Although we had a four-strong team lined up to ensure everything ran like clockwork at the Governor’s dinner, there were several question marks over the logistics of how things would work on the night. Would we be swamped by huge queues as nearly 500 guests tried to get into the dining room together; would we cope if everyone turned up at the same time to register….would we have enough people to work the queue if people didn’t know where to go….so that’s where Tom and Amy stepped in.
It was great to know we would have an extra two (capable) bodies on the ground should the need arise. And, of course, it did. It was a hectic couple of hours before the dinner so the extra help was really appreciated. While we registered guests and liaised with the Bank of England team, Tom and Amy were able to soak up any questions, direct guests to cloakrooms and wine stations and generally keep an eye out for issues while we were busy.
From their point of view, they had been immersed in the behind the scenes work that was going on in the office; the attention to detail; the last minute changes; the phone calls and team discussions so it was a fantastic opportunity for them to see an event go live with the hard work and excitement that entails and let’s face it, you don’t get much bigger than a dinner with the Governor of the Bank of England.
Great too for us to get the feedback from two new faces to the team and to hear their thoughts on how it all went. A good team effort all round, here are their views on the night…
Tom’s Night of Networking
I think I can safely speak for Amy on this too, when I say we have both really enjoyed the experience working for Tim and his team at Cobb PR over the last few weeks. However at the beginning of our third week, Janet let us know that we would be helping out on Tuesday night at the B.O.E. dinner at the Devere Grand Hotel in Brighton.
This was a fantastic chance to see first-hand how Cobb PR handles their biggest networking dinner of the year and, I have to say I was blown away. I’ve seen Janet and Louise working really hard since I’ve arrived, on organising seating plans, checking dietary requirements, sending out invitations and making sure they did everything they could to make the evening a success.
Amy and I drove over from the Eastbourne office to Brighton at about 3.00pm, singing loudly in the car all the way. Once we arrived we were given a tour of The Grand and given instructions by Janet and Louise that we would be the ‘meet and greet’ guys and show people where to hang their coats, which reception rooms to go to and basically be on hand if anything unforeseen happened.
Fortunately, the evening ran super-smoothly, I’m no stranger to meeting new people and making conversation, but I was seriously impressed by Tim and Sue’s ability to welcome 500 high-profile businessmen and women and, remember individual things about each and every one to create a really personable atmosphere. I’m convinced that Tim must have had several doppelgangers on hand, as I’ve never seen a man be in so many places at once.

So overall, I believe a really good time was had by all, after the doors to the Empress Suite were locked and bolted Amy and I stayed on the sign-in desk to welcome any latecomers. It seemed that everyone had arrived on time however, so at about 7.30pm we slipped out and headed home.
Once back I was surprised about the quick turnaround of the BBC film crew who were at the dinner, as on the national 10 o’clock news I saw Sir Mervyn King talking on the same backdrop that I had just seen a few hours before. The night was brilliant exposure for Cobb PR, EMC and the host of other sponsors and a really fantastic experience for me.
Amy’s Grand Experience
From day one of starting my internship at Cobb PR, all I heard was the mention of the Bank of England dinner. Like a rumour circulating the office it was all everyone could talk about. Table plans, guests and more dietary requirements than are known to doctors, consumed Janet and Louise’s days. Everyday was becoming busier and busier organising the Cobb PR event of the year!
After seeing all the preparation that was going into this event, when I was asked to help out on the occasion itself I knew I was in for a busy night. Arriving at the Grand Hotel Brighton around four o’clock, everyone was prepped and ready to greet the influx of guests that were soon to be swarming our desks to register! Before we knew it people began arriving and I was given the task of ticking them off the list and directing them to the hall for drinks. It was great to welcome some of the friendly faces I had heard so much about the previous weeks, and the excitement of the night ahead filled the vast entrance of the Grand.

The orderly activity of registering was finally over, and it was great to see everything was running smoothly and to schedule.
As I got home and flung of the heels from my aching feet, I reflected on the past few hours. Witnessing the effort and planning Janet, Louise and all the team at Cobb had put into this event, it was rewarding to see it all come together on the night. I am proud to have been given the amazing opportunity of representing and helping Cobb PR on such an important night, and it is an experience I will never forget.