Where are they now? Emily Nugent

For Emily Nugent, Events Manager at The Dorchester Collection, the unique learning style at Edge Hotel School (EHS) made applying a “no brainer”.

Emily, who graduated with a BA Hotel Management in 2014, was part of the second cohort of EHS students.

She credits the “on the job” learning for why she chose the School: “I was looking at a few universities that taught hospitality management, but when I saw that Edge Hotel School was opening up it was a no brainer as I learn a lot better on the job than in lectures.

“Coming into my first role as a graduate, it was fantastic to have lots of on-the-job experience from every department. This allowed me to have a real understanding of my colleagues’ roles and what they do on a daily basis so I could understand and predict their requirements.”

Since leaving Edge Emily has secured a role as an Events Manager at The Dorchester in London where she looks after the groups and events that take place. She’s responsible for seven event rooms with capacities ranging from six to 500 guests, all with their own unique twist. With events ranging from large award ceremonies to small intimate weddings, Emily reflects that “we really have seen it all”.

“I am the point of contact for our guests and honoured to be trusted with their most important moments,” she added.

Reflecting on her most memorable moments at Edge Hotel School, Emily said: “During the summer one year, we set up a marquee in the grounds of the hotel for a snooker event. This was our first outside catering event and given the job I do now, it was amazing to see how it ran.

“The General Manager at the time decided to keep the marquee for the rest of the summer so we could make the most of it and we organised some more events in there. One of the events we put on was a children’s mad hatter tea party which we really had great fun doing. It was wonderful to be able to come up with different ideas and be able to put our own real spin on an event – I was the Queen of Hearts!”

For Emily, she chose her degree because it was something she was always passionate about and she has not looked back since: “Every day is different in this industry and the stories are always wonderful to tell. The colleagues you work with always end up as friends and family as you end up building a real sense of community and comradery.

“It can be hard work at times, but it is always very rewarding and exciting! You need to have a real passion to work in hospitality, as long as you have that, everything else can be taught!”