We meet Peter Watson, Events Manager at Benenden Healthcare...
Q Describe a typical day
A There’s not really a typical day, one day I could be managing our activities in London at a conference such as Civil Service Live, and the next I could be talking to Chief Executives from Local Authorities. There is quite a bit of variety in the events which are covered.
Q What is the best thing about your job?
A Being able to see an event all the way through from conception to successful completion is very satisfying. I also enjoy having the opportunity to travel around the country to events to meet people and tell them about how great Benenden is. I guess I am one of those lucky (or sad depending on your point of view) people who really enjoys their job.
Q And the worst?
A The days can be very long, sometimes starting at 7am and not finishing until midnight. I remember at last year’s Labour Party Conference having a meeting with Phil Hope, the then Minister for the Third Sector, at quarter to one in the morning!
Q And the most unusual?
A Events at the political party conferences can be quite unusual; being surrounded by familiar and famous faces. I had the pleasure of being stuck in a lift with ITV presenter Kate Garraway at the Conservative Party Conference, and seeing John Prescott walking around the Labour Party Conference with one of our tiny teddy bears in his top pocket will be an image that will stay with me for a long time.
Q If you were in charge at Benenden, what’s the first thing you would do?
A Fix the air conditioning in the York office!
Q What did you do before you began working for Benenden?
A After doing a joint honours degree in Marketing and Music in Manchester I moved back to York and worked as a Marketing Executive for a field marketing agency before joining Benenden almost four years ago.
Q What do you do in your spare time?
A I love music so most of my hobbies revolve around either going to gigs and concerts or performing. I play the drums in a band in York and we play a few gigs around the local area which is fun. I also enjoying travelling and seeing new countries and cultures.
Q What’s your proudest moment?
A I wouldn’t like to say yet, as I am sure I have better things still to come. I wouldn’t want to think that I’d peaked too soon!
Q Which three famous people would you invite to dinner and why?
A The late Oliver Reed, to ensure that the wine and party games kept flowing. The late travel writer Pete McCarthy, to entertain with some of his brilliantly funny travel stories and The Who’s Keith Moon, one of the greatest ever drummers, to ensure that the party would go off with a bang.
Q What would be your dream come true?
A To set up and event manage my own Glastonbury music festival.
This article first appeared in issue 9 of benhealth, the magazine for Benenden Healthcare members.
