Samantha Groom has expressed her delight at being recognised in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list. In recognition of her recent management of some of Cornwall’s highest profile events, Sam is set to receive a British Empire Medal.

The medal for local heroes acknowledges the dedication and hard work many provide to their community across many sectors of society.

Sam said, “I am absolutely thrilled, a fantastic finale to my public sector career and a great start for future plans. I am passionate about events and will always put 100% into making them a success but I couldn’t have achieved the results without the support of a significant team of people who all helped to deliver their success”.

Sam has an established track record of organising and developing events. Lead Coordinator for the start of the Olympic Torch Relay - Day One attracted one billion global viewers and the management of the event was nationally recognised. The event generated over £17 million in PR coverage and her Communication Strategy awarded ‘Winner for Partnership Excellence’ at the CIPR Communication Awards 2012.

Responsible for host port management in Falmouth for the Funchal 500 Tall Ships Regatta 2008, which enticed £12 million economic benefit for Cornwall, Sam was again at the helm for the Falmouth Tall Ships Regatta 2014. As Event Manager, she was responsible for all aspects of the tall ships event in Falmouth, including raising a budget of £400,000 through sponsorship and in-kind support. The event attracted 197,000 visitors and generated £20.9 million for the local economy. Falmouth Tall Ships Regatta 2014 was awarded Gold Event of the Year at the South West Tourism Awards and won the public vote for Best Family Event at the What’s On Cornwall Awards.

With over 17 years experience in the tourism and events industry, Sam joined Visit Cornwall in 2010 to head up a team responsible for the management of Cornwall’s events strategy and delivery. Sam’s most recent venture is the creation of Cornwall’s newest event management company, Perfect Events Group.