A LEADING North-East event management company has taken on staff as it prepares for its busiest Christmas.

County Durham-based She’s Gott It will deliver Sunderland’s Christmas celebrations for the first time, along with two weekends of Christmas festivities in Chester-le- Street.

The new contracts follow its success in organising the Christmas celebrations for Edinburgh, which it will oversee for the fourth time this year.

The firm’s events manager Ken Wallace, said: “I think that since we have been delivering the Edinburgh Christmas festival we have really gone from strength to strength.”

Managing director Nickie Gott said “I am so pleased we are able to bring our skill and enthusiasm to programming Christmas events in the North-East and aim to create some very magical and memorable events for the Christmas season.

“We have been highly praised for our improvements and creativity in Edinburgh, particularly in this current economic climate, and I am immensely proud of my team’s efforts to deliver spectacular events that wow audiences.”

Last week, the firm relocated from Durham City to offices on the Lambton Estate, in Chester-le-Street.

Ms Gott added: “It is a joy to come into the office and a great environment to walk around when we need time out.

“It is especially great at the minute, because it is all talk in the office of reindeer, Santa’s and ice rinks.”

The Edinburgh’s Christmas events include ice rinks, a Ferris wheel and the official Christmas lights switch-on.

The Sunderland events, working in conjunction with the city council, will be based at Mowbray Park and include reindeers, festive markets and street performers.

The move into new offices and extra work has seen the company, which employed seven full-time staff and about 150 sub-contractors to handle events, take on an additional two full-time employees.

Other high-profile events which the company, established in 2002, was responsible for managing, included the launch of mima (Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art).

Organisations that it has worked with include Glaxo- SmithKline, the Princes Trust and the Arts Council.

The company is looking to expand into Dubai, following a trade visit, and was recently awarded an international contract for a company in Europe.

It has also secured contracts for next year including charity balls, an international conference and a science festival.