20 questions I was once asked to arrange a day trip from Gauteng to the Kruger Park by shuttle by an overseas visitor.
you are taking up too much space.” – Anonymous
What do you enjoy the most about what you do?
Honesty, integrity and business ethics.
The people and how a relationship evolves from the initial email to the conclusion of a successful event.
What are some of your ‘bucket list’ items?
What drives you both personally and professionally? I am a ‘people pleaser’! I love to see people’s expectations being exceeded.
What are some of your career highlights? In 2005, on behalf of the Irish Embassy, I was asked to assist with
Gem quality personality Monika Jacobs is a conference specialist at Toadbury Hall Country Hotel. We get to know her better with some revealing personal insights.
Where do you see the events industry currently? The events industry is continually evolving. Social media platforms provide us with the means to create audience-specific events and supply potential delegates with insights as to how previous events were received based on feedback on these platforms.
Where would you like to see the industry in the next five years? Despite social media’s marketing power, the interpersonal relationships between event organisers, clients and delegates need to be focused on in the coming years. People still need to
44 • MEETINGS l july/august 2018
connect on a face-to-face level to build relationships.
What role or influence do you believe Toadbury Hall plays in this? Toadbury is in a fantastic position to give guests versatility of choice. With three restaurants, and numerous function and conference venues situated on a spectacular 25 hectares of country estate in the Cradle of Humankind, Toadbury caters for leisure and corporates alike.
What was the most interesting client request you’ve had?
logistics and other related support functions at the SIDS Conference in Mauritius.
What is your special talent? Crisis management.
What are values you will not deviate from?
I am a gypsy at heart, so I love to travel – some bucket list places include the Bahamas, Malta, Rome and Russia and to see the aurora borealis from Iceland or Alaska.
What was your best holiday? Good friends from the US came to visit and we had the opportunity to take them to Springbok Lodge for a few days and then down to San Lameer – from the bush to the sea with amazing company.
What is your most prized possession? A girl can never only have one… so it would be my few pairs of flat shoes that match any outfit.
What is your favourite read? Entrepreneur magazine is one of my favourite reads. I am an absolute sucker for the zero-tomillions success stories.
What do people most often wrongly assume about you? That I work out and follow a strict diet.
What is your spirit animal? Hmmm, I’m a Gemini and my Chinese horoscope indicates a snake; so, I would have to go with the two-headed snake.
Who were your superheroes growing up?
What is your guiltypleasure?
Ayesha (She-who-must-be-obeyed) and my father.
Playing puzzle-solving PC games – just for 10 minutes. An hour later…
Who do you currently aspire to be like and why?
What is your favourite thing to do in your spare time?
Richard Branson. He started from nothing and built an empire.
Tending to my vegetable garden, although it currently consists of tomatoes, a few heads of lettuce, a pawpaw tree and some freerange weeds… a direct result of limited spare time.
What quote best describes your outlook towards life? “If you’re not living on the edge,
www.theplanner.guru