A day in the life of Emma Jones - Conference Administrator

My Name is Emma Jones, 35 years old, I am a conference administrator, a woman trying to prepare for the biggest day of her life in 2012 and along with my partner Martin we foster Guide Dogs.  It makes life very interesting. All three are a very big part of my life at the moment so I thought I would write about all of them with a hope it creates interest in a busy world and life. I value human connectivity greatly, basically I love to talk...

I live with my partner Martin and on a part time basis we foster guide dogs, if their owners have gone on holiday or there is an emergency and the dog needs looking after at short notice then Martin and I are there.  At the moment we have Oliver, a lovely fella with his own character. He has been with us for four weeks, we rise at around six in the morning and take him for a walk to start our day.

Four Hours later imagine starting your working day driving in the morning sunshine towards  Holmewood Hall, a place that once played a crucial role during World War II and is now a successful Conference and Training venue. The 14 acres of beautiful landscaped gardens is home to some amazing wildlife including  rabbits, squirrels, woodpeckers and Muntjac deer, it is a wonderful place and its what greets me every morning.

In my role as Conference Administrator, I spend my day helping and assisting people who are enquiring after conferences, meetings or their very own special wedding day (I’ll come back to mine shortly).  Our main priority first thing in the morning is front of house, greeting our customers, making sure their requirements are met and ensuring their day runs smoothly and that they want to return to the Hall in future.

I work as part of a small team and thrive on the excitement and passion I have for the venue, no day is ever the same, yes I have the odd mundane things to complete on a certain day of the week, but don’t we all – I can leave the office with a to do list as long as my arm (yes I am Mr Tickle) prepared for the next day and when I arrive the following morning all can change. Normally, I finally sit down and look at my to do list late in the afternoon.

The other part of my role is working within the catering team working closely with Our Chef Lee, looking at costs and expenditure and seeing where savings can be made if possible.  Nicola assists Lee in the kitchen and works  with us for three days a week as a general assistant covering the lunch time periods when we serve fresh homemade food using all local suppliers.  We promote our excellence in achieving high standards in our food and receiving outsanding feedback from our clients.

I enjoy what I do and everyday is a learning experience. I am currently working with Lee and Karen putting together the new wedding brochure, Lee has been keen to put together some excellent ideas for wedding breakfasts, buffets and other options. I am excited and can’t wait to push this opportunity for people to experience the Hall and our teams efforts, since taking on this role I am very aware of how a wedding day should run from behind the scenes after working them here at the Hall.  I have not told the lady who is organising my own wedding what I do for in my career, Martin thinks I am being unfair because it is like I am waiting for her slip up or why I ask so many questions (although Martin would say that is just like any other ordinary day in our house). We have at least booked the honeymoon, we're off to India on a 9 day tour. I'll be blogging again soon with more details about how the arrangements are going for the wedding.