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HOW WAS IT FOR YOU? RICOH WOMEN’S BRITISH OPEN
and know our planning team have everything in
place. I make sure the client is happy and that
everything is delivered to the best of our ability.
Liz Mallinson plays a vital role as Logistics and
Planning Manager and has 15 years working with
us – her huge amount of experience helps me
and makes my life much easier. It’s great to have
others around who we have grown up with,
including some clients. At this event all the
catering is our responsibility – we feed the
public, we manage the hospitality suites, we
feed the players, the media and also look after
the marshals. So in other words, nearly everyone!
“Watching the team come together
to pull that off and deliver the very
best event was extraordinary and
has given me some great memories”
ways to support the client. Sometimes I do get
involved in the thick of it, which is good now and
then and is what I used to do. A fresh pair of eyes
and lots of questions can really help sometimes.
Which events from the past stand out
the most and why?
So many! We have major events such as the golf,
tennis and other greenfield sporting events, as
well as weddings at Stoneleigh Abbey stately
home and corporate and business events for
clients such as JCB, John Lewis, Selfridges and
Bentley Lamborghini. I remember a few years
ago I came into an event just two weeks before.
That was challenging! It was for a flower show
and I came on board due to an unfortunate
colleague illness. I went in fairly blind as it
was about to be built and it needed to be
ready for 8,000 guests in six days.
Watching the team come together to
pull that off and deliver the very
best event was extraordinary
and has given me some
great memories.
Another
that stands
out was the
Anniversary
Games, which was
under very different
circumstances from the games the year
before. It was a great experience and is a lasting
memory. We even got to watch Usain Bolt do his
100m. We are lucky to work on international
events and a recent one was in Munich. This job
does offer opportunities to travel and while in
Munich we were able to see the city – it’s little
perks like that which can make the difference.
What do you personally most look
forward to during external events?
Seeing what we do as a team being delivered,
and feeling proud in the circumstances. It’s
important to remember that everything we do is
temporary and nothing is fixed down.
Whether this is the kitchen, structure
or space – it’s always new to everyone
and we must always
maintain our
high standards.
What do
Amadeus do at the
Ricoh Women’s
British Open?
I always feel so
lucky to be able to
turn up at this event
How far in advance do
you start preparing for
an event like this?
We start organising the next
year at the current event! We
work on what we could do
differently. The course
changes each year and this time it
was over two sites. It is demanding
for the team as it takes longer to get
around but we are experienced and
can work in one area or two if needed.
We can work on events all year round,
even when they are held annually. With this
ongoing cycle we tend to start the confirmation
stage and site visits in February and March. This
gives us plenty of time to make sure everything is
set-up and ready for a successful event.
What is the ‘takeaway’ you want guests
to have after receiving hospitality?
A great day out! Sometimes the events we cater
for are almost white-label under our clients,
but we always make sure the catering is a great
standard. We are part of a package – we bring
the food and service and the client brings the
ambiance and look. A perfect partnership for a
brilliant event. So for an event like this we know
PGA always provide beautiful events and
ultimately we both want to make sure everyone
leaves happy with great vibes. We have received
great feedback from the client and the visitors
so this is always great to have.
With our experience we do truly know how
to provide a great event. We are a small team
but our commitment is clear whether it’s for
a wedding or a golf tournament. It’s important
to make sure we look after everyone from the
hospitality suites to the marshal rest areas.
Everyone’s there for a reason and we always have
to make sure we provide the best experience.
36 GLORIOUS