Historic Scunthorpe company welcomes a royal visitor thanks to Evolve BD
Karen Locking from Evolve BD is best known for helping businesses transform their social media strategy. When her long-term client reached a remarkable milestone in its history, she put her event-organisational skills to use to help it secure the ultimate recognition.
Initial meeting
Karen has been supporting Hornsbys’ with their marketing for quite some time. In 2024, when the company reached 110 years in operation, Karen felt it shouldn’t go unnoticed.
“A local family business that has been running for over 100 years is a massive thing. I wanted to do something a bit different,” said Karen.
Nick Hornsby, director at Hornsbys, said: “We’re the oldest bus company in England and still owned by the same company, so we thought it would be nice to do something.
“I said we’ll have dinner for all the staff in the evening, and it would be great to have a fly past by a Lancaster bomber or the Red Arrows, but we couldn’t pull that off.”
Karen said: “I started reaching out for some royal recognition. All I wanted was a letter from the royal household.”
Karen’s enquiries quickly grew into a major event that is still earning Hornsbys plaudits more than a year later.
“When I got through to the Lord Lieutenant’s office, they also put us forward for a bid for the royal visit,” said Karen
Activity
Karen received confirmation of the royal visit from Her Royal Highness, Princess Anne, with only eight weeks’ notice. She swung into action to ensure everything was in place for the momentous occasion.
“Karen said, ‘Do you know you wanted the Red Arrows? Well, I think I’ve done better than that! I think I’ve pulled it off that Princess Anne is coming to see you. It was a complete surprise and a bit of shock! “ said Nick.
Beforehand, Karen sent out invitations to guests, issued a press release to ensure media coverage, and organised a photographer. She also liaised with Humberside Police to make sure security measures were in place and was in regular contact with the Lord Lieutenant’s office.
Karen said: “Organising the event involved a lot of paperwork because they needed biographies on everyone Princess Anne is meeting.
“I organised the invite list, I made sure we had security clearances for everybody that was there on the day.”
Karen also organised the day’s proceedings and updated Hornsbys’ social media as the event unfolded.
“I organised the flow of the day, from when she arrived to who she would speak to and what they would talk about.
“We put out historical artefacts for her to have a look at and made sure everybody knew what they were doing,” said Karen.
Nick said: “Her Royal Highness stayed for nearly two hours. I was the chief meet-and-greet person to escort Anne around.
“I had a few nerves, but I wasn’t worried about the organisation because I knew Karen would have it all planned. She was the stage manager on the day; I knew that everyone would be standing in the right place at the right moment. And if anything unexpected happened, she would deal with it. So, I was able to go to the event with nervous excitement, not trepidation.”
Results
“To have royal recognition is really very special. It feels like the business has been knighted. Karen had it highly organised, and I was very confident it would run smoothly – the day went splendidly well,” said Nick.
“For those staff who could attend, I think they felt like they had been part of something unique. For Karen to pull that off for our business was a bit special.”
“The day was a big success, and the staff were buzzing at the end of it. From an event organiser’s point of view, I was happy with everything,” said Karen.
The royal recognition is still rolling in for Hornsbys. Nick, his daughter and director Chloe, Karl Robinson, general manager, and Karen have been invited to attend a Royal Garden party in the spring.
“We keep getting more icing on the cake. It’s another special moment,” said Nick.
Statement
“Karen is an exciting person to be around. She is always full of optimism and a can-do attitude. She’s a person who can make things happen.”
Do you want to organise an unforgettable event? Contact Karen Locking to find out how she can help.
