The Forum is a 1,640 capacity Art Deco venue in the heart of Bath hosting a wide range of events including live music gigs, classical music events, corporate events and wedding receptions.

Being a Duty Manager has an extremely wide role of responsibilities from cash handling, leading a team of staff through to managing various types of logistics. Therefore if something goes awry that was not foreseen (such as a projection equipment issue) then one has to formulate a radical plan of action to ensure the customers are well looked after and will return to us in the future with customer loyalty being a key principal on the cinema’s success. I have had to think on my feet and make quick and effective decisions in a very short space of time and keep all staff and customers informed on events unfolding, including making announcements and mediating between customers. Other major responsibilities would be to ensure that at all times risk assessments and health and safety are adhered to during the working day. I have a flair for finding room for improvement in the running of the cinema and deciding on effective ways of overcoming of any obstacles. I work with complex projection hardware and software equipment which needs one to be able to adapt and learn on a constant basis, which I do very quickly. I also have to ensure premium events and screening via satellite run smoothly: this requires an eye for detail to guarantee that everything is correct with the wiring and format, as well as doing extensive testing beforehand. These can be very stressful and I have to be diligent for timings of intermissions and being able to liaise with foreign broadcast companies if there is a delay in sound or subtitles etc.

Since I was promoted to the cinema’s Wedding Director, I have more than doubled the amount of wedding bookings annually whilst increasing profit margins. I created a successful and professional website along with e-brochures and additional packages to maximise profits. I have secured strong business relationships with photographers and other professionals within the industry, and because of this I have also planned and carried out photo-shoots for the venue which required a lot of strategic planning between many parties and the result has been a huge successes: Little Weddings has been featured on many local and national websites and magazines, which has boosted enquiries and bookings. Running a client’s wedding in a unique venue as a cinema, is demanding and requires a great deal of coordinating and leadership skills to ensure that their special day runs perfectly. I have run 64 weddings from initial enquiry through to the actual day itself. For each wedding I have a limited number of staff on hand which makes leading a small team like this successful by effective delegation as well as having a keen eye for detail and extensive forward planning.From the initial booking of a wedding date by a client until the day of the wedding all of this involves a great deal of admin work. I am confident in issuing contracts and carrying out various invoice work and filing in a correct manner: where I adhere to the most productive way in which to process applications of hire. This requires superb organisational skills; something that I have in abundance. The main bulk of administrative work involves a great deal of e-mailing and telephone conversations. On a constant basis, I am liaising between numerous parties from planning logistics to booking the time slot around the film programming which can cause all sorts of complicated copyright hinderances.

Working on Front of House at the cinema means that I am the first point of contact for any customers arriving at the cinema. This requires cash handling, being presentable and exceptional customer service. I am known to have built a rapport with customers and excel in going that extra mile to ensure an enjoyable cinema experience. This also involves me working in a very small space, many on my own, so I have to be organised and tidy to give the best representation of the cinema and ensure customer loyalty. I also have to work an unreliable till database system containing private customer information and dealing with any issues that may arise.