At 15, Richard Bowden was still doing his GCSEs and couldn’t yet drive – but he was already delivering AV production for corporate clients.
Nearly 27 years on, that teenage venture, founded as Sterling Sound before becoming Sterling Event Group, as it is now known, has grown into a 160+ strong technical production company. Backed by specialist Heads of Department, experienced project managers, technical experts and dedicated project support, Sterling has the depth of expertise to deliver projects of every scale. Recently named in the FT1000 list of Europe’s fastest-growing businesses, Sterling has continued to invest for the future, with a new Manchester-based headquarters built to support the next decade of growth.
In this feature, Bowden spoke to Conference News about starting a business as a teenager, steering the company through the pandemic by building one of the industry’s first virtual event studios, and why, even at this scale, he still makes a point of getting out on site with the team.
Starting young to 160+ strong
Speaking about when he started the business, he said: “I come from a family of entrepreneurs – my parents were always self-employed, and through my dad I got exposed to the events industry from an early age. I realised that was something that excited me, particularly the technical side of live events. So, I went about it in the most direct way possible – I set up the business.”
Starting a business so young came with some very practical challenges: Bowden couldn’t drive, so had to rely on lifts to get to meetings, and when the business started getting its first orders, he had to take time off school to deliver the first events.
He said: “I think I was quite determined and my parents believed in me. Some of the challenges were also advantages – being so young meant that people remembered me, and I was able to use that to my advantage. The people who trusted me became regular clients, and the word soon spread that we didn’t let people down.”
Now, nearly 27 years on, the company has gone from being just Bowden to a team of 160+ in 3 locations, Manchester, Leeds & London. Having those bases across the country, means the company can deliver events nationally and further afield. Bowden said: “I’ve always been future-focused so it’s rare that I sit back and assess what we’ve actually done. But there have been certain milestones around the scale – and the quality – of our production work where I’ve thought, ‘we’re really stepping up here.’ From a people perspective, the first time we delivered a really successful event without me, I realised it wasn’t just ‘my thing’ anymore– we’d created a business that could stand on its own feet without me at the centre of every decision.”
However, whilst Bowden has taken some steps back, he still prioritises working on site and with the team. He explains: “It’s a challenging balance, because running a company of our scale is very much a full-time job. But when I do get the chance to go out on site with the team, I see everything firsthand – working with new, junior technicians, meeting clients, interacting with venues. I’m constantly assessing what’s working and what we can improve. Seeing that firsthand, rather than reviewing it in a board report or a spreadsheet, gives real, in-depth insight.”
The pandemic pivot
One significant challenge for the company, like for many, was the COVID-19 pandemic. Bowden said: “It was a rollercoaster for the entire industry. I remember getting the team together: within about a week we’d gone from being really busy to having our entire pipeline cancelled or postponed, with no idea how long it would last.”
During this time, a client suggested to one of Sterling’s project managers that instead of postponing an awards ceremony, they could deliver the event virtually. Bowden said: “This comment sparked an idea. We built a very high-spec studio – we had the time, and I thought it was a good training opportunity for junior team members to be involved in building it – and hosted our first virtual event, a virtual awards ceremony.”
After realising that COVID wasn’t going to be a ‘two-week blip’, they told more clients about the studio and how they could deliver events virtually. Bowden said: “It was a huge success. I think we were one of the first to launch a virtual studio in that way.”
Turning the challenge of COVID into something positive, the company won a lot of new clients through virtual events who have now continued to use the company for live events post-COVID. Bowden said: “It became a real catalyst for growth. From a team perspective, it also gave us purpose and work for our team.”
Bowden said: “It was great when the industry recovered, and when it did recover it came back with a vengeance. 2022–23 was an incredibly busy period, not just for us, but for the whole events industry.”
New headquarters, and FT1000 recognition
Following this success, last year Sterling Event Group moved into a new headquarters in Manchester. The company relocated from a 40,000 sq ft warehousing unit on an industrial estate, where they had been based for around 15 years, to a new state of the art 102,000 sq ft office & warehouse space. Bowden explained that the company reached a point where the business was too big for that site and it was holding the business back. He said: “We wanted a new site with the longevity to serve us for the next 10-plus years, and found one close to our old base, near Manchester Airport.”
Speaking on the move, Bowden said: “The new space has created a much better working environment, with communal spaces and multiple in-house training spaces – something which was huge for us, as we had previously had to hire external venues for training, which limited how much we could do. We now run at least one training course a month, covering different topics, with external trainers as well as internal ones. We’ve also got a much bigger workshop, letting us build brand displays, stage sets and exhibition stands at a much bigger scale.”
In addition to the relocation of its headquarters, the company expanded its footprint with new facilities in both Leeds and London. Bowden added: “We’ve been delivering events across the UK for many years, but as our client base continued to grow, it became increasingly important to have permanent regional hubs that allow us to support clients more effectively. This wasn’t about entering new markets – it was about investing in the infrastructure and local expertise to deliver the same high standards of service wherever our clients need us.”
Alongside the companies 2025 rebrand, and new HQ move, Sterling Event Group has also been named in the FT1000 list of fastest-growing companies in the UK and Europe. Bowden said: “It was based on facts – financial performance and growth over the review period. For me, it’s important recognition for the team. Everyone works hard to progress at Sterling, and we’re always looking for ways to develop and improve, which has been fundamental to our growth. That growth hasn’t been easy, especially over the last five years, so having external recognition that we’re a high-performing, high-growth business was the most pleasing part for me.”
Inspiring clients through innovation
For the past two years, Sterling Event Group has hosted an annual showcase that allows clients to see their equipment and specialist departments in action. Bowden said: “We do this because we want clients to leave inspired and excited about the possibilities. What we do in terms of AV production isn’t unique in itself – there are AV companies in every city, in every country. What we like to showcase in those couple of weeks is innovation and interesting ideas – different ways to present content.”
For Sterling Event Group, it is exciting to brainstorm ideas, deliver them and then see the reaction from clients. Bowden said: “Seeing client’s reactions is one of the most rewarding parts of the showcase. Our clients are used to seeing AV production and cool screens, so when they leave inspired, talking about an event design they haven’t considered before, we know we’ve delivered a great showcase.”
Looking ahead
Looking ahead, Sterling Event Group’s ambition is clear: to be recognised as the UK’s leading technical production partner and the employer of choice within the live events industry.
Bowden said: “An infinite goal, in a sense. But I think the two go hand in hand: the only way to achieve the first goal is by having the best team, so we’re constantly working on both fronts. As we grow, we want to offer our services to more clients on a national level. We were originally a northern company, but we now work all over the UK and Europe, and we’re keen to expand further.”