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Events Jobs In Conference And Banqueting

Introduction to events jobs in banqueting
Events jobs can be ideal for students because many of the possible roles are entry level jobs, meaning no previous experience is necessary. Jobs in events are also worth considering because students often need to work flexible hours so that their student jobs don’t interfere with university and other commitments.

There are many types of events jobs that could be appealing to both students and school leavers who are looking for part time jobs, particularly evening and weekend work. Some people prefer to event security jobs such as steward jobs where duties include traffic marshalling and checking tickets of event attendees. If this is the type of work you think you might be interested in, read our E4S dedicated article for more information about event security jobs . Other student jobs in events might can arise in the area of facilities management jobs. This could be work such as part time cleaning jobs or general maintenance jobs. Again, if you are interested in these types of events jobs, you can find more information about this in our article about facilities management and cleaning jobs .

The third popular type of work that students and young people can do in events is entry level jobs such as catering jobs. Catering jobs at events are very popular and many agencies around the United Kingdom supply catering staff to venues to cover events of all different shapes and sizes. This can be anything from catering assistant jobs at major sporting or music events to staffing weddings and christenings. If you are interested in this type of work, click this link for further general information about catering jobs in events .

One type of catering work that could suit students and young people is conference and banqueting jobs. Conference and banqueting jobs often crop up all over the United Kingdom at all times of year. Let’s take a look in more detail about what events jobs such as conference and banqueting jobs might entail.
What is banqueting and where do they take place?
Events jobs such as conference and banqueting jobs are slightly different to other types of catering jobs because of the numbers of people you are dealing with. A banquet is a large meal which is served at public gatherings and in many cases, they consist of a few courses and drinks which are served to the tables.

Rather than guests attending the event and browsing an a la carte menu to choose what they are going to eat, the food is often a set meal which could have some variations for people with special dietary requirements; a vegetarian option or a gluten free option, for example. All starters are served to everyone attending the banquet at the same time, followed by the second course and so on. This means serving food and clearing plates and cutlery afterwards is done en masse so good organisation is essential.

Following the serving of all the courses, conferences and banquets often have after dinner speeches and then maybe a more informal session of drinks and canapes or a buffet, for example. So, amongst other possible roles, waiter and waitressing jobs and bar jobs could all be available at venues which provide conference and banqueting facilities.

The types of venues where events jobs such as catering assistant jobs at conferences and banquets could be available are:
  • Sporting venues such as football clubs, cricket grounds and golf clubs for example. Click here for more information at the other types of events jobs you can do at sporting venues .
  • Racecourses - Racecourses often have function rooms and conference and banqueting facilities where part time events jobs could be available. For more information about events jobs at racecourses, click here .
  • National hotel chains, country clubs and large restaurants often have conference and banqueting facilities, too.
  • Town Halls - these days, town halls play host to banquets and weddings as well as council meetings.
  • Exhibition centres - Most exhibition centres around the United Kingdom have conference and banqueting facilities and will host many throughout the year. For catering jobs and other types of events jobs you could do, click here to read more about events jobs in exhibition centres .
  • Any venue which has a dedicated function room is likely to be available for conferences and banquets so this means students and young people looking for part time catering jobs could find work in a venue local to them.
Who attends conferences and banquets?
So who attends such events as conferences and banqueting? Events jobs within this area can see you serving business people who might be attending a conference organised by a corporate organisation, for example. Conferences and banquets could also be organised by councils for employee meeting, charitable organisations who are doing a regular monthly, quarterly or annual update, or companies who are trying to encourage staff bonding.

Other conference and banqueting jobs in events could be ‘after dinner speaker’ events where individual people buy tickets to enjoy the banquet followed by a talk given by someone they are interested in. This could be a former sports star, for example, or someone who is an expert in their field such as personal development or entrepreneurialism.

Other conference and banqueting jobs could be events such as weddings, big anniversaries christenings or special birthday parties such as a 50th or an 80th; any type of special occasion where people come together to sit down and eat, usually with speeches or talks to follow.
I like the idea of events jobs in conferences and banqueting. Where could I find them?
The good news is, E4S regularly advertise events jobs at venues with conference and banqueting facilities all over the United Kingdom so you would like to do these types of events jobs, you need look no further than here. Many of the venues that play host to conferences and banquets events staffing companies to staff such events.
  • CGC Event Caterers could have conference and banqueting jobs in events at venues around the North, West and South Yorkshire.
  • Constellation - For students and young people based anywhere in the United Kingdom, events jobs in conference and banqueting - such as catering assistant jobs, or facilities management jobs such as cleaning jobs - could be available with Constellation, a division of the Compass Group.
  • Delaware North (UK) Ltd- Why not check out this staffing company for catering assistant jobs in banqueting and events in venues across the United Kingdom and you could soon be earning money doing bar jobs or waiter and waitressing jobs, for example.
  • Crown Golf - Click this link to read more about possible events jobs in conference and banqueting venues within Crown Golf Clubs
  • Jam Staffing- Students and young people who are looking for catering jobs in London, in banqueting and other areas of catering and hospitality could apply for jobs via Jam Staffing. They staff some of the country’s most prestigious events and actively encourage applications for part time, flexible jobs from students.
  • TempTribe - Conference and banqueting events jobs could be available through award winning TempTribe. This company is based in London and many of their events are in and around the capital. However, students and young people based in Cardiff and Birmingham could also find events jobs with the company. Again, TempTribe encourage applications from students and young people looking to work flexible hours.
What sort of events jobs are there in banqueting?
Entry level events jobs in the conference and banqueting area that would suit students and young people are likely to be catering assistant jobs. Conference and banqueting jobs are different to other waiter and waitressing jobs because of the fact that all of the people attending the event will sit down to eat at the same time.

Depending on the size of the company running the conferences and banquets, some places will employ staff especially to cover conference and banqueting jobs as well as their regular staff who do bar jobs and waiter and waitressing jobs. These staff could work directly for the venue or they might work for a staffing agency who specialise in providing trained catering staff for such events.

So, students and young people interested in doing part time catering jobs in events could find themselves being employed in either of those capacities. Working for an agency that provides staff to different places can provide lots of variety because you could be doing events jobs in conference and banqueting suites at racecourses, football stadiums or other sporting venues, as well as country clubs and hotels.
What are the main duties involved for events jobs such as conference and banqueting jobs?
Conferences and banquets are more than just catering jobs where you serve food to those who attend. These types of events mean you will be doing catering and hospitality jobs and your duties will vary throughout the day. Entry level catering and hospitality jobs for conferences and banquets can have different titles such as ‘banqueting porter’ or ‘operations assistant,’ but for most conference and banqueting jobs, duties will typically involve:
  • Setting up meeting rooms and / or dining areas - Obviously, this is done before the guests arrive and depending on the number of people attending, different room layouts and different table settings will be necessary. Conference and banqueting venues need to comply with health and safety regulations so this will affect how room layouts take shape.
  • Keeping the banqueting area clean and tidy - For conference and banqueting jobs, depending on the company and the type of venue, this could be part of catering assistant jobs or part of cleaning jobs in the area of facilities management. Catering staff, however, should always be prepared to keep work areas clean.
  • Giving a warm welcome and an exceptional hospitality experience - Banquets and conferences are often important events for those attending. Events jobs such as this may require you to meet and greet as well as waiting on tables. And of course, depending on the reason for the conference or banquet, you will speaking with customers in an appropriate tone as you serve them.
  • Answering guest queries - Conference and banqueting jobs in events may require you to know a little about the venue you are working in as well as the timetable of events for the banquet or conference. This means if guests have any questions, you will be able to answer them in a professional manner.
  • Have a knowledge of the menu and any changes - At conferences and banquets, guests are usually aware in advance about what will be on the menu for their meal. They may even be given an order of events for the day. Events jobs at these types of events mean you need to be aware of any changes to the order or changes to the menu so that you can inform guests and make sure everyone knows what is happening.
  • Be able to wear different ‘hats’ - Conference and banqueting jobs can be different to other events jobs in that you may have to be ‘different people’ at different times of day. Depending on the type of event and the size of the venue, sometimes, you might be a banqueting porter, setting up the room and laying tables. Sometimes you will be doing waiter and waitressing jobs, serving food and clearing pots and pans. Later, you could be doing cleaning jobs, clearing the banqueting area and then, depending on the type of event or conference, you could be working behind the bar doing bar jobs or glass collecting.
  • Kitchen assistant jobs - Catering assistant jobs where you are working behind the scenes in the kitchens throws up different demands because you need to be organised in preparing and serving many meals, all at once, so that guests can eat at the same time.
  • Be prepared to work a long day - Yes, events jobs like this are lots of fun but when you are working at conferences and banquets, because your duties are so varied, you need to be prepared to work a long day. A wedding banquet for example is likely to go from morning or early afternoon, right through until last orders at the bar.
  • Smart appearance - Of course, it goes without saying, whether it’s bar jobs, waiting on tables, other catering jobs or cleaning jobs, conference and banqueting work requires you to have impeccable appearance.
For those who want to make a career out of conference and banqueting jobs, some larger hotels, country clubs and other venues employ specialist staff in conference and banqueting events organiser jobs. At luxury hotels and other places with accommodation, it is also possible with some of these head waiter and waitressing jobs to have live in status.
How much do you get paid for events jobs in conference and banqueting ?
As with many other events jobs, entry level conference and banqueting jobs can be lots of fun, hard work and challenging. For jobs in catering or other areas, you can expect to be paid at least national minimum wage - this can change depending on your age and if you are doing apprenticeships. For entry level jobs at evenings and weekends, your pay is usually calculated on an hourly basis. Catering assistant jobs such as bar work or waiter and waitressing jobs could mean you can also top up the wages you have earned with tips.

Events coordinator jobs or for conference and banqueting will obviously pay a higher wage than events assistant jobs and this is usually an annual salary rather than an hourly rate of pay.
Will conference and banqueting jobs look good on my CV?
Whichever type of role you are doing at conference and banqueting jobs, they will always look good on your CV as it means you can demonstrate various skills and qualities to your future employer. Just a few of these are:
  • You can demonstrate that you are willing and able to work flexible hours.
  • You can demonstrate that you can work under pressure and meet deadlines.
  • Events jobs in conference and banqueting venues show you can adapt to do a variety of jobs in order to complete a single task. Cleaning jobs, bar jobs, waiting on tables all come together to make sure the conference or banquet runs smoothly.
  • Conference and banqueting jobs mean you develop good organisational skills.
  • Events jobs in conference and banqueting mean you will develop excellent communication skills as you liaise with both fellow team members and also guests who attend the event.
  • Conference and banqueting events jobs mean that teamwork is absolutely essential for the smooth running of the event. This is an excellent quality to take with you into your future workplace.
  • Conference and banqueting jobs in events mean you develop excellent time keeping skills. This is not just about getting to and from work on time but also making sure guests are sitting down to eat on time, food is served and cleared on time and other events run smoothly.
So what are you waiting for? If you think conference and banqueting jobs in events might suit you, start applying today and you could soon be earning extra cash and picking up some useful work experience in your ideal job.

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