Victoria Calcutt has over 30 years experience working within the Events & Hospitality Industry
Sodexo Prestige for 15 years – As UK Sales Director, responsible for a Sales Team selling events at unusual and outstanding venues including Lord’s Cricket Ground, Ascot, Blenheim Palace and Murrayfield Stadium
Hilton Hotels for 10 years – The first 5 years were spent at the London Hilton on Park Lane developing operational skills with a strong emphasis on top class customer service . Thereafter, Victoria spent a further 5 years selling conference and events
“I feel privileged to have worked with 2 great companies who have helped me develop over the years! VCA Consulting was established in 2013 and I’m proud to work with some fantastic and very loyal clients”
What our clients say
“We use VCA Consulting to test our telephone and web enquiry sales process. We were seeking a solution that would take a holistic look at our whole enquiry process and identify training areas within our team to create a high performing sales culture. Rather than simply testing individual skill set and performance, we were really testing our processes and whether the team have the right tools to perform at the highest level. VCA provide a highly bespoke and tailored service, giving us the opportunity to really understand our strengths and identify further opportunities within our sales process. By tailoring the calls to our requirements, we have been able to identify areas in our call handling that can make a real impact on our conversion”.
Emma Boynton
Head of Sales & Marketing – Imago Venues
15 July 2019
“We have recently embarked on a telephone mystery shopping programme with VCA Consulting for our Conference and Events team. We wanted to gain a full understanding of our strengths but also skill sets that may require some focus. We were able to do this and from recommendations made by Victoria, she then worked closely with our Sales Trainer so that a bespoke course could be designed.
We have since followed up with further mystery calls and have seen a significant improvement with our scores and going forward, our sales conversion
VCA Consulting clearly understood our objectives and our portfolio of Hotels, were very easy to work with and flexible”
Leigh Jenkins
Commercial Director – Iconic Luxury Hotels
03 May 2019
“Dear Vicky
I wanted to thank you for carrying out the mystery shopper and training programme with my events team. From the initial meeting through to your post training follow up, I have been so impressed by your professional clear and precise communication.
I have understood exactly what you are going to do and when, had the benefit of regular updates and progress reports.
The quality of your reports and recommendations has been a brilliant tool to engage and support the team.
The feedback from the team about the tailored training has been fantastic and it has fulfilled the key objectives we discussed.
I have seen them implement your recommendations and look forward to them reaping the rewards.
I would have no hesitation in recommending you to other hospitality managers looking to spend their training budget well to ensure great results. Can’t wait for the next wave of training”
Kind regards
Caroline O Connor – Commercial Director
February 2018
“Vicky recently started a mystery shopping programme for our Sales team and quickly identified our strengths and areas requiring focus where she then designed a training programme! All our staff felt the training day was really worthwhile and we look forward to increased sales and conversion”
Dermot Waldron – Group Operations Director
January 2018
“VCA Consulting was engaged to work with ITA Venues to develop a mystery shop programme in line with the ITA Sales School. This approach to continuous learning for team members across many different venues, including the central desk, with a variety of mystery shop calls and evaluations, allowing them to grow and develop within our business.
Victoria has a great deal of experience in the hospitality business and has worked with ITA* to understand the business and put together a programme of calls and evaluations in line with scheduled training courses. She was quick to understand our needs to allow us to gain consistency in our sales approach whilst still allowing individuals to adapt their style to how they look after clients. It was important to us that their sales skills are still as individual as the venues they represent and the unique requirements of each client. Then focus on understanding what’s important and how best to match the right solutions to the right client and convert and retain more business. The Sales process starts with a great sales call that is consistent, unique and informative.
We see this as a continuous process of learning and development and look forward to VCA Consulting’s ongoing involvement and support.”
Gemma Plowright
Sales Director
January 2018
“Victoria was fantastic to work with and very professional, my team where engaged and motivated throughout the session and their feedback was very positive. I would highly recommend Victoria to other organisations and I look forward to working with her again”
Sophie Able Head of Sales, East Region
September 2017
“VCA Consulting run our sales mystery shopping programme which has helped us identify our strengths and identify focus areas to enable us to build our event business.
Victoria recently conducted some sales training, which the team felt was very worthwhile, informative and inspirational. She was extremely knowledgeable and great fun too – an insightful few hours”
Anna Walton, Group Sales Manager – Longleat | Cheddar Gorge & Caves
January 2017
“I had been introduced to Victoria through our franchise catering company Elior UK Ltd whom she had worked with on previous occasions.
Following my experience with Vicky and Elior I engaged her to work directly with Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales in order to improve and enhance the venue hire operation at our museums. From the initial meeting through to the delivery on the day Victoria was both professional and engaging. The training that was delivered to the team on the day was excellent and feedback from all attendees was exemplary. All attendees left enthused and thoroughly enjoyed the day whilst learning a great deal about how to improve their business. I would highly recommend VCA Consulting to any organisation”
Karen James-Watkins – CEO NMW Enterprises Ltd
October 2016
“Victoria had been recommended to me from a colleague who had worked with her previously and due to her experience in venues I thought she was ideal for the training I had in mind. From the initial brief to taking the coaching session on the day I have found Victoria extremely professional to work with and the feedback from my team after the training day has been hugely positive, she certainly delivered on everything I asked for”!
Lee Moulson Regional Head of Sales – South West Jockey Club Racecourses
Cheltenham / Exeter / Warwick / Wincanton
September 2016
“The training that Victoria Calcutt has delivered for the Ashmolean Events Team has been extremely valuable.
Victoria delivered a very interactive session with high quality content and managed to create a very relaxed learning environment thanks to her personable approach and natural ability to engage with the team at all times.
I am delighted that we have called on VCA Consulting to deliver this bespoke session.
I would very highly recommend VCA Consulting to other organisations”
Benedicte Montain – Head of Events and Corporate Membership at Ashmolean Museum
August 2016
“Thank you Vicky for delivering such a great training session on show rounds today. The feedback from my team has been great and I am hoping to see increased conversion rates in future. The content of the seminar and the pace it was delivered was very effective and the role plays were managed in an educational but fun way! I look forward to working with you again.”
Tracy Skinner – Head of Sales Newbury Racecourse
April 2016
“What VCA manage to do is to make managing our mystery shopper programme effortless. Victoria really gets under the skin of our business and takes time to understand the differences in our many businesses. She takes personal interest in seeing improvements in individuals too. The reporting is also tailor made for my own requirements. We look forward to continuing our ongoing partnership”
Johanna Byrane – Head of Sales
September 2015
“VCA have been conducting our mystery calls over the last twelve months as a key part of our performance development programme. I am delighted that collectively this year, our conversion has improved by 12% to a very competitive 60% overall and year to date, we are £300k up on sales. The team respond very positively to the calls and we are seeing improvements at all levels. For Elior, mystery calls are not about catching sales people out, it is about highlighting development needs and working with our teams to make them the best they can be – and VCA is an important part of this process.”
Victoria has a comprehensive understanding of how to manage sales teams within the Hospitality and Leisure industry. She leads from the front, but always seeks to achieve successful results through her team members rather than undertaking actions on her own. Victoria has always demonstrated to me a focused and committed approach to achieving great results. Philip Cripps – Chief Executive Thameside International
“I have known Vicky for many, many years particularly in her role at Sodexo. She has always been most helpful and a lady of her word. If we had any issues and got in touch with Vicky, she dealt with things in a timely manner. A thoroughly professional and lovely person who I would not hesitate to work with again!”
“I had the pleasure of working for Vicky for over 5 years. During this time Vicky not only instilled in me the basic skills required to run a sales office but also provided me with the tools to manage an effective and profitable business. Many of the procedures she taught me through her professional business approach I now utilise as Managing Director of a company”
“I have known and worked with Victoria for 15 years. She is a highly experienced, superbly efficient sales professional. I have no hesitation in recommending her.”