Friday, March 1, 2013

An Introduction to Corporate Hospitality Jobs


Have you ever thought it might be a fun job organizing all those end-of-year company Christmas parties? Or managing company events such as employee training or team-building seminars? Well, if you have, a corporate hospitality job might be the career choice for you.

Companies wishing to inform, entertain, or educate their clients, staff or stakeholders use the services of the corporate hospitality industry to organize their seminars, events or parties. This sector is one of the most dynamic and exciting and offers a remarkable variety of corporate hospitality jobs.

If you are interested in the catering industry - this job will take you to different venues, be it the company's facilities, convention centers, or a beach BBQ. You will get the opportunity to mingle with a great variety of people, maybe even a celebrity or two. There is always a demand for catering chefs, hosts and wait-staff. You will need to be a 'people person' with a pleasant manner and good communication skills, well presented and reliable. The job will most likely involve working outside of the 8-to-5 work day, and working on weekends or holidays.

For those with management and organizational skills, there are a multitude of opportunities, from event planning and staging, conference organizing and support, to hosting VIP clients for companies and corporations. Experience in management and a good knowledge of the hospitality industry and the corporate world are essential, as well as problem solving skills, people skills and a positive outlook.

There are many other skills that would be required, depending on the specific field. You could be developing themes and branding for company events, which could also include all the logistics - catering, accommodation, entertainment, technical support or transport - whatever the job, you will have to make sure that the client's guests or employees have a positive experience and your client's goals were met.

Corporate events require a host of support staff - whether technical, food & beverage, transport or accommodation.

The technical side is crucial to the success of any event. Be it maintaining the audio-visual equipment for speakers and presenters, or the light and sound gear for the entertainment crew at a party or sports event.

Big hotels and conference centers have staff that specialize in corporate events. From co-ordinating accommodation and transport for the company's staff to looking after the families of the people involved in the conference or meeting. Issues like transport, communications, last-minute cancellations and changes to the plans - dealing with these requires a person who is a good multi-tasker and a great people-person, who can solve problems as they arise with a cool head and a smile. If that sounds like you, you would need to get a good knowledge base on how the corporate hospitality jobs work, and once you get your foot in the door, there are always opportunities to get ahead and advance as you acquire experience.

Events and parties also require support on the artistic side - be it designing a theme event, the company branding or decorating for a Christmas party.

You might even find yourself involved in the corporate hospitality jobs sector if you are an outdoor activities persons; there is a growing demand by companies for team-building activities and sports that involve an outdoor experience. This could be your dream job - doing something you love doing as a career. As an outdoor team-building event coach you will meet lots of interesting people and have the satisfaction of seeing people appreciate all your hard work.

Another exciting corporate hospitality job is in the sales and marketing field. Selling corporate hospitality packages involves developing long term working relationships with clients and corporations, getting to know their specific needs and finding the solutions to answer those needs. As always, the clients will be looking for the best value for their money, and by fulfilling the client's requirements and goals you can demonstrate your sales and marketing skills.

So, if you are looking for a challenging, diverse and rewarding job with plenty of opportunity for self development and advancement - a career in corporate hospitality jobs might be a good choice for you. Having the satisfaction of knowing that you contributed to yet another successful event after the happy guests have all gone home, will be a bonus.

No comments:

Post a Comment