New Faces in the Events Team

Luxury Sussex hotel and country club Ashdown Park has welcomed two new team members to its in-house events department. Marking an exciting time for the hotel, which boasts an impressive year-round events calendar, both Alex Pickles and Claire Hieron will contribute to and grow the hotel’s stellar reputation for world-class corporate and leisure events. 

With a passion for events that began while studying for a degree in International Event Management, Alex Pickles joins the team at Ashdown Park in the position of events coordinator. She has a wealth of experience in the hospitality events industry having held event management roles at South Lodge Hotel, Crowne Plaza at London Gatwick and most recently Hilton Brighton Metropole. 

Alex is relishing the opportunity to coordinate both the leisure and corporate events at Ashdown Park. Particularly looking forward to organising some of the lavish weddings held at Ashdown Park, Alex says: “As well as being part of the Elite Hotel Group and being a prestigious venue, Ashdown Park Hotel has an exciting growing weddings business which I love. It’s great to be a part of a very personal team at such a beautiful venue.”

Joining the events team with Alex is fellow events coordinator Claire Hieron. After completing her degree in fashion journalism Claire was accepted onto the Harrods Graduate Scheme. From there, Claire worked her way up to managing the PR for childrenswear which is where she discovered her passion for events. 

After making her move into hospitality, Claire worked her way up to events manager at the Richmond Hill Hotel in London before joining the Ashdown Park team, where she says: “I am excited for my future career here and as a property within the Elite Hotel Group, which is renowned for developing its employees, I look forward to what the next chapter here at this prestigious venue will bring me.”

Ben Booker, general manager of Ashdown Park Hotel said of the new appointments: “We are thrilled to welcome both Alex and Claire to our fantastic events team at Ashdown Park. As a hotel, our reputation for managing and delivering exceptional events is of paramount importance to us and I know that both the new events coordinators will develop and nurture that reputation and bring new business to the hotel.”