Cygnus Events celebrating its one year anniversary

Cygnus Events is a boutique event management agency aimed at providing professional and bespoke event management perfection.

Sonia Stray and Sarah Whitehead first met back in 1986 at just 11 years old. 40 years later and their company, Cygnus Events has just celebrated its one year anniversary.

One of the keys to planning a successful event, we believe, is the people. Cygnus Events is about Sarah and Sonia who have been delivering outstanding events over 10 years.

Together as Cygnus Events they bring positivity and knowledge, creativity and excellence to all manner of events. Powered by determination, bravery and a drive to excel, they have become a part of a wide spectrum of client teams!

The company is thriving, new clients, new locations, new challenges, new adventures!

That’s the company spiel but the real story we want to share, as we celebrate International Women’s Day, is how did we get where we are now?

Rewind a year or two and on a return flight from another successful conference pre-Cygnus, and as we approached a milestone birthday year, both of us began to wonder what was next.  As Sarah says ‘the previous few years had been challenging as we navigated the fall out in the events industry from the Covid years, perimenopause and the daily juggle of being a working Mum.  After 25 years working as an event professional I was ready to jack it all in.’   Sonia continues ‘We both needed something more, something that would reignite a passion, a career for the next chapter of our lives with our stamp on it.’

Working on conferences around the world is hugely rewarding and exciting.  We get to see months of hard work and ideas come to fruition, meet new people from all walks of life and see the world but it also comes with its own stresses and challenges. Long days of travelling and long working hours constantly being the ‘go to’ person, being away from home and managing all that comes with that can be challenging and dare we say it perhaps not as easy as 20 years ago!  So, having people around you that support you, lighten the mood and generally have your back is vital.  Sonia sums it up when she says, ‘Sarah and I have such a great relationship, we just get each other, the good, the bad and the ugly, that’s what comes of knowing someone for so long!  It just works!’  With such a strong foundation and a glass of wine or two the seed was sown that it was time to do something for ourselves, to believe in ourselves and make the most of the skills we had gleaned from years working in Event Management and Training agencies.

So why not set up a company at 50!  Once that spark was ignited our enthusiasm was renewed and the journey began!

The real beginning wasn’t the return flight, but when we first met at secondary school and became fast friends.  Over the years we kept in touch on and off until finally rekindling our friendship when our children were small.  We became part of each other’s all important female support network in those challenging first years of parenthood.

Eventually we started working together in a small local Event Management agency, working in a great team – travelling the world supporting clients with the logistics management and delegate wrangling for a variety of conferences, exhibitions, award ceremonies and more.

Time went by, adventures were had, Covid happened, mid-life arrived and then the new chapter began!  Our lives have now opened up to a whole new world of opportunities and independence that we never really would have thought possible a few years ago.

‘Setting up Cygnus as a female led partnership has reignited my love for my job and I am immensely proud of what we have achieved in the last year.’  says Sarah.  ‘I firmly believe that what is meant for you won’t pass by you, it is just about timing and this is what is meant for us.  We just had to be in the right place in our lives.  Partnering with Sonia and taking on this journey together has been inspiring and so much fun and why not!  We have earnt it!’.

Sonia concludes ‘We are flourishing in this decade of our lives, and with that comes a new confidence.  Starting Cygnus has truly been a joy, a challenge yes, but what better way to enter your 50s with renewed enthusiasm for a career you love and a strong focus.  Juggling the demands of a busy family life is still very real, but working the way we do offers the ultimate in flexibility.  I can be all the things I need to be for everyone but most importantly I finally feel that I can be myself and that is good enough.’

For more information about Cygnus Events visit www.cygnusevents.co.uk or drop us an email at info@cygnusevents.co.uk.