2020 has been a turbulent year for almost everyone, and it’s all thanks to the ongoing global Covid-19 pandemic, which has transformed everything from the way we work, eat and drink to the way we shop. Suffice it to say, it has heralded a whole new way of life, and the need to adapt fast, too. But despite the struggles that many small businesses and new start-ups have found themselves grappling with in a bid to weather the storm, it hasn’t all been doom and gloom.
In fact, as with most of life’s great challenges, with this unprecedented period has come great opportunity, too, and for some, it has proved to be the perfect time to finally start that new business. While some might call them crazy, for many new business owners, the pandemic has given them the extra time they had been eager for to bring their dreams to life, and with some exciting plans in the pipeline, it seems they are just about to come to fruition.
Former footballer Scott Linton is one such example, and has taken the opportunity to launch an exciting new luxury lifestyle and event management business, covering everything from birthday parties and baby showers to corporate and bespoke events, golf breaks and luxury trips abroad.
The 31-year-old, who spent 12 years playing in the Scottish lower leagues at clubs including Cowdenbeath, Dumbarton, Clyde and East Fife before retiring from Kelty Hearts in June of this year, had noted the stress that appeared to come with event planning and management for already busy football team captains, and it was from this light-bulb moment that Vida Management was born.
“From my experiences playing in Scottish Football, I realised that organising events was a challenging task for most teams, with all the responsibility falling on the captains’ shoulders – who more often than not, didn’t enjoy the fact,” he says.
“My experience in organising events and working in the hospitality industry, coupled with the challenges I experienced, gave me the idea of setting up a company which would take the pressure off players and teams, organising events ranging from Christmas trips and holidays abroad to golf experiences, as well as offering special event organisation and the sourcing bespoke items for the occasions.”
Vida Management doesn’t just handle your average party or event. In fact, it is a bespoke professional concierge lifestyle and management service which aims to fulfil its members’ social needs on both a domestic and global scale, offering the highest level of quality and discretion and taking the responsibility off its clients’ shoulders to save them valuable time.
Its team of client managers have extensive industry experience and have worked with clients ranging from sports personalities to high-net worth individuals and executives, and they are already hard at work planning for a revival of the events calendar next year.
Aside from the events it oversees, the company also provides a luxury holiday planning service, and from weekend getaways to once-in-a-lifetime trips, it can cater to all kinds of needs and desires, all whilst offering the perfectly designed, tailor-made experience.
Scott recently appeared on BBC Scotland’s The Nine regarding his new venture, where he discussed the challenges he faced setting up a new company in the midst of the pandemic, but is confident that, for him, the timing couldn’t have been better.
“I saw lockdown and the pandemic as a good opportunity to fulfil my passion and ambitions of setting up my company, Vida Management, and have used the time to conduct market research, launch my website and network with the businesses and individuals that I believe will utilise my services when it’s safe to do so,” he explains.
You could be forgiven for thinking that now might be an unusual time to start an events company in particular, especially when, due to current restrictions and social distancing rules, many events have either been scaled down or put on ice entirely. But for Scott, it seems, it has been the perfect opportunity to get ahead, and to fill up the diary for 2021 and beyond.
In the meantime, he has seen an increased demand for the bespoke and luxury gift sourcing services Vida Management offers, as well as golf experiences, which lend themselves rather well to the current rules. And he’s confident that, despite its challenges, the years to come look bright for the business in all departments.
Alongside his professional part time football commitments, Scott also runs another events company, which works alongside three of the four universities located in Scotland, helping them to organise their social events, as well as running a student night at Why Not Nightclub in Edinburgh’s City Centre.
His passion for the events world is clear, and combining it with a life-long love he knows so well could well be a recipe for sure-fire success. While there’s no doubt that there are trying months ahead for all kinds of businesses, for many, the future is looking brighter than you might expect.
And for Vida Management, 2021 might just be its year.
Factbox
vidamanagement.co.uk
concierge@vidamanagement.co.uk
