I am a 21 year old creative writing graduate and at the start of June I made the switch from student to staff as I began work for The University of Roehampton. I fell in love with the university as soon as I heard the first of the many campus ducks quack by the side of Froebel Lake and three years on I was even more attached, so when I heard about a summer job with conferencing I was eager to find out more.
When I met with the events manager of Conference Roehampton and she described the role we both realised a lot of my volunteering and work experience related to the job and so I became a conference host as part of the Conference Roehampton team.
The worst thing about my job is keys. As conference host I check that the rooms are ready before our guests arrive; you will never have opened as many doors in your life and it’s a sad moment when you begin to recognise key codes!
The best thing about my job for me is weddings. You get to see somebody’s apprehension at their initial show around develop into excitement as their big day looms closer and you’re there at the end of the evening to see their relief that everything ran smoothly.
Being a conference host is tiring and by tipping your toe into the world of hospitality you wash away the idea that working full time means 9-5 but the work is worth it when you see the events and conferences come together and it is always achievable because Conference Roehampton is big on support and while it may be small the team is strong.
Located on the edge of Richmond Park we have a variety of unique function and event rooms within the Georgian villas of Parkstead House and Grove House. Situated inside the grounds of the University of Roehampton, there are rooms suitable for conferences of up to 300 people. Our beautiful grounds can accommodate a marquee of any size. Visit our web site www.conferenceroehampton.co.uk
