This month we are spotlighting Rachel Walmesley, one of our Event Coordinators here at the University of Kent.
Rachel looks after our UK, European and International groups during their stay in Canterbury. From helping them find key tourist attractions to visit, to ensuring their stay on campus is comfortable and accommodating, Rachel covers it all.
Rachel has been a part of the Conferences and Events team for over 20 years; therefore, we wanted to sit down and ask her about her time at the university.
What is your favourite thing about working with groups?
Getting to know the group leaders and seeing the same groups return year-on-year. Some group leaders and travel operators are more friends than clients as I have worked with them for so many years. I got to know one tour operator so well that I visited them in Germany every year for 15 years!
What do you consider to be your biggest achievement?
Winning the Group travel award for over 10 consecutive years (along with help from my colleagues in the housekeeping, reception, and catering teams as well of course).
What makes the University of Kent the best place to host groups?
The great location! Canterbury is a lovely city and trips to the coast, London and Europe are also very easy from the Canterbury campus. Our 4* to 5* accommodation, along with our great catering, reception and housekeeping teams, and all the facilities on campus, help to make a visit even more appealing.
How many years have you worked at the University for and in which roles?
26 years. 6 years with the catering team doing the day-to-day running of the catering delivery and 20 years in the conference office as an Event Coordinator looking after group bookings.
During your time as an Event Coordinator, roughly how many groups have you worked with?
Anywhere between 120 – 150 groups stay at the University every summer and apart from one summer while I was on maternity leave I have looked after them all, so I would estimate between 2,500 and 3,000 groups.