Issue 58

PEOPLE
Behind the Scenes with…
Clare Macleod
How Clare Macleod came to own and run
one of the UK’s most unusual venues
WHEN I was 16 I organised my school’s first
ball to take place outside of the sports hall. I
always knew I wanted to be in events! Little
did I know when planning that first event in
a marquee at a local golf course, my career
journey via marketing and PR for global
technology brands would lead me to host
weddings, parties and corporate events in
the most unusual and spectacular marquee
of them all.
So many venues describe themselves as
unusual and unique but Deckerdence really
is! There is no other outdoor structure or
venue quite like it. A vintage 1967 Leyland
PD2 double-deck bus is the centrepiece of
our 360-degree circular marquee. The bus
is home to a traditional bar on the lower
deck and a fabulous cocktail lounge on the
upper deck. Elements inside our marquee
provide everything that a conventional
venue offers and more. We have a dining
space for up to 150 guests, an entertainment
area with stage, dancefloor and disco lights
complemented by our vintage lounge with
oak-panelled walls, Chesterfield sofas and a
working fireplace.
Running Deckerdence alongside our
other businesses, Clarky’s Marquees and
Commbus, truly means that no two days
are ever the same. Clarky’s Marquees
specialises in vintage marquees, and very
often these structures are part of larger
client set-ups with Deckerdence. Commbus
provides event support for festivals and
outdoor events and has a fleet of custombuilt
vehicles, including many more buses
used for event offices, dressing and green
rooms.
As everyone who runs a small business
knows, your job role is extremely varied
and needs to cover all aspects, from the
critical areas overseeing and implementing
marketing plans and finance management
to sales and operations. My business partner
looks after all the infrastructure of our site
and the build of Deckerdence including the
power and events field set-up, alongside
elements that are brought in for each
client’s event. My main focus is looking after
our clients and working with them on their
plans for their wedding or event. It is really
important for me to get to know them well
and to understand them as individuals in
order to provide what they are imagining.
My daily routine depends significantly on
whether it’s an office or event day. Either
way, it always starts with lots of tea and
plotting my to-do list in my diary. Even
with the best pre-event planning there are
always tasks that need to be done on the
day.
Our office is based at our events site
in North Warwickshire. Having the office
and the events field in one place is a great
advantage. Joining me in the office every
day are two labradors, Blyth and Mazie.
They love the chance to show off in the
background of a Zoom meeting when they
get the chance. Being able to step out of
the office and wander into our events field
is great for them, as well as for me. Being
able to walk around the field when working
on a new client brief often gives me great
inspiration and new ideas.
For an office day, well, there is no typical
day. Currently, I am trying a block-andtackle
method of working as I can be guilty
of working on one task and seeing an email
pop in my inbox, becoming distracted like a
magpie, and getting carried away. A neverending
cycle of working on the business and
in the business.
My favourite areas are working on our
own series of public events for this year and
working with our clients to develop their
concepts from the dining area to venue
styling and floral – and of course creating a
bespoke cocktail menu (which sometimes
involves tasting new cocktails with our
mixologist – tough job but someone has it
do it). I am hoping this year that the new
fresh crop of herbs I have grown will be a
great addition to our cocktails (and yes,
for those who know me – the gardener is
keeping a close eye on me, as our florist
Penny is in constant disbelief that I still kill
every succulent that she gives me!).
Having started my career before social
media existed, I would never have believed
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