Off to Work - Directors
Philip Atkins • Founder and Director
Philip has been involved in the hospitality industry for twenty years and brings an immense amount of event management, personnel training and recruitment experience to Off to Work.
After studying a BA (Hons) Degree in Hospitality management Philip joined the Regent group of Hotels and was part of the opening team of the five star Regent London Hotel, now known as The Landmark Hotel.
He left the Regent to move into Front of House Management at the world famous Madame Tussaud’s. After a successful period in Front of House, Philip moved into events at Madame Tussaud’s where he found his true forte.
Philip left Madame Tussaud’s to become Operations Manager of Events at The Natural History Museum, London. The museum has been one of the most successful unique venues in London hosting up to 180 events every year. It is also the industry leader in its commitment to the upholding of health & safety and high standards within the Events Industry.
Philip was then headhunted by First Protocol to continue in event management, dealing with clients such as BT and MasterCard, and managing all events that came through Vinopolis.
Following his seven years of Event Management experience Philip left First Protocol to set-up Off to Work. The company was formed with the maxim that something better could be added to the industry in terms of the quality of staff that were being brought into it and the way that they are dealt with. Off to Work was to provide a professional, customer focused and courteous service to both external and internal customers. This overall philosophy has been achieved and is the main rudder to all Off to Work’s proceedings.
Philip believes in a CANI (Constant And Never-ending Innovation) approach to business looking to improve the service of Off to Work and to create additional synergy with our clients at every opportunity. Philip also sits on the board of ISES and believes in the development of better practices in the event industry and also the promotion of the undoubted talent the UK has onto a worldwide stage.
Robert Persson • Director of Operations
"The biggest challenge with providing exceptional staff to the very highest end of the events/hospitality industry is finding the right mix of people. Sourcing a group of models for a one-off product launch, when appearance is everything, is not particularly difficult and it is something we can do quite easily. The challenge in staffing is having a superbly presentable team, all arriving on time and happily working throughout the day/night with a smile on their face and great, positive and flexible attitude in their back pack."
"I feel that we have successfully managed to put this mix together and that this is where we stand out from our competition. I take it as my never ending role within Off to Work to continuously motivate the team and to make sure we keep on getting the right people with the right attitude and aptitude on books. Luckily for us our hard work with building this team has paid off and new offtoworkers quickly pick up on our team culture and attitude towards work in hospitality."
A 12 year old Robert sold his first hotdog on his local racecourse in Sweden and he has never really looked back. Every summer was spent working in hospitality either in trendy bars or in top class restaurants. After graduating from Mid Sweden University with a degree in Communications and PR, specialising in events management, Robert worked in marketing and external communications in Sweden and in London.
Prior to joining Off to Work Robert worked as an Events Manager for Inn or Out Ltd looking after blue chip corporate directors, Royals, Presidents and A-class celebrities. Robert has planned, organised and seen through a vast number of top end events ranging from concerts in Hyde Park and Gala Casino Launches in Sweden to Corporate Dinners at the Natural History Museum.
Robert is always happy to provide advice if you need help with organising an event and he often works as an events manager on the field for many of our clients. "The more I can help our clients the more successful they will be which in turn benefits what we do. We’d be stupid to say that we only provide the staff when we have so much experience in house to provide further events support. To work in a partnership is key to successful events management."
Robert joined Off to Work in October 2003 as the General Manager with the intention to add an extra dimension of Catering and Events Management experience to the already dynamic team. He firmly believes in creating win-win zones between all parts in every business situation, and he is extremely service minded and will always go out of his way to provide you with the support you need and beyond. Robert was promoted to Director of Operations in May 2007.
If you have any questions regarding our team, events management, restaurant management or front of house hospitality in general then please do not hesitate to contact Robert for advice or support.
