Meet The Team

  1. Home
  2. /
  3. Meet The Team

Rafael Azzopardi

Rafael Azzopardi

Job title: Head of Events

How long have you been at Regent’s and what do you love most about your job?

I’ve been involved with the Events here since 2008 and permanently on the team since 2015. I like weddings the best. Making a couples’ day really special does give me a lot of satisfaction.

What’s the most elaborate/unusual request a client has ever come to you with?

We had a request for a stand alone door with a frame for a theatre company. It was an essential prop for the production but the client hadn’t checked before the day whether we had one or not. Luckily we did.

Have you ever saved an event from near disaster? Tell us the story…

When working for a government department I received a phone call at 11am to ask if everything was alright for the cocktail reception that evening at 5pm for 300 people including visiting ambassadors, Lords, MPs , cabinet ministers and a few celebrities. I pointed out that the gentlemen on the line had not responded to 5 emails, 5 phone calls and a visit to their office asking him to confirm whether the planned event was going ahead or not. We referred him to an email we had sent a month previously confirming that as he hadn’t responded to any of our various requests for confirmation we would be cancelling the enquiry and not supplying anything for him. He apologised profusely and asked if there was anything we could do as it would cause embarrassment for the government and cost him his job. I asked the long-suffering chef to produce canapés from his kitchen and neighbouring kitchens. I rang our flexible staffing agency and we delivered on time without the guy’s boss knowing.

Tell us one thing your colleagues and clients probably don’t know about you

I once swore in front of Diana, Princess of Wales.

What is your biggest, professional or personal, claim to fame?

I am a Maître de Sabrage.

Esta Verzoviti

Esta Verzoviti

Job title: Senior Conferences & Events Coordinator

How long have you been at Regent’s and what do you love most about your job?

I have been at Regent’s since 2018 and what I love the most about my job is the events we host on the lawns. We are incredibly fortunate to work in such beautiful surroundings.

What’s the best event you’ve ever helped put on at Regent’s?

There have been too many for me to narrow it down, but I generally love organising corporate summer parties on our lawns.

What’s the most elaborate/unusual request a client has ever come to you with?

I once organised a fantasy medieval dinner for a client. It was very surreal seeing all the guests with costumes and horns coming out of their heads, walking the same corridors as our regular clients, dressed in normal clothes!

What is the best cuisine in the world?

Greek of course! But I might be biased…

Tell us one thing your colleagues and clients probably don’t know about you

I was a professional show jumper back in Greece.

Elliott Dobbs

Elliott Dobbs

Job title: Internal Events Manager

How long have you been at Regent’s and what do you love most about your job?

I started here in the long hot summer of 2018. The thing I love most is the end to end execution aspect of the role, from discussing ideas at the initial stages of the event, through to being there on the day throughout the delivery process.

What’s the best event you’ve ever helped put on at Regent’s?

I would have to say our graduation ceremonies and receptions. We spend 12 months preparing for graduation and it’s hard work, but the most rewarding jobs always are.

What’s the most elaborate/unusual request a client has ever come to you with?

I was once asked for a cup of water by a guest at an event I was working at, not an unusual request until I realised it was for his pet iguana. It turns out iguanas can be quite sociable creatures.

Tell us one thing your colleagues and clients probably don’t know about you

I’ve been to Machu Picchu in the Andes Mountains of Peru.

Jackie Fitzpatrick

Jackie Fitzpatrick

Job title: Conferences & Events Coordinator

How long have you been working in events and what do you love most about your job?

I have been working in events for over 11 years both in construction and at universities. I love the variety and challenges the roles provide, and the satisfaction you achieve when an event goes well after all the hard work you put in. No two days are the same so you never get bored!

Tell us one thing your colleagues and clients probably don’t know about you

I am a trained professional chef but have never put it into use in my working career.

What’s the most elaborate/unusual request a client has ever come to you with?

I recently organised a conference where a nursing mother attended. I had to collect her milk that she put into bottles throughout the day and store it in our fridge so that she could take it home for her baby.

Where is your favourite holiday destination?

There are so many…..one of my favourites has to be Mallorca which I have visited many times and feels like home when I get there. So many happy memories of visiting with my family and friends and we even attended a wedding 3 years ago. The island is beautiful and I can relax totally there.

What is the best piece of advice you can give to someone organising an event?

Listening to your clients’ needs, attention to detail and going above and beyond their expectations. Also keeping calm when something goes wrong and being able to rectify the problem on the day.

Lucrezia Manzo

Job title: Conferences & Events Coordinator

Have you ever saved an event from near disaster? Tell us the story…

Too many to mention. Finding a bouncy castle with one hour’s notice just seems to be part of the job. Once, the florist had not been able to attach roses to the cheese tower as agreed with the wedding couple so I used some fresh fruits to create a beautiful cheese tower decoration and saved their wedding “cake cutting pictures” as the cheese tower was replacing the traditional wedding cake.

Which event that you have organised has given you the most personal satisfaction?

Working with JTB to organise the 100th anniversary celebration and the ATP finals drinks reception for NITTO. I was able to use my creativity to arrange everything branded for the client. To give an example, I worked with the catering team to create a personalised cocktail with the company branded colours and shaped the lemon peel as number one hundred, as well as arranging a Christmas tree with Tennis balls.

What is your favourite restaurant / dining experience in London?

It is so difficult to pick only one restaurant since I love going out for dinner and enjoying different culinary experiences in London. But if I have to give you a name, I would say YORI, a traditional Korean restaurant near Piccadilly Circus where you can go with friends and have an amazing BBQ cooking your own food. My favourite is definitely the Beef Bulgogi Set!

For booking enquiries please call the number below, or use our online booking form

×
X