It’s arguably the most famous beach club in the world with a revolving door of celebs, superstar DJ’s and magnum-spraying girl squads descending on Ocean Beach Ibiza every summer. Better yet, there’s an all-powerful, creative, bad-ass Girl Boss running the show behind the scenes.

Whether it’s organising marriage proposals, sending celebs soaring through the sky on unicorns or working out the best way to create 6ft pink gorillas, Gemma Charters handles it all. In between partying and planning, she also finds time to run her glitter and body paint brand Kiss My Fairy.

House of Coco loves celebrating women that can have it all. We talk to Gemma Charters about how she built an infamous and hugely successful brand alongside running one of the most popular beach clubs in the world. A Girl Boss who knows how to play hard and work harder…

What does being the Director of Brand and Events at Ocean Beach entail?

What doesn’t it entail? I’m responsible for curating the summer’s calendar of events, as well as oversee the marketing and brand management of Ocean Beach Ibiza. So, everything from booking brands and artists to pulling together production themes and entertainment to ensure every one of our shows has the wow factor. It’s what everyone knows and loves, so it’s important that each year we don’t disappoint.

What does a typical day look like?

The honest answer is that there’s no typical day. I live in Ibiza year-round and the winter looks very different to the summer. After the season closes you can often find me creating mood boards for our events themes and working with the team to get the big prop pieces sorted for the following summer months. That involves anything from looking at what material a giant fluorescent pink gorillas should be, how to make a grand piano fly through the air to discussing music selection with our DJ’s. When summer comes around, it involves more of the operational side.

Ibiza is notorious for being naughty, how do you balance work and play?

It is a very tempting environment here in Ibiza but the truth is when you have a lot of responsibility in your work you just cannot give in to the lure of the party world very often. The beach club is a big machine that requires you to be on point at all times and as I get older the days of an easy hangover are long gone. Although working in the party capital of the world you can never hang up your dancing shoes and I love to witness what other brands are doing with their events.

What’s the craziest request you’ve ever had at Ocean Beach Ibiza?

We get a lot of people wanting to propose at the beach club, which is always very lovely and flattering that they choose our venue to mark such a momentous and personal occasion.

What’s next for Ocean Beach Ibiza, what’s the plans for 2019?

Each year we strive to push the venue forward to keep it fresh and exciting. This means we’re constantly making improvements and pushing our events to the next level. On a bigger scale, we are very excited to confirm there are plans to open up our second venue in another part of the world. As our global fanbase grows the aim is to continue to expand the portfolio of venues which for us is very exciting.

Talk to us how you started your glitter and body paint brand?

Kiss My Fairy began in 2011 and has been the one stop little party shop ever since, offering body paint designs, glitter designs, make-up and hair styling from our team of skilled artists.

The idea was born after myself and my partners identified a gap in the market for such a shop and since then we have had a big variety of celebrities and clients that come back to see us every year.

What’s the hardest thing you’ve had to overcome since starting Kiss My Fairy?

Since opening the shop we’ve had to deal with other brands starting up and offering similar services, which has been frustrating at times but it’s also been able to keep us on our toes. It makes us thrive to be at the forefront of creating and identifying the next trends

If you had one piece of advice to give budding Girl Bosses, what would it be?

Always believe in yourself and your own abilities, even when your own mind can get the better of you. Reach for the sky as everything (and anything) is possible!

We’ve only got three days in Ibiza, where should we head?

Only three days? You need a lot more than that to explore this beautiful island. One of my favourite venues on the island is Destino – you can either spend the day lazing by the pool or come ready for one of their evening events. Thursday and Sunday are good with sets from DJ’s such as Jamie Jones and Martinez Brothers. Make sure you spend a night in Ibiza town, sip a cocktail at the port and have dinner in one of the amazing restaurants in the historical Dalt Vila. Finally, you cannot come to Ibiza without seeing a sunset so head to Experimental Beach, next to the Salinas Salt flats. Of course it goes without saying you must pay us a visit at Ocean Beach Ibiza.

Ok we’ve partied too hard, where can we cure sore heads?

I’d like to keep this place quiet as it’s just the most peaceful place to go to rejuvenate and unwind but I’ll share this hidden gem just for you…… there’s a spa hotel in Santa Eularia called Aguas De Ibiza and it is just the best place to get over your hangover. The facilities are incredible with a thermal spa, steam rooms, plunge pool and best still there are little beds you can curl up and have a snooze. There’s even a rooftop bar with stunning views across the Med where you can enjoy a little cocktail while in your robe. You’re welcome!

Check out the Ocean Beach Ibiza line up here

All Girl Bosses need a bit of sparkle, Gemma’s online store can be found here

Author

Northern girl Laura is the epitome of a true entrepreneur. Laura’s spirit for adventure and passion for people blaze through House of Coco. She founded House of Coco in 2014 and has grown it in to an internationally recognised brand whilst having a lot of fun along the way. Travel is in her DNA and she is a true visionary and a global citizen.

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