Mentoring at The Great Hospitality Show 2017
For some months now, The Great Hospitality Show has very much part of our day-to-day here at Jellybean Towers – as we are very honoured to do the PR for the show. This week saw all our preparation and planning come to fruition as the show hit the NEC from Monday to Wednesday, attracting hospitality professionals from across the industry. As the Great Hospitality Show PR team manned the press office and social media and my other colleagues hosted press stand visits, caught up with clients and contacts, and even sampled the amazing food at the La Parade, I was seated in my own little booth on mentor duty.
This year was the first time I have been called upon to share my many (worryingly!) years of marketing experience with show visitors looking for advice and tips on marketing and PR to help drive their business. When I arrived ready for my first appointment I was gratified (and let’s face it, pretty flattered) to see I was fully booked, so it was going to be a busy afternoon. And indeed it was, the hours whizzed by as I met all sorts of interesting people from start-ups to council enterprises and colleges, wedding decoration suppliers to chefs, all with their own particular challenges and ambitions. Hopefully the advice I imparted was of use and they went away with some actionable points to help their businesses. I for one found it very rewarding and I’ll cross my fingers that I get asked back to mentor in future.
I then had a little time to myself to check out the show and see some of our clients who were exhibiting which is always fun, then it was back on the M40 to not so sunny Surrey as I left the PR team to run the press office for the final day of the show. Well done to the ‘dream bean team’ and of course to Fresh Montgomery the organisers (and our client) on yet another great show. Next stop Hotelympia 2018!