Richard Peel Public Relations

Experience Really Counts

Dinah Garrett, Director

Dinah worked for almost 20 years in corporate affairs at the BBC, finally responsible for corporate events and publications, public consultations and the BBC’s accountability programme. She devised and produced seminars, major launches and workshops for specific stakeholders and interest groups around the UK and in Europe.

Public events linked to the BBC Governors’ The BBC Listens programme reached into specific interest groups and communities. She has lectured and broadcast on media and accountability issues.

Since 2001 she has run her own PR, communications and event management company called Experience Really Counts, organising specialised, high profile events for a range of public sector and private companies. Projects have included international conferences and workshops, high level dinners, receptions and balls, media and PR campaigns, press launches, sponsorship management, internal communications, charitable fundraising, memorial events and services.

During her career she has been variously and simultaneously: executive producer, creative director and designer, celebrity manager, script editor, copy writer, print manager, project manager,audience researcher, event manager and financial controller for many events and PR and communications projects.

Since leaving the BBC she has specialised in high profile memorial services, including for John Thaw and Sir Bill Cotton at St Martin in the Fields and Alistair Cooke and Thora Hird at Westminster Abbey. Other projects include the UK Tercentenary events for the Government of Gibraltar including the Gibraltar Day celebrations at the Guildhall; the launch dinner for the Caron Keating Foundation; Midsummer Night’s Dinner for the children’s charity FUN; Laura’s Butterfly Ball for the Laura Sadler Memorial Fund and OMD Show Time 2006.

She was responsible for the overall media programme and PR for the New Trafalgar Dispatch, one of the central activities of the Official Nelson Commemoration celebrations during the summer of 2005, involving over 50 events in seven counties. She has organised conferences for organisations including the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association, Voice of the Listener & Viewer, BBC World Service Trust and Department for International Development, Open Society Foundation, BBC News and Corporate Social Responsibility, the Charity Commission and BETR. At the BBC she managed several royal occasions - notably HM The Queen’s visit to Broadcasting House during the BBC’s 75th Anniversary and The Prince of Wales’ Reception for the 50th Anniversary of The Archers at St James’s Palace; Brussels Week and later BBC 75th Weeks on the Road - week-long complicated programmes of BBC events and programmes.

She is a Trustee of The Laura Sadler Memorial Fund, The Elizabeth R Broadcasting Fund and The Voice of The Listener Trust and is the Festival Administrator of the Chiswick Book Festival.

She uses her experience from working at a senior level for many years in developing and staging major, high profile events and she is equally at home with a small, private dinner or a reception for 1,000 people. Her key skills are developing and managing all aspects of a PR, communications and events strategy - from concept to final execution, with creative flair and careful project management.