The 21st Century Spring Clean

And so the team is setting to work in preparation for the 360 Google Business Photo Shoot and it is a case of all hands on deck. Weather dependent our target date that we are working towards is the 19 December, so let’s hope the snow doesn’t visit South West London again!


Grounds staff have been booked to clean up the winter leaves and move the goal posts.

Window cleaners are scheduled and cleaners are preparing to get into every nook and cranny in the building with carpets being earmarked for cleaning too! Whilst some paint work may need a touch up, it is never so simple with a Grade I listed building, which Parkstead House is. Painting comes under conservation and so we have to seek the guidance of English Heritage and ensure that colour matches are maintained.

We are in discussions with some of our industry partners and are looking forward to working with Mobile Music who have agreed to provide us with some lighting for the shoot. www.mobilemusiccompany.co.uk

Flowers are next on the list along with storm lanterns and we need to choose colour schemes for the dinner set-up in the Bessborough Room http://www.parksteadhouse.co.uk/rooms/bessborough.htm
We are currently debating racing green table cloths with gold napkins and warm autumnal up-lighting (What do you think?) and need to book these this week.

We have got the go-ahead for printing new stationery and so look forward to having that in time for the shoot too along with our new conference organiser’s tool kit. We have some ideas of what should be in there but maybe you do too – do let us know. We will be keeping a close eye on our twitter @parksteadhouse for your feedback.

Watch this space for more updates.........

Ellen's First Taste of Conference Roehampton

So here I am trying to write my first blog but being regularly distracted by more interesting conversations happening in the office around me; how much people in the team love/hate the stationary cupboard, being offered mini tea cakes and with great self control turning them down and trying desperately to get out of having my picture taken to be uploaded on the Conference Roehampton blog and failing miserably!


Day one of my new job as a conference co-ordinator for Conference Roehampton has been anything but boring! After being shown around my new place of work, introduced to lots of people and dropping off my important documents to HR, it was time for a small, skinny, vanilla latte from Starbucks (they’d run out of Gingerbread syrup). Whilst enjoying my coffee, I sat in on a planning meeting for a Christmas party my manager is organising and entered a debate on bowl food, would it work at events and if so what types of events? Does catering need to purchase more bowls? Are staff correctly trained to serve bowl food? The list goes on and around in circles....

Almost as soon as my cup was empty, it was time to meet the rest of the team for lunch in the canteen (I have quickly learnt that the Conference Roehampton team enjoy their food!) After my Chicken Tikka Masala, I was shown around the beautiful campus, (it has a grotto!) introduced to more people and had my ID card made.

My next point of call was back at the office where I was shown my in-depth induction plan – colour coded and everything! After asking the questions I had accumulated throughout the day, it was back to my desk to write my ‘First Day on the New Job’ blog.

So here we’ve come - full circle. I’ve really enjoyed my first day at Conference Roehampton and look forward to many more to come and to sharing the highs and lows with you over the coming months.