May/June 2021
The UK's outdoor hospitality business magazine for function venues, glamping, festivals and outdoor events
The UK's outdoor hospitality business magazine for function venues, glamping, festivals and outdoor events
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FUNCTION VENUES<br />
2TONE PHOTOGRAPHY<br />
2TONE PHOTOGRAPHY<br />
using locally sourced produce and<br />
are complemented by attentive and<br />
experienced staff to ensure the event is<br />
a success.<br />
How has Covid-19 impacted you?<br />
As a business we have utilised the<br />
furlough scheme where necessary but<br />
have also had a member of the team on<br />
hand to answer any of our customers’<br />
enquiries and move dates accordingly.<br />
It has been important to be available for<br />
our customers in these uncertain times<br />
and help where we can.<br />
As we are a garden and charity, and<br />
not just a wedding venue churning<br />
out wedding after wedding and being<br />
overused, we have been in a unique<br />
position to have availability and also<br />
pick up short-lead time weddings now<br />
confidence is back and people are<br />
looking to book.<br />
We have also adapted by providing<br />
virtual show rounds via Zoom. This<br />
has proved very popular and we have<br />
secured a lot of weddings this way.<br />
How large is your team?<br />
We are a team of three comprising a sales<br />
and marketing manager, a wedding and<br />
events co-ordinator and an assistant wedding<br />
and events coordinator. We are a tight-knit<br />
trio who support each other and consistently<br />
go the extra mile to ensure our customers’<br />
events are second to none. We are a mixture<br />
of personalities from a protective momma<br />
bear to theatrical performers who have the<br />
same goal and ambition for the business<br />
and who love to get together with a glass of<br />
prosecco or three!<br />
MARGARET WHITAKER PHOTOGRAPHY<br />
Have you worked with any industry<br />
bodies or consultants?<br />
We have utilised the UK Wedding<br />
Task Force information and found this<br />
very helpful.<br />
What are your plans for next<br />
season?<br />
Keep the momentum going and<br />
providing our usual exemplary<br />
service.<br />
Describe your average day midseason<br />
An average day is dealing with daily<br />
enquiries and showing customers<br />
around the Garden Pavilion and The<br />
Treehouse. Then there is the liaising<br />
with wedding couples and answering<br />
any enquiries they may have and<br />
working on their planning files to<br />
produce function sheets.<br />
What do you enjoy about the<br />
business?<br />
We all love meeting new people and<br />
getting to know them. We love the<br />
interaction with our couples and<br />
forming that bond of trust that gives<br />
them reassurance that we will look<br />
after them and make their event<br />
special.<br />
What advice could you give to<br />
someone coming into the industry?<br />
Having great facilities is obviously<br />
key but customers will instantly like<br />
or dislike your sales team. Having the<br />
correct staff from selling and planning<br />
to delivering the events is paramount.<br />
Look after your staff and they will<br />
look after you and your customers.<br />
ADDRESS BOOK<br />
BELLE ART PHOTOGRAPHY<br />
DETAILS<br />
The Alnwick Garden<br />
Denwick Lane<br />
Alnwick<br />
Northumberland NE66 1YU<br />
01665 660318<br />
www.alnwickgarden.com<br />
20 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM
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