The Voiceover Social was in Manchester, England back in November 2015 by Nic Redman and Leah Marks. Back then they had NO idea what they were getting into. All they wanted was to meet up with a few VOs in the area for a couple of pints and maybe a bit of a whinge about freelancer life.
Sure, later it became a large scale, multi-national operation featuring awards, a glitteringly successful podcast and the world’s first career planner especially for voiceovers, but back then they were just two people, calling, emailing and tweeting everyone they could think of to get them to come to the pub!
Since that inaugural VO Social North blimming loads of other wonderful socials have popped into happening all around the country! Belfast, Brighton, Bristol, Hull, London, The Midlands, Newcastle, Oxford and Scotland. It’s been proper smashing.
In 2023, Nic and Leah’s planning and goal setting skills (as featured in the world famous Voiceover Career Planner™️ by the way) meant that they were both too busy in other areas of their careers. And CATASTROPHICALLY didn’t have enough time to properly dedicate to the podcast or social events any more! Aggghhh!
But wait! All was not lost! They had a big think and found the perfect solution…
Rob and Helen Bee (from B Double E don’t cha know) agreed to usher the Voiceover Social into its new era!
The thing is, they’ve always been here, those Bees. All the way back at the first social, they were there. Rob had a broken ankle because he’d (very stupidly) fallen off a cliff, and knowing the social gathering was upstairs, and the bar downstairs, brought Helen along to act as bag-lady and beer-carrier while he grappled crutches.
And they’ve been here ever since. They turn up first, and they leave last. They spill over with generosity and industry knowhow, and are always ready with a helpful word of advice; whether it’s about branding or websites, studio building or production. And they know how to find the perfect venue to hold a busy voiceover social when a global pandemic drives it outdoors (true story, they really saved the day there).
And it’s not just VO Social North they’ve been propping up… the award-winning and multi-award-nominated VO Social podcast has often featured their brain power too (episodes 22, 41 and 54 among others), not to mention all those prizes and sponsorship…
See you at the bar, VO chums!
