As one of the most creative members of our events team, we thought it was about time we found out more about Event Sales Manager, Mike:
What’s your most memorable event?
There have been a few showstoppers recently which unfortunately I can’t mention, but I have been very lucky to work on so many memorable events. I particularly love a creative brief where the client wants me to come up with something different, and this regularly happens with the product launches and weddings I design. I’m very much looking forward to a Star Wars themed event I’m working on to coincide with the launch of the new film, we’ve come up with some fantastic ideas for it and it will be great to see the guests’ reactions!
Why did you go into the events industry?
After years of experience in high-end restaurants, I wanted a new challenge. Events offer more scope for creativity and variety, given their bespoke nature and I haven’t looked back!
What has been your biggest challenge?
My initial challenge was the transition from restaurant management to event management. I never imagined that they were so different. By contrast, I found working in restaurants was more straight-forward as all the operational and food aspects tend to be fairly constant throughout. In this industry, every event is unique – different clients, different brief, different venue etc, and this presents new challenges all the time – which is far more fun!
What’s the most important aspect of designing an impactful event?
It’s vital to listen to clients in order to fully understand their requirements. This informs the planning of the event and ensures that we meet, and hopefully exceed, client expectations by creating a ‘wow factor’.
What are you looking forward to the most over the next year at Bubble?
We’ve had an incredible 2015. Our chefs are creating outstanding menus and we’ve become accredited in some amazing venues. We’re working on bigger and more interesting events than ever before – I’m looking forward to many more in 2016.
What do you like to cook at home?
A good curry – I like it hot! And I love baking too. I like to find unusual recipes – for the Bubble bake off I made a halva cake which was very popular!
Where’s your favourite place to eat?
I’ve started to look beyond the obvious overpriced, centre of town restaurants and have discovered a plethora of great local (and very popular) restaurants making their mark on the London scene. Go local!
What’s your guilty pleasure?
I love playing squash each week and even participate in the odd tournament here and there.
Background
Born in Rhodesia, Mike grew up in South Africa and worked in luxury retail. He moved to the UK and worked for a number of years establishing and managing high-end restaurants. Mike joined Bubble Food nine years ago and is a highly valued member of the team.