I have worked here since August 2008 when I was put in charge of Christmas events at the hotel for the first time.
I was attracted to this particular role because I am a self proclaimed Christmas fanatic and I love organising festive parties and events. The Barceló Lygon Arms Hotel is located in the heart of the Cotswolds, I just fell in love with it.
Not many people know that I love snowboarding. I started learning earlier this year and I had so much fun, I can’t wait to go again.
My worst experience at an event was when the Christmas entertainment didn’t turn up. I was racing through the yellow pages to try and find a replacement which, as you can imagine, is quite difficult at 6pm on Christmas eve. We had guests checking in all excited for Christmas and looking forward to enjoying the dinner dance, but we managed to secure an entertainer just in the nick of time.
If there’s one thing I’ve learnt it’s to listen to exactly what the client wants and attention to detail is paramount.
The best event I’ve been involved in was Cheltenham races. It was my first year at the The Barceló Lygon Arms and I really didn’t know what to expect. We had a large group who had been at the races all day and they had booked a private party for about 60 people for when they came back. The menus were done and the staff were poised ready to serve them but when they came back the party had doubled in size. I didn’t know how we were going to fit everyone in, we had guests everywhere. Thank goodness the kitchen had enough food. It was fantastic the way the whole team came together to make the event a success.
If I could do it all over again I would change nothing, as I really love what I do.
The one thing I can’t stand is people not fulfilling their roles correctly, as there just can’t be any weak links in our team.
Outside of work I spend my time keeping fit by running and horse riding as well as keeping up to date with industry news so that I stay on top of my game.
If money were no object I would host a huge free Christmas party at the hotel for some of our fantastic local charities (and buy my own hotel!).
The one event I will never miss is our annual Christmas party.
The next 12 months will be challenging. This year has been tough but I have learnt a lot and I am ready to face whatever challenges the next 12 months bring.
If I could switch places with anyone else in the industry it would be I would love to organise the opening ceremony at the Olympic Games – I like to think big.
If I ruled the event industry every day would be like Christmas.