How to protect team wellbeing during the festive season (plus 2025 event trends)
Welcome back to our roundup of essential resources for events and hospitality leaders.
This month we're asking: how can we protect the wellbeing of our teams as we hurtle towards the busy festive season?
We discussed this at length with Sophie Linin , Deputy Head of Events at Royal Museums Greenwich in our latest One Amazing Experience interview.
One key element of Sophie's process revolves around something which seems simple on paper, but in reality can become complex: enforced time off in lieu (toil):
We have a duty to our staff members to make sure that they get rest... I don't book events between, the 20th of December and the 4th of January... And I rota my team over that period. So, the events inbox is always covered. The phone will always be manned. But they don't need to be sat at their desks at nine in the morning until 5 p.m. on the 28th of December... that's when they can use up their toil.
In our conversation, Sophie explained the importance of balancing your rota so teams get at least one or two weekends off a month, how to get team buy-in for that rota plan, and how even something seemingly small, such as getting your team to come in a little later after a busy week, can mean they're more likely to get a good night's sleep.
In the full interview we also cover:
And now, here are the rest of the best ideas, reads and tips we’ve loved this month:
One Amazing Read: Edinburgh Cocktail Week lineup reflects emerging trends
A Bridgerton-inspired Champagne Lounge , and a low & no alcohol bar tap into two current industry trends: experiential and moderation.
One Amazing Quiz: Would you make a good recruiter?
Every job you do gives you experience and skills to take to your next opportunity.
For example - many of our recruiters come from hospitality backgrounds, and use skills picked up in their previous roles every day.
Take our free fun quiz to find out which of your transferable skills would make you a good recruiter ?? Do You Have What It Takes To Be A Great Recruiter?
One Amazing Opportunity: Latest Hospitality and Events Jobs
We are looking for someone who is as equally passionate about our unwavering focus on placing the best talent the industry has to offer. Perhaps you are a Senior Consultant or Team leader looking for something to call your own or you are Manager within the Hospitality Industry who is looking to take a different path? Ultimately this is a blank piece of paper which the right person will fill with amazing opportunities. Read more
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One Amazing Watch: What it really takes to create an event
We were grinning ear to ear watching this incredible 20-minute video created by AdLib , LASA (The Professional Lighting and Sound Association), The Power of Events, Production Futures and LIVE (Live Music Industry Venues & Entertainment).
Watch it and you'll come away with your love for our industry renewed.
One Amazing Book: The Disabled Tourist
The Institute of Hospitality's Book of the Month explores the experiences of tourism for people with disabilities. A must-read for those designing event experiences.
One (or a few) Amazing Events
The Business of Events has released a stellar line up of sessions for event profs looking to join the conversation about the future of the industry:
18th November 2024: ibtm WORLD Forum for Advocacy
23rd January 2025: North of England Advocacy Forum
20th February 2025: The TBOE UK Policy Forum
Other events:
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Until then, keep creating amazing experiences.
Off to Work
This newsletter is brought to you by Off to Work , the UK's leading recruitment and staffing solutions company.
Founded in 1999 on the idea that something better could be offered in terms of the people brought into the hospitality industry, we aim to enable amazing experiences for our clients, candidates and team members.