PR expert to launch brand organising high-end hen parties in Norfolk and Suffolk |
Ann-Marie Doggett says the Magnus Collection will work primarily with hen parties, small luxury groups and corporate clients.
The business will be the "luxury arm" of her business, Magnus PR, which is based in Lowestoft.
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Anne-Marie Doggett, founder of the Magnus Collection (Image: Magnus PR)
The aim is to design experiences which "feel seamless, elevated and completely taken care of from start to finish", she says.
Ann-Marie - who started her PR firm eight years ago - says she has picked up multiple awards and accolades through creating events and promotional activities that are unique and memorable.
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"I am passionate about creating memories in an area that often gets forgotten," she says.
She grew up in a tiny village near Beccles and says she started organising events at a young age.
Although she loved the countryside and spaces, as she got older she found there wasn't much to do locally.
"From around the age of 12, I was already organising things. I’d arrange football matches with other villages - despite the fact we didn’t even have a proper team - knock on neighbours’ doors to get all the local kids together, and head out to the field behind our houses with my little portable stereo so we had music playing.
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"I’d make up games, organise activities — anything to bring people together. I was always planning something - even helping with village fêtes and school fundraising events."
After she had children, he came across an advertisement for an event organiser job in Lowestoft.
"I’d organised private parties and fundraising events before, but never had the chance to do it professionally — until then.
"A couple of years later, when I was made redundant from that role, I made the decision to start my own business.
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"Magnus PR began with nothing more than a laptop and a lot of determination, initially helping local businesses with PR and marketing.
"Then in 2019, I started delivering my own events — and they’ve grown year on year ever since."
Around the middle of last year, she decided to branch out.
She felt there were many "incredible places, venues and hidden gems" across the region which people were unaware of.
"I’d always had the idea of creating experiences for hen parties. Even when I organised my own, I found there was very little available locally, so we ended up going away to Essex and London for the weekend.
"When I started properly looking into it, I realised I wasn’t alone — so many groups, hens and even corporate teams were travelling out of the area for experiences.
"And yet, through my work and connections, I know just how much Norfolk and Suffolk have to offer.
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"The issue isn’t that it’s not here — it’s that people either don’t know about it, or simply don’t have the time to piece it all together.
"It’s not as straightforward as searching somewhere like London, where everything is instantly visible."
She spotted a gap in the market and started bringing together a collection of partners, with a view to launching something this year.
"The response so far has been amazing. Every conversation, every bit of feedback has just reinforced that this is something people really want — and that there truly isn’t anything else quite like it out there, so I am super excited to be officially launching The Magnus Collection in June," she said.
Magnus Group founder Ann-Marie Doggett, centre, with Vicci Lee, left, and Zarah Jones (Image: Tanya Mayfield)