The right people. A shared purpose. Real momentum.
From shaping the invitation to facilitating the day: bringing housing, business and specialist expertise together at Dumbarton Football Club.
By Mary Ann Smith · Managing Director & Founder A story from our founder’s event experience · 23 June 2026
Mary Ann hosting and facilitating the day at Dumbarton Football Club.
Sometimes the most important work happens before anyone enters the room.
For the Scottish Mould Awareness & Action Seminar, the challenge was to bring local authorities, housing associations, public sector organisations and specialist businesses together around a shared concern. The event was convened by Dunbartonshire Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Steri Systems, the lead sponsor.
I brought my network and resources to the task of pulling the event together, then hosted and facilitated the whole day. It is a useful example of the experience behind The Booking Office: taking responsibility for the thinking, the people and the conversations that make an event worthwhile.
An invitation people could trust
A business-led event needs careful positioning when the audience includes public sector decision-makers. People need to understand why they are being invited, what they will gain and how the discussion will serve the organisations and communities they represent.
The purpose here was to provide practical support, bring specialist knowledge into focus and create space for informed discussion about policy and practice. The programme explored preparation for Awaab’s Law through housing, legal, scientific and industry perspectives.
That purpose shaped the outreach. We focused on the people who needed to be part of the conversation and made the value of attending clear. Within four weeks of starting the process, the event was oversubscribed.
A successful event starts with a clear purpose and an invitation that makes the right people want to be there.
A shared room for housing organisations, public sector voices and specialist businesses.
Putting specialist expertise in the spotlight
With growing commercial interest in mould services, organisations need help identifying relevant expertise and asking useful questions. We wanted the day to give people access to specialists, with time to understand their approaches and discuss the challenges they face.
The exhibition conversations were part of that value too. Delegates could meet suppliers, compare perspectives and take questions beyond the presentation itself.
Conversations at the exhibition stands, including Nuaire and Share.
A venue that belongs to its community
Dumbarton Football Club was a fitting setting. Football clubs bring people together across backgrounds, professions and generations. That community connection can make them excellent venues for an event built around a shared local challenge.
Here, the stadium’s setting beside Dumbarton Rock added a distinctive sense of place. The club offers spaces for meetings, conferences and community gatherings, and venue bookings help support its work locally.
A memorable setting: Dumbarton FC, Dumbarton Rock and the Clyde.
Keeping the day focused on its purpose
Bringing people into the room is one part of delivery. Hosting and facilitation give that room direction: connecting the sessions, encouraging questions, making space for different voices and keeping the discussion useful.
I facilitated the day with those objectives in mind. The event created a forum for people with different responsibilities to share knowledge and consider what better practice could look like. Its intention was to support organisations and inform the wider conversation about policy.
At The Booking Office, we can take responsibility for a whole event, from defining its purpose and engaging the right audience to coordinating delivery, hosting and facilitation. We agree the outcomes with you at the start and build the event around them.
Whether the aim is to develop business, share specialist knowledge or bring a community together, the choices about people, place and communication make the difference.
