"We identify any needs and do whatever is needed to ensure they are going to be satisfied"

Could you tell us about your career journey in the meetings and events industry?

Looking back, somehow, I have always been linked to event planning. I worked for more than 15 years at the commercial division of an airline. We were always planning events for groups or for our most important clients.

I traveled a lot as a Tour Conductor in FAM trips. Later, I worked for 5 years as a Sales Manager at a Chilean hotel, congress center and casino group. In 2005 I decided to start a business on my own and as to today, 15 years later, I could not be prouder of owning the leading PCO in Chile

What is your position as Executive Manager at Eventual like?

I spend 100% of my time in reviewing the strategy of our company, keeping up to date with the latest trends around the world, developing public relations… I am also very keen on listening to the young people, always looking forward and thinking about the future. I would like Eventual to become a business that develops further beyond myself. Luckily, it has already grown although we must keep working hard to consolidate even more the company.

What is a common day like in Verónica García-Huidobro’s life?

My days are quite busy, I normally have one or two meetings every day. If there are no meetings, I arrange them. I try to keep a fluid relation with my clients, I usually take them out for lunch or for a coffee, etc.

What is the difference of the Chilean meetings and events industry from the rest of the world?

Over the last decade, the meetings and events industry in Chile has become stronger. I believe this is a result of doing things correctly and in an organized way. This doesn’t mean that everything is perfect in Chile, but I consider Chileans to be far more systematic compared to other countries in Latin America.

What changes have you been able to identify in the last 3 years in the pharmaceutical industry event planning? What would be the trends that will influence the market in the coming years?

Compliance has shaped the business landscape. In the beginning, I was not expecting it to become as critical. However, nowadays I believe it should stay and we should adapt. We must look for locations for our events that do not communicate any relation to luxury, resort, 5 stars, casino, golf… These are key words (in a negative sense) for the legal department at pharma companies.

Eventual organizes big and small events. When planning both kind of events, what are the main requirements you should take into consideration?

Our main goal is reaching total satisfaction of our clients. We identify any needs and do whatever is needed to ensure they are going to be satisfied. The selected venue must have all necessary requirements to develop the event, I am not talking only about capacity (which is key) but also about location, parking, F&B quality, flexibility, etc.

How did you get to know NH Hotel Group? What does NH Hotel Group offer you as a partner?

I have been several times to Buenos Aires for business and I stayed at NH hotels. At Eventual, a Spanish coworker had worked for NH Hotel Group before in Madrid, and she told us about the group. I have visited Madrid with my family a few times and stayed at NH Collection Madrid Paseo del Prado and NH Collection Madrid Palacio de Tepa. We absolutely love those hotels. The location and the breakfast are remarkable. In May 2017, we planned an event at NH Collection Bogotá Teleport Royal and it was a great success.

What has been the greatest challenge in the industry?

Delivering the best for our clients, responding to our mistakes (and those mistakes committed by third parties). We are intermediaries, but when you are facing a client there is not much time for explanations. You must take responsibility for the good and the bad. That is why having good suppliers is key.

What advice would you give to someone starting in the industry as an event organizer?

To be serious, reliable and professional, and that this job requires rigor. As in any other business, you would also need financial backup.

Could you share a funny story you have experienced when organizing an event?

I remember booking 84 rooms in a hotel for a medical congress outside Santiago. The first conference (and the most important) started at 8.30 am on a Wednesday. The hotel booked the rooms for that specific Wednesday but the rooms weren’t booked for the night before, on Tuesday night. The hotel happened to host another group for Tuesday night, so they couldn’t provide any accommodation.

Our contract supported us, but the hotel did not respond very well, they just compensated for that night but without providing any solution. The whole story was awful, and we just managed to solve it as best as we could, but it is worth writing a book about the whole experience.

The medical society is still working with us and never found out about what happened.