Robert Yongkun Cai
London
Summary
Events coordinator at Imperial College London with extensive front-line admissions experience from a student ambassador role at the University of Southampton. Managed administration for approximately 50 concurrent activities, ensuring accurate student and booking records in KX while serving as the primary contact for inquiries via email, phone, and in person. Strong written and verbal communication skills with a customer-focused approach, adept at providing reassurance to anxious applicants and drafting clear guidance. Native Mandarin speaker with a proven track record of supporting international applicants, seeking to leverage admissions experience and organizational skills in undergraduate admissions administration.
Overview
5
5
years of post-secondary education
4
4
years of professional experience
Work history
Events Coordinator
Imperial College London
London, United Kingdom
2025.08 - Current
- Deliver planning, logistics and administration for around 50 concurrent activities across academic year, including Inaugural Lectures, donor dinners, VIP receptions, conferences and symposia, MEng and MSc project presentations, Offer Holder Days, Open Days, career fairs and Outreach events.
- Project-managed Imperial involvement in Great Exhibition Road Festival, large public science festival, coordinating delivery teams and using shared Excel tracker so everyone worked from same accurate information.
- Delivered VIP lecture events for Nobel Laureate at short notice, stepping in to support manager, liaising directly with client and turning it around within five working days.
- Delivered Enterprise partnership events including AI Collider and the Future Vehicle Technology Symposium, and host visiting groups from Chinese partner universities including Fudan and Tianjin, providing Mandarin-language liaison that supported confirmed contract renewals.
- Maintain participant and booking records in the Kx database, including dietary and access requirements, handling sensitive personal information confidentially and in line with GDPR.
- Check every booking against the organiser timetable and intended set-up, confirming furniture quantities, allowing time to set up and clear down, and arranging AV and catering; produce floorplans and seating plans in CAD, which I taught myself.
- Generated £80,000 in external event bookings for the Summer School by following each enquiry through to a confirmed booking.
- Act as first point of contact for staff, students, visitors and external clients, monitoring shared inboxes and answering queries by telephone and in person; take minutes at cross-departmental meetings on event detail and planning.
- Audit everything scheduled for the coming fortnight every Monday and chase what is outstanding, keeping error rate at zero; raise purchase orders, process invoices and check a £29,000 multi-layered quote line by line so it went out correct first time.
- Support the summer accommodation team with billing, ensuring charges are collected promptly from the OTA platforms; induct new starters, keep the team procedures guide current and coordinate a casual member of staff.
- Introduced improvements that were adopted, including colour-coded labelling to separate hired furniture from College stock and adding Duty Manager contact details to booking documents, which cut response times.
Summer Reservation Sales Agent
Imperial College London
London, United Kingdom
2025.05 - 2025.10
- Handled over 1000 student and guest bookings through the peak summer period by telephone, email and in person, working to tight turnaround times.
- Processed confirmations, invoices and financial records on institutional systems and kept documentation accurate and audit ready.
- Displayed excellent multitasking abilities during high-pressure situations, ensuring optimal service delivery.
- Fostered a positive team environment to drive collective success in sales targets.
Guest Relations Executive
Marriott International
London, United Kingdom
2024.05 - 2025.05
- Held a 4.9/5.0 personal satisfaction rating and resolved 98% of complex queries at first contact, in person and over the telephone with an international clientele.
- Kept detailed event records and coordinated requirements across departments, working a three-shift rota including evenings and weekends.
- Ensured adherence to hotel standards, promoting a consistent quality experience for all guests.
- Executed feedback collection process diligently, aiding in continuous improvement efforts.
- Provided personalised services based on unique client needs – translating into a memorable stay for every guest.
- Boosted hotel reputation with professional handling of guest relations issues.
Student Ambassador
University of Southampton
Southampton, United Kingdom
2023.09 - 2024.09
- Represented the university to prospective students and families at Open Days and presented at Offer Holder events as a student representative, up to three sessions a week at peak, including presentations in Mandarin.
- Worked the UCAS Clearing lines through its intensive period, explaining entry requirements, offer conditions and firm and insurance choices, and recording and confirming decisions accurately under time pressure.
Marketing Associate
Marriott International
Shanghai, China
2022.09 - 2023.06
- Created social media content and produced print and digital promotional material for campaigns with brand partners, and monitored campaign performance for the senior marketing team.
Education
Master of Science - International Management
University of Southampton
Southampton, United Kingdom 2023.09 - 2024.09
Bachelor of Science - Exhibition Economics and Management
Henan University of Economics and Law
Henan, China 2019.09 - 2023.06
Skills
Strong written and verbal communication
Customer-focused approach with applicants and families
Ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously
UK admissions and UCAS process knowledge
Accurate student records and data handling
Adaptable and flexible across changing demands
Collaborative team player across departments
Excellent organisation and time management
Bilingual: fluent English and native Mandarin
Advanced Excel, Word and Outlook
Additional information
- Confident and self-sufficient across Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, Word and Outlook, and quick to pick up new systems and tools: I taught myself CAD when a set-up problem called for it. Careful with data accuracy and confidentiality. Happy to be flexible about hours during peak periods.
- Languages: English, Mandarin (native), Cantonese, Hokkien, Japanese and Korean. Outside work I play table tennis and swim, enjoy DIY projects, and am always looking for something new to learn.
Timeline
Events Coordinator
Imperial College London
2025.08 - Current
Summer Reservation Sales Agent
Imperial College London
2025.05 - 2025.10
Guest Relations Executive
Marriott International
2024.05 - 2025.05
Master of Science - International Management
University of Southampton
2023.09 - 2024.09
Student Ambassador
University of Southampton
2023.09 - 2024.09
Marketing Associate
Marriott International
2022.09 - 2023.06
Bachelor of Science - Exhibition Economics and Management
Henan University of Economics and Law
2019.09 - 2023.06