Carly Reed, Founder & Director of Reed PR, is one of the rare communications professionals who has led both in-house and agency teams at the highest level, giving her a unique perspective on what businesses really need from their PR partners. With over 20 years of experience across the full communications landscape, Carly brings strategic clarity, creativity, and commercial thinking to every brief, backed by a deep understanding of internal pressures and external expectations.
After a senior role at a multidisciplinary agency, Carly founded Reed PR to bridge the gap between in-house insight and agency execution, offering a sharp, focused approach to travel, luxury, and hospitality PR. That dual experience sets Reed PR apart: few agency founders truly understand what it’s like on the inside. Carly does, and she builds that empathy and intelligence into everything she delivers.
Her early career began at Universal Parks and Resorts, where she led ground-breaking European activations for blockbuster attractions like the launch of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. She introduced the first live UK radio broadcast from the parks and launched memorable campaigns including Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway “Win a Place on the Plane” a multi-year partnership that became a household favourite.
At Virgin Holidays, Carly redefined the press office and developed brand stories across all sub-brands from cruises to HIP hotels. She was ahead of the curve in introducing talent-led trips, with Ben Fogle hosting one of the industry’s first ambassador-led press trips to Ecuador. She also delivered impactful campaigns such as setting up the the Pauline Quirke Academy in Barbados, Sun Sheriffs (a sun safety initiative in partnership with a skin cancer charity), and major sponsorships including the Attitude Awards, which continue today. Her vision for exclusive experiences and tour operator story telling became a benchmark in the industry.
As Head of Communications at The View from The Shard, Carly delivered high-impact activations that spanned the full marketing mix from PR and events to social, SEO, media buying and partnerships. Highlights included hosting Prince William and multiple Prime Ministers for the Tusk Trust, orchestrating a Paddington movie moment (yes, those famous windows), filming a full episode of EastEnders at the top of the building, and creating headline-grabbing events like a silent rave on the longest day of the year and hosting OK! Magazine’s 25th birthday party.
Most recently, Carly served as a Partner at a leading PR agency, delivering outstanding results for global clients including Accor’s luxury, midscale and economy brands, Antigua and Barbuda, Fairmont Hotels across the UK, Morocco and Qatar, Raffles Doha, Dubai Tourism, Orlando, CV Villas, Apollo Helicopters, Air Charter Service and more.
Carly is respected across the industry for her sharp instincts, creative courage, and deep network of media, talent, and stakeholder relationships. She understands the bigger picture, she cares passionately and knows exactly how to move the needle.