Silk scarves and gala dinners

Are you the kind of person who likes thinking on your feet and spotting the necessary finishing touches to make things just right? How about doing this at a high society charity ball? Our students volunteered at the Magic Bus gala dinner on 8th October 2015 at The Dorchester, London. The event raised £200,000 for the charity which will go to supporting children living in poverty in India.

All about the experience

When you are working at a black tie event, everything needs to come together perfectly and seamlessly. Margarita, one of our current students, told us a bit about what it was like to work as in the host team to keep 200 guests happy.

Having the vision

Margarita clearly has a keen eye for presentation. She zoomed in on an important detail that no one else had noticed. Beautiful handmade Indian scarves worth £75 each were on sale in the foyer, with all money raised going to the charity. However, none of the guests were even looking at the display table. The scarves were completely rolled up and almost invisible. Margarita’s Event Academy training immediately kicked in and she spotted the potential  to really show off the beauty of the scarves and catch the attention of the people walking past.

Finding a solution

This wasn’t something Margarita could fix on her own, so she had to be resourceful. She persuaded the catering manager, who she’d never worked with before and didn’t know, to find her some vases and glass bowls. Her idea was simple, but effective. Create an interesting display to show off the scarves to maximum effect. It worked – the guests who had been ignoring the handmade craft table starting coming over and the sales picked up. Well done to Margarita for putting what she has learned on the course into practice! Are you the person who notices how the details make a real different to the experience of others? Or do you want to be that person? Why not find out more about a career in event management?