Badgers on the risk register? Project management for Royal Horticultural Society shows

Some project professionals get all the luck. It’s a dream job to work on the Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS’s) summer shows — Chelsea Flower Show, for one.

So, we spoke to Isobel Coulter, RHS Shows Project Manager at Hampton Court Palace Garden, to find out more about her career and what she enjoys about the sometimes weird and wonderful challenges that can befall her projects.

Project: Tell us about your role at the RHS

Isobel Coulter: As Project Manager, specifically for the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival, I head up the team that creates, builds and runs the festival both from an operational/infrastructure perspective but also on the visitor/horticultural content side. Our main aim is to ensure that we deliver a well-executed, engaging and commercially successful event every year. Aside from leading the RHS Hampton Court team, I work with the other project managers in the Shows department on cross-show projects, such as sustainability, accessibility, streamlining processes and new event developments. 

Project: What makes working on RHS projects unique?

IC: With our events, we are always pushing ourselves to grow, improve and innovate. RHS Shows are a real platform for us to shout about the amazing world of horticulture and inspire others. The challenges are that we have a very real deadline to face — you can’t push an annual flower show date back because the project isn’t going to plan — and we have to tackle the ever-changing weather. 

With a new Shows schedule having just been announced from 2025, the whole department will be taking on new shows in new locations, which will be an exciting challenge. My team will be potentially working across two events a year rather than one. Planning of time and resource will be required and I’m excited to support the team in this new innovative time. 

Project: What have been the biggest project management lessons you have learnt working at the RHS?

IC: To build in contingency on timings and resource. We’re an ambitious and busy department and sometimes deadlines are moving beasts, so you really need to make sure you allow a realistic time to get something done, but also value the importance of check-in moments and reminders to help keep everyone on the same trajectory. 

Project: What do you enjoy the most about your job?

IC: I enjoy watching the team flourish and really get their teeth stuck into our events, putting their own identity on them. And then nothing beats seeing the final product being enjoyed by our audiences and visitors. 

Project: What’s been the most unusual thing to have happened at any of the shows?

IC: We’ve had many different situations occur, from tornados at RHS Flower Show Tatton Park to badgers breaking into the catering tent and enjoying a midnight feast. Nature plays its part in bringing a lot of unusual activity. Aside from the natural world being involved, our Press Day always bring some weird and wonderful photo call moments, from painted gymnasts and opera singers to people swimming in show garden ponds.

Project: How did you get into project management?

IC: I have been working in events for over 15 years. I view events as massive projects made up of lots of little projects. So my first interest was events and through that my role has developed into project management and leading the wider team in their event delivery. 

Project: Any project management advice you would pass on?

IC: Don’t be afraid to put in all the reminders for your team and stakeholders. I find a project plan is great, but also use the tools that your team uses, e.g. Outlook calendar. It helps reinforce the timelines and also serves as a useful reminder for yourself. And post-event/project, always take the time to readjust and debrief what did and didn’t work well so that you don’t come across the same blocks next year.

Project: Finally, what’s Hampton like when it finally opens? Is your work done and do you get to enjoy it? 

IC: It's a bit of a change of hats for when the festival actually opens. In the build period it’s all about working with exhibitors, designers and contractors to build the event on time and to a high quality. When the gates open to visitors, we then need to make sure we’re delivering that ultimate summer day out experience. So, the first few days can be a bit manic, but then, as the week progresses, we can sit back, watch and enjoy all our hard work.

The RHS Hampton Court Garden Festival runs from 2–7 July. Visit the website For more information.

 

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