EMPLOYEE Q&A
JON LOVETT
Director of Events, 18 years at Hilton Sandestin Beach
WHAT LED YOU TO THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY? I really think I’ve always been in it. I remember waiting tables when I was 16 years old at a little café inside a grocery store. I got into the management side here in 1999 at Barefoot’s, and I’ve been in event planning since 2006.
DESCRIBE A TYPICAL WORKDAY. It doesn’t necessarily start the same way every day. As an event manager, we work so many different accounts, so it’s phone calls and emails, pre-plans, event orders. These are the normal daily activities, but when you get them done depends on the day. Some of the accounts are longstanding and some new, some of them are very big and others as small as 10; they are all very different. It’s really all about planning though, as some people want to plan six months ahead and others want to plan on their way to the airport. You just have to be really flexible and available for people when they need you.
DESCRIBE THE MOST UNIQUE REQUEST YOU’VE RECEIVED AT HILTON SANDESTIN BEACH? We once had a Halloween party for a group that took me two days to decorate one of our conference rooms. It was a Vegas-y theme, with black and red decor, smoke machines and a DJ from Vegas. It was a good time.
WHAT’S THE BIGGEST TRIUMPH YOU’VE HAD HERE? I’ve worked my way up from being a bartender to being the director of events. I grew up in a farming community in South Dakota where the work ethic was drilled into me, so I don’t mind working hard and putting in the long hours. Hard work does pay off.
WHAT’S SOMETHING FEW PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT YOU? I collect antiques. I’m always looking to rescue things. I like things that have a story behind them — something that has history. I’ve been collecting antiques since 2002, and I go out whenever I can to collect new items. I remember going to yard sales with my mom and collecting things. It’s a great memory.
WHAT ACCOMPLISHMENT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? My son. He really is a great young man, and he’s working here now (beach services). I’m also proud of the fact I’ve been here for 18 years now. That’s a long time with one company.
IF A GUEST ASKS YOU WHAT DO THE LOCALS DO, WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE? I tell them to do what this place is meant for, which is to relax. Everything has gotten so fast over the years and people don’t take time to slow down. Take a moment, turn your phone off and go sit on the beach.
WHAT’S THE BIGGEST CHANGE YOU’VE SEEN DURING YOUR TIME AT HILTON SANDESTIN BEACH? It never ceases to amaze me how much they keep reinvesting in this property. It’s a real testament to our ownership, which makes our jobs so much easier. HILTONSANDESTINBEACH.COM
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