Capability Events Meet The Team

Dedicated. Committed. Party Planners!

I’m Ben Leeke the Managing Director and Owner of Capability Events Ltd. I enjoy the challenge of organising events and parties for our excellent range of clients. It’s always interesting and after 24 years in the party and event organising business, it’s still my dream job. Yes I started very young!

I have Nick Harvey and Kate McCreanor as my right hand man (and woman) as it were. Nick heads up the client account management helping clients organise their event and Kate ensures that everyone else knows what they are doing, both in the office and at the parties.

I also have numerous event managers and event crew who help build great parties and events from scratch. Then we have our sub contractors who work with us all year – sweating in the summer and freezing in the winter to produce your party to perfection.

We produce over 100 events per year from our converted farm dairy from our offices in Surrey. With the help of many top notch suppliers and freelance personnel, the team and I ensure our parties are high quality and exciting for all involved.

I always feel that a company’s “about us” page should show that it is run by the type of people that you would be happy to have to tea, without having to worry about the carpet. So here are a few randomly chosen facts and tip bits about the guys and girls who make Capability Events tick.

• Our newest addition to the office is Monty the Terrier pup who’s absolute favourite pastime is chewing all the shoes, even if you’re wearing them!
• My daughter, Molly, is nearly 3 and running about all over the place as we plan parties.
• Kate has just bought a her first house on the side of the Malvern Hills.
• Nick is a qualified powerboat instructor and is obsessed with boats.
• Every morning we have to do an office animal stock check as our office is a magnet for small birds, farm dogs and cats (although not at the same time), horses, geese, chickens and the occasional fox.
• I play rugby, Nick plays football and Kate claims to go to the gym.
• My favourite tipple is a good pint of Cider, but I have recently got into Slippery Nipples – that’s Sambuca, Bailieys and a little drop of Grenadine in the middle. The Baileys makes the Sambuca taste better and the Sambuca stops the Baileys being too sweet.

Going back even further

Ben Leeke started organising events at fifteen and quickly established the now legendary ‘Hellfire’ club.

The parties grew until in 1999, he produced the massive Black and White millennium ball. With top name acts, performing on a stage built onto the front of a huge country house, the event was attended by 3500 guests.

He then worked as an exclusive event consultant for some of the UK’s leading Country Houses and Castles

He soon started to notice a genuine need at the higher end of the event market for bespoke mobile bars and, after a short period of research and development, he launched ‘Capability Events’ in May 2003.

It was a smart collaboration of all the contacts and knowledge that Ben had collected over fifteen years. Within two months clients included Virgin, The BBC, and wealth of high end celebrities and individuals.

The bars Ben had created were unique to the UK market and soon Capability Events were being booked by clients all over the country. Their flexibility and ease for transport, construction and branding meant clients could mould the bars to their event, creating the desired atmosphere and establishing Capability Events as the leading mobile bar specialists in the UK.

Recently married to the lovely Amy, Ben had the trauma of organising his own wedding and now has a full understanding of the term ‘Bridezilla’.

Having organised up to 80 weddings in one year he now has even more sympathy for long suffering grooms.

In his spare time Ben plays rugby for the local 1st team and treads the boards in various semi-professional theatre productions.

Kate McCreanor

June 2007 Kate joined the expanding team at Capability Events. A media and communications graduate, Kate brought some much needed organization and key communication skills into our newly located office. She is responsible for the daily running of the office and is on the front line dealing with old and new clients! On events, Kate’s friendly and approachable manner means she is ideal to liaise with and entertain clients. She has quickly become an indispensable member of the Capability team and a much needed calming influence on the rest of the team! In her spare time, Kate can normally be found at variety of festivals and gigs or daydreaming about Cornwall.

Nick Harvey

Nick joined the Capability Event’s team full time in May 2008. He started managing events for us almost 2 years ago on a casual basis and was just too good at it to get away with only working part time! With his vibrant and energetic persona he manages to keep events running smoothly and has also brought new energy into the office.In his spare time Nick is an active volunteer for a Search and Rescue team and a qualified powerboat instructor. When he’s not busy saving the world, Nick is also an avid sportsman and enjoys playing for his local teams.

Key Staff

Further information about Capability Events Ltd

Capability Events Terms and Conditions 

Capability Events Booking Form