Administrator GCC for international communications company Mitel, Trish Sombilon, enjoys a varied role, which involves liaising with clients from all over the globe, leading to an incredibly hectic schedule

What does your typical day involve?

I oversee the administration of Mitel global operations. For example, if we’re having a product launch I’ll be involved in everything from organising the stands, the exhibition space, making sure all the requirements are in place at the event, the press releases have been sent, hotels have been arranged and payments have been made. 

What are the key ingredients in arranging quality meetings?

Different key factors are used by different people and organisations. We look beforehand at the clarity of the agenda, the ‘must-have’ objectives, the action owners and the meeting prime, so that activities can be tracked and results can be measured.

Do you ever seek the services of event management companies?

We only use our in-house resources to design and arrange our events. Occasionally, if we have joint activities with other partners, then we may have to consult a third party.

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Is it important to network in the meetings industry?

Mitel Networks spends quality time in wider meetings to assess the opportunities with channel partners, consultants, developers and end users. I very rarely have the chance to meet face-to-face, except from when delegates come into the office. Most of the time I communicate through email due to hectic schedules and problems caused by heavy traffic. 

Do you take congestion into consideration when selecting a venue?

The venue itself must be selected carefully, but also the access to the venue must be good, along with related facilities. It is equally important that the venue organisers are organised themselves and reliable in terms of future follow up and market feed back of the industry as an example.