The new edition of "EXCELLENCE By Vendôm" is about to be launched with an event that promises a plethora of beautiful surprises and numerous perspectives for the world of luxury. Before unveiling our fabulous partners and speakers, it is a real pleasure to introduce the amazing Vendôm team.
Today we give the floor to Laura Antony, Business Developer Manager in charge of schools and training for The Vendôm Company. She is radiant and irrepressibly optimistic; she always keeps her eyes on the horizon and, above all, on the next project. With an unusual double degree in hotel management and visual arts, she was able to win over one of the most prestigious groups in the world, Bulgari Hotels, because luxury is above all a question of having the eye and the expertise. Laura explains to us today that these two fields in fact meet and know each other well.
Vendôm.jobs - Laura, could you introduce yourself to our readers?
Laura Antony - I have always had two passions: luxury hotels and art. So I went to a luxury management school, the CMH in Paris and, at the same time, I did a degree in visual arts and art history at the Sorbonne.
Thanks to this course, I had the chance to work on the opening of the Bulgari Hotel in Dubai. The essence of this collection is very much linked to the spirit of the jewellery designer while breaking the rules, modernising the high-end hotel business.
I am always looking for the possibility to combine these two worlds in a harmonious manner. What I particularly appreciated was being given the possibility, not only to express my personality but also to bring my creative touch to a highly demanding clientele.
V. J – For you, what is luxury?
L. A. - I would say that it's about giving the best of attention to the guests through the expression of my own personality: being able to surprise them, delight them and excite them.
My passion for art has endowed me with a great sensitivity that I have always wanted to put at the service of my guests’ needs. It's all about providing guests with the best possible experience and bringing that extra something from the world of the arts.
Guests arrive with expectations of excellence and it is important to exceed these, beyond even what they might have imagined. I am always looking to bring my touch of creativity to the hospitality industry. By doing so, I can stimulate in guests that rare emotion that will make them feel like coming back.
V.J. - In your career, what is your driving force?
L. A. - Projecting myself into the fabulous field of luxury hotels and the desire to put ideas into practice.
I have a creative turn of mind and being able to apply my skills to build projects is very rewarding.
The next edition of the "Excellence by Vendôm" trade fair, a key event in luxury recruitment, is my next objective.
V.J. - Are there any personalities who have particularly inspired you to choose this path?
L. A. - Of course! The person who comes immediately to mind is my commercial director at Bulgari, Luca Guerra. He is a real mentor for me, he pushes me every day to surpass myself. There is also the director of the CMH in Paris who has always seen my double degree as an asset for the industry and who has encouraged me considerably in this direction.
I would also like to mention my teachers at Toulouse School of Hospitality and Tourism who stimulated me in my career choice. My English teacher Marie-Paule Canou has always supported me in my projects and still gives me valuable advice.
V.J. What do you find most rewarding in this career?
L. A. - The realisation of everything I’ve imagined in order to carry out a project is a unique and gratifying feeling.
There are also the encounters I have had over the years, which have been rich in human terms and which have also allowed me to be more open-minded.
My professional experience in Dubai, Bora Bora, Paris and Kuala Lumpur have given me the opportunity to meet people from different backgrounds, allowing highly enriching human exchanges.
V.J. - Do you have a "comfort food" in mind that brings back fond memories?
L. A. - I would say the chocolate fondant, extra runny... A real pleasure! However, if I think about it, my "comfort dish" would be my grandmother's mashed potatoes, as I used to watch her make them. Unbelievably simple: potatoes, milk and butter, heavy on the butter! When I make it, I use the same ingredients, the same gestures. However, I don't quite get the same taste…So this mashed potato is part of my library of comforting culinary memories. It's my very own Proust's madeleine !
V.J. - We were talking about your training in visual arts. Could you tell us about a place, a work, which has particularly moved you?
L. A. - When I lived in Paris, I loved to spend time at the Musée d'Orsay. I was fascinated by the architecture, the space and the inexhaustible opportunites to discovery something new. In particular, I have exceptional memories of an exhibition devoted to Van Gogh.
Much more recently, I went to the Bassin des lumières in Bordeaux. This is a former submarine base that has been redesigned to provide an immersive aesthetic experience. I attended the exhibition dedicated to one of my favourite artists, Yves Klein. The place, the images, the music, the reflection of the works on the water … it really did move me.
V.J. Do you have a phrase, a motto, that could define you?
L. A. – Off the cuff, I’d say "carpe diem"! However, in work as in life, I am said to be a persistent person, so I would rather answer "never give up!". Never giving up on my desires is what allows me to go towards my objectives every day.
The work I do is exciting and I am so determined to do it well, so the maxim that would best define me today is undoubtedly "The only way to do great work is to love what you do". This should be the maxim for any student aiming to work in this fabulous industry !
