Or the day I met The Queen!
Last Tuesday myself and six other students on the
Event Academy Postgraduate event course were lucky enough to have the opportunity to assist Party Planners, the exclusive event company renowned for its association with royalty, with their Annual Patron’s Garden Party at the luxurious Goring Hotel in London (base for the Middleton family at the Royal Wedding). When offered this great chance, little did we know what the evening would hold in store…
Having now completed three out of four of our projects and with our final exam in a month’s time, hands on experience is truly valuable for learning about the event industry. It is great to see what we learn in class be put into practice and to observe
professionals who can inspire and motivate us. The course so far has been a great experience due to the diversity of lectures, enthusiasm of lecturers and the new friendships formed.
On arriving at
the Goring we were briefed by Party Planners who explained to us the quest that would take place, whereby guests could purchase wooden lollipop sticks and place them in one of the six terracotta pots in the ‘Mey Pop-Up Potting Shed’ to try and discover which one contained the £5000 diamond earrings.
All money was contributed to the Castle of Mey Apprenticeship Programme (The Queen Mother’s home) and supported by Alan Titchmarsh who was present at the event. Duties included guest list, circulating the room for donations and directing the photographer and generally ensuring guests were happy and comfortable. I was positioned on the door, checking guests in and providing them with a programme.
As the event became busier, a bagpipe player appeared and was closely followed by none other than Her Majesty the Queen! Flustered and in shock I did my best curtsey; it was a moment in my events career I shall never forget! As the champagne flowed and the last of the canapés were consumed, the evening slowly drew to a close. What an incredible experience.
The key lesson I learnt was to be organised and patient and to communicate with your team to create the best event possible. Now when I embark on my three month placement in July at
Bovingdon’s, the luxury catering company, I will feel confident and excited, knowing that the course has provided me with the fundamental skills required for the industry and a strong network of event managers.
Isobel Crawford (Postgraduate Student March 2015)
