"Twenty Years In: What a Buckingham Palace Invitation Says About How We Work"

Last week, I was lucky enough to attend a Buckingham Palace garden party. My wife and I were invited alongside Ben Keast, Managing Director of Neptunus, one of the UK's leading temporary structure specialists, and someone I've worked alongside for the better part of two decades.

We were there as a thank you. A gesture of appreciation for a long-standing working relationship we're both incredibly proud of. I won't pretend it didn't mean an enormous amount.

How it started

Ben and I first crossed paths in the mid-2000s, when we were both working for GL Events. I still remember sitting alongside him in the office at GL Owen Brown in 2005. He didn't drink hot drinks then. Still doesn't. Still loves a biscuit, mind you.

We've known each other ever since, through different businesses, different roles, different projects. By Ben's own admission, we probably talk more than he speaks to his wife.

What's always struck me about Ben is how personal he is. He really engages with people, not just about the work, but about you. Your life outside it. He's accepting of new ideas, has a clear eye for innovation, and knows exactly what he wants, but he trusts your opinion and always listens. That combination is rarer than you'd think in this industry.

He's also been there when it mattered. During COVID, when a lot of people were protecting their own patch, Ben contracted us for some significant work that he could easily have given elsewhere. That's the measure of someone.

Neptunus is a serious business. In the UK they employ 40 to 45 people full time, with over 100 on the ground on any given day. Their biggest clients by scale include the Lawn Tennis Association and Silverstone Circuits. Their biggest by volume is Frieze Art Fairs, a business Ben has watched grow from London to New York to Los Angeles, and one he talks about with real admiration.

Working alongside a business like that means delivering. Every time.

What Ben said about working together

When we asked Ben to reflect on the relationship, what struck me was how clearly he put it.

"Knowing someone for that length of time, you wouldn't work with them unless you trust them and can rely on them to always deliver."

He talked about the way we approach a brief. Asking a lot of questions. Making sure we fully understand what we're taking on before we commit to it. "It shows interest. It shows enthusiasm. It shows he knows his products, his team, and what they can do to get the best out of the delivery."

And on finding solutions: "Rob always finds a way to get the job done. That's really at the heart of what LOCK5 do, finding a solution to problems, being creative from the outset in terms of design and collaboration right through to dealing with difficulties and challenges on site."

What makes it work, I think, is that we're brought in mostly at the start of a tender, able to give our input early, when it actually shapes the outcome. We both think alike on this: if the client ends up with a better product and a better experience, we both benefit. That's collaboration in the truest sense.

The Lawn Tennis Association

Among the work we've done together, the LTA stands out for Ben. Neptunus recently entered into a second five-year contract with them, and Ben was clear about why.

"It's down to our supply chain always performing and always delivering a fantastic end product. Working with Rob and his team on that has been a fantastic experience."

Renewing a five-year contract is not something that happens by accident. It happens because the right people are doing the right things, consistently, year after year.

The Millennium Stadium

There are jobs in this industry that stay with you. For Ben, one of them is the Covid field hospital we built together inside the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

"You go above and beyond at the eleventh hour, you make sure the end result is amazing, and years later you're still talking about it with the people you did it with. That's very meaningful."

That kind of work, the kind where the stakes are high, the timeline is tight and everyone has to be completely relied upon, is where you really find out what a partnership is made of.

On the new LOCK5

Ben is characteristically direct about what the new LOCK5 offer means for how we work together.

"It will make the relationship grow. It takes what they currently do, good quality finishing and reliable service, and goes right through the alphabet in terms of what they can offer and be creative with."

And on what the market is asking for right now: "People want to make their events and their brands stand out and look different. Ultimately it's about finding the most creative solution, and now LOCK5 can offer that end to end."

For Neptunus, 75% of their business is renewed every year, on the strength of the confidence they have in their supply chain. Ben also spoke about something that resonates deeply with how we think about growth at LOCK5, the connection between who you work with and how confidently you can talk to your own clients.

"The confidence you have talking to clients is strengthened by the confidence you have in your supply chain and your team. When we talk about selling a package, we talk with confidence to clients because of that relationship and the confidence we have in it."

That's not a small thing. That's a competitive advantage, built quietly, over years, by just showing up and doing things properly.

And then there's the people. Ben was generous about the LOCK5 team in a way that meant a great deal.

"It's been brilliant getting to know everyone. Such a strong team, so experienced. We get on really well with Rob and his team. Big things are coming, and in a very well-deserved way."

Ben has the confidence in LOCK5 to deliver. And we always have.

I think for me, our relationship underlines that this business is not always just about making money. It's about the journey and the people you work with, having the same values and being aligned in what you're doing.

That's it, really. That's the whole thing.

Here's to the next twenty years, Ben.

To find out how LOCK5 can support your next project, visit lock5.co.uk or email sales@lock5.co.uk