AMADEUS GLORIOUS COPY2_FINISHED_v2 pure amend

TEAM WORK EVENT MANAGEMENT
made my day
Lorna Hendey, Live Events Catering Operations
Manager for NEC Group talks to Glorious about her
role and what ‘Live Events’ really are
What does a Live Events Catering
Operations Manager do?
I run all the catering for any show that isn’t an
exhibition, so ‘live events’ includes anything and
everything that isn’t! Conferences and
banqueting make up the main events but there is
lots of variety even within that. The role was
newly created when I joined Amadeus two years
ago and it’s been a great learning curve where
I’ve implemented new processes and different
standards for the events. I have no home or base
as I go into whichever hall the event is booked in,
so I’m always in different environments.
How did you get into this?
I was working in Conference and Banqueting at
Alton Towers Hotel before I joined and have
also worked at hotels up and
down the country. Everyone
in the team has always
been so helpful. For me
it’s all about the
people and despite
being here for two
years I still feel very
new. There are so
many departments to
get to know, which is
great fun, but it’s a big
place that takes a little
while to fully discover.
What is a successful
day for you?
A happy client and a smooth
running event! Getting
all requirements achieved on time and exceeding
expectations marks a successful day for me.
If delegates and clients are pleased then it’s
been an effective day. Sometimes you
have a curve ball thrown
at you or a tiny
hiccup to solve,
which means you
have to be able
to think on your
feet but we run so
many events that we
can deal with pretty
much nearly everything.
Which events stand out
in your memory?
‘Vivid Christmas Parties’ was
a really fun and stimulating series
of events for us. We had 2,000
guests attending each night for two
and a half weeks! We’re used to massive
volumes and handle them all the time, but
this was so long that it really stands out. It
was a monumental time in my life during that
period. Our team did so well, it was a great
experience to be a part of. Last year we also
did our first sit-down dinner for 2,500
guests – we had four kitchens with over 100
chefs and nearly every manager involved
and it went really well. It’s always great to
see our spaces transformed from big blank
halls into amazing themed experiences.
Recently we created a family-style Mexican
restaurant within one of the halls and
produced all sorts of delicious Mexican
dishes. 1,000 people attended but it still
felt very intimate, which shows how well
the space can be used.
What’s the best thing about
working for Amadeus?
Every day and every event is different at
Amadeus. We strive to provide bespoke
events and can handle our clients’ specialist
needs – whatever they may be. The things
we create and the way we deliver it really is
special and unique.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO FIND OUT
MORE ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES
AT AMADEUS GO TO NECGROUP.
CO.UK/WORKING-FOR-US
50 GLORIOUS