeing the coordination of various teams to ensure everything ran smoothly
VENUE ACCOUNT MANAGER
11 Months- Working as a Venue Account Manager at Hire Space means building meaningful partnerships and relationships with the very best venues across the UK, allowing them to promote themselves to reach their full potential. I take a proactive, relationship-driven approach, grounded in a commercial mindset. Hire Space is a pioneer in event technology and sits at the forefront of a dynamic, fast-evolving events industry.
ACCOUNT MANAGER
1 Year 1 Month- As part of the New Business team at Peppermint Events, my role was to secure new F&B contracts for festivals and events, focusing on business acquisition and client retention. Along with this to deliver compelling pitches with detailed commercial overview, backed by operational and industry insights, while building strong, lasting client relationships.
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE
4 Years 9 Months- A head office role, I headhunted a selection of the best street food and retail brands across London and the UK for all BOXPARK sites. I took ownership of the curation of food offerings for new locations. As the sole manager of activation and pop-up spaces, I collaborated with agencies and brands to deliver high-impact, successful activations. I was also responsible for negotiating and managing lease and licence contract terms.
POST UNIVERSITY
6 Years- After graduating I spent two years living in Australia working & travelling. I gained fantastic experience in sales, hospitality and childcare. I then moved to Leeds and worked in various Higher Education Admissions roles at Leeds Arts University and Leeds Conservatoire. Full work history available on my LinkedIn page.
Skills
Business Development
Networking & client relationships
Commercial Acumen / Budget Management
Public Speaking & Interpersonal skills
Knowledge of CRM Systems
Project Management
Negotiation & Communications
Education
BA HONS DEGREE - Drama & Theatre Studies with Media
GPA: 2:1
A LEVELS - ART; DRAMA; FRENCH; MEDIA
REFERENCES
AVAILABLE ON REQUEST
Timeline
VENUE ACCOUNT MANAGER
Hire Space
2025.10 - CurrentRead More
ACCOUNT MANAGER
Peppermint Events
2024.09 - 2025.10Read More
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE
BOXPARK LTD
2019.12 - 2024.09Read More
EVENTS ASSISTANT
Creative Events
2019.05 - 2019.09Read More
POST UNIVERSITY
2013.01 - 2019.01Read More
LIVERPOOL HOPE UNIVERSITY
BA HONS DEGREE from Drama & Theatre Studies with Media
2010.01 - 2013.01Read More
SAFFRON WALDEN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL
A LEVELS from ART; DRAMA; FRENCH; MEDIA
2008.01 - 2010.01Read More