MARIA EDITH SPIGHEL

• Achieving catering & groups revenue goals.
• Strong background in high-level hospitality and diplomatic event coordination, business events and social events.
• Liaising with law enforcement for advance security checks, VIP arrivals, and safeguarding protocols.
• Conducting pre-con meetings with clients and in-between all relevant internal departments to to ensure all events are planned to a high standards exceeding customer's expectation.
• Liaising with all external suppliers (external catering, AV, production, décor, entertainment).
• Maintaining meticulous administrative records, schedules, and internal communications to support event delivery across departments.
• Handing crisis situations effectively during events, ensuring minimal disruption to proceedings.
• Sales Leads / Proposals : Effectively handling incoming residential & non-residential events inquiries in accordance with the standards, response times and catering selling guidelines and that proposals being sent out to the leads to agreed standard.
• Conversion : Ensure booking conversion by deploying effective sales and negotiating techniques including face-to-face sales calls, site inspections.
• Contracting : ensure contracts are issued and signed in accordance with agreed procedures.
• Ensuring all billing requirements, deposit are in place in accordance to policies and contracts schedules.
• Attending all weekly revenue review meetings for Groups & Catering, contributing insights on event performance, forecasting, and identifying opportunities to optimise profitability and drive departmental success.
• Effectively communicating with third party sales channels in the handling of all leads.
• Ensuring a high level of accuracy, attention to detail and positive attitude, ensuring a smart image at all times.
• High level of customer service .

• Liaised closely with vendors to ensure high-quality service delivery.
• Built strong relationships with key stakeholders through efficient communication skills.
• Ensured execution of all stationary
• Planned and managed all short lead events
• Arranged site visits for longer leads and short leads
• Menu tastings and planning meetings for a smoother planning process.
• Maintained detailed records of each event, facilitating easier future planning and improvements.
• Adhered strictly to health and safety regulations whilst organising any event, providing safe environments for guests and staff alike.
• Coordinated internal staff briefings, ensuring everyone understood their roles during an event.
• Oversaw on-site event operations, managing staff and volunteers to deliver exceptional guest experiences.

My professional journey in Events has started at Nobu Portman Square and has been a dynamic and rewarding exploration of the intricate world of event planning and execution.

This role has allowed me to blend creativity, organizational skills, and interpersonal finesse to bring diverse events to life, leaving lasting impressions on both clients and attendees.

I have offered my assistance in organizing business events such as small & big business conferences, high profile VIP events, Barmitzvah, Birthday Parties, Weddings & Charity Events.

Communication Skills

• Planning and performing clients site visits
• Maintaining a close collaboration with the clients to exceed their expectations
• Collaborating with all departments of the hotel directly and indirectly implicated in the event processes such as: Nobu Kitchen, Nobu Bar & Lounge, Housekeeping, VIP Experience Management, Security Department
• Sustaining relationships with suppliers and caterers

Negotiation skills

• Obtaining the best revenue for each event organised and creating most favourable terms for both hotel and for the client

Organisation and Planning

• Creating function sheets through the Salesforce system
• Using and creating 3D floor-plans

Budget Management

• Finding cost effective solutions without compromising the quality of the event
• Tracking expenses
• Creating payment links
• Posting payments, creating PM accounts in Opera system
• Providing the customers invoices

Time Management

• Adhering to schedules, and ensuring that everything runs smoothly on the day of the event
• Creating running orders highlighted in the function sheet (BEO)

Attention to details

• Ensuring the decor, seating arrangements, signage, food and beverage service, hosting of guests are up to the client's expectations
• Making sure all food and beverage items selected by clients are present and the dietary requirements are in line with the guidelines

Creativity

• Creating Menu Tastings Presentations
• Attending Menu tastings with clients and adjusting the food items to their wishes
• Floorplans

• Work with cross-functional teams to plan and execute a range of events, from small scale networking events to large conferences with hundreds attendees
• Coordinating with Guest Services, Events and VIP Experience departments to ensure that all aspects of the events were planned, executed and tracked effectively
• Assisting all guests with their reservations and booking enquiries
• Providing a genuine, attentive and friendly service to the guests in order to reflect the Nobu Standards
• Having a good understanding of department targets and upselling
• Good command of the two operational systems used within all luxury properties throughout the world: OPERA and 7Rooms, issuing invoices through the booking platform
• Preparing and inspecting revenue, budget and forecasting daily and month-end reports, using strategies to upsell different hotel premises in order to reach the revised budget
• Assisting the VIP Experience Manager and coordinating team members
• Working with VIP client's Personal Assistants
• Performing bookings for Corporate clients
• Develop and implement strategies to establish and maintain relationships with key stakeholders in the hospitality industry both locally and globally
• Supporting, training and developing new members of the team
• Ensuring that company and statutory standards and legislations are adhered to, so that our hotel, guests and colleagues are safe at all times

• During the summer vacation following my third academic year I worked atthe Alternative Health Clinic “The Joy of Life”
• Achievements and responsibilities :
• My role was to ensure that all clients had a unique experience at theclinic
• Front of House responsibilities such as welcoming clients into the clinicpresenting and upselling offers, booking appointments, and keepingtrack of the financial reports
• Showcasing the benefits of different treatments
• Assisted with team building initiatives and overall support formaintenance of organizational culture and employee morale
• Served as the executive key point person by coordinating sector relatedbusiness units and other facets of the company
• Keeping a close connection with the CEO of the company, suppliers, andthe medical staff working there.

• I took a 6-months Rotational Internship at Thistle Hotel Heathrow Terminal in London, United Kingdom, which helped me gain experience across 6different departments (Revenue, Front Office, Reservations, Marketing and Events, F&B and Housekeeping)
• GLH stands for Great London Hospitality and is the largest owner-operator hotel management in London, which includes 14 hotels in London, and has brands: Amba, Guoman, Thistle, Thistle Express and Hard-rock Hotel
• Thistle T5 has 266 rooms to sell, 2 venues for events and weddings
• Achievements and responsibilities :
• Adapting to stressful situations which helped me conform to the complex circumstances more easily
• I have learnt how to be an active listener, how to adjust to people and situations, by enhancing my teamwork skills
• It has also improved my verbal and non-verbal skills
• I have developed passion and commitment to the hotel industry because of its dynamic daily atmosphere and because of the challenges encountered
• Working in a multicultural team and with clients from different parts of the world helped me develop my innate and acquired skills while providing valuable exposure to other cultures
• Whilst working in the Marketing and Events department, I took part in organising and executing weddings, baptisms, staff and corporate parties
• The Revenue Department has appealed to me the most as I have observed different strategies which the manager used to increase profits

• During the summer vacation following my second academic year, I helped the event planner and the head of the restaurant to organise private events such as (weddings, baptism ceremonies, anniversaries) and corporate events (conferences, business meetings)
• Worked to deadlines, ensuring all details such as covers, table set up, décor, menu, drinks lists were ready in advance
• Attended menu tastings, took notes and put presentations together
• Worked with clients to identify their needs and updating them on the progress of different events
• Created detailed function sheets so that employees running the event on the day would have a full understanding of the expectations