Following a period of substantial growth, Hawthorn is expanding its team of project managers in London and the Midlands.

The creative event technical production expert has welcomed Kate Doughty to its Leicestershire based team whilst Sam Kilby and Paul Leimonas will be joining the company in London.

Doughty joins from mclcreate where she worked as a project manager, delivering the technical production for a variety of events from super theatres at the Good Food shows to wide screen solutions at pharmaceutical events across the UK and Europe. Having initially trained in stage management and technical theatre at LAMDA before embarking on a successful freelance career, Kate brings over ten years of live event and AV experience to the team.

Talking about why she decided to make the move, Doughty said: “I feel that Hawthorn is one of the most exciting companies in the AV industry at the moment. The way in which they approach their client’s events with creative and innovative technical solutions is what attracted me most to the company. I can’t wait to embrace the new challenges and opportunities that my new role will bring.”

With over 12 years’ experience in the live events industry, Kilby joins the Hawthorn team having worked as a freelancer in the UK, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. This is not the first time Sam has worked for Hawthorn, having been previously employed by the company as Sound head of department in London. “Having been part of the Hawthorn team before, I knew what a great company it was to work for,” comments Kilby. “When I decided to make the move from freelance to a full-time role, I knew that Hawthorn was the place I wanted to be and I’m delighted to be back. I’m looking forward to delivering the wow-factor experiences and five-star production that Hawthorn have become renowned for.”

Leimonas joins the Hawthorn team from Aztec where he worked as a senior technician and brings with him ten years of industry experience. In his new position, Paul will be based at Battersea Evolution where Hawthorn are the technical production partner, and will manage a wide range of events from gala dinners and conferences to exhibitions and product launches. “What attracted me to the company is the impressive wide range of production services it offers. I’ve always prided myself on my 360° event production experience so Hawthorn just felt like the perfect match. With the new season at Battersea Evolution just about to kick off, I can’t wait to stuck in.”

Simon Wood, group director of projects at Hawthorn, said: “We’re delighted to welcome three excellent new project managers to the Hawthorn team. Kate, Sam and Paul all bring a wealth of experience with them and have a proven track record of delivering a diverse range of successful events. This year we’re celebrating our 30th anniversary and having seen a record level of growth during our last financial year, it’s a very exciting time to join the team.”