What I’ve Learned: Jenny George, Sales Manager at Leeds Castle

More than 900 years old, set on an island in Kent, and a regular royal residence, Leeds Castle couldn’t be more one-of-a-kind. Once part of many a medieval queen’s dower – Queen Isabella of France and Catherine de Valois among them – King Henry VIII transformed the castle from a stronghold into an envy-making royal palace. Later, the castle fell on hard times until the Anglo-American heiress Lady Baillie acquired it in the 1920s – acquired it in the 1920s, kicking off a new era that saw Leeds Castle become one of England's great country houses (‘the loveliest castle in the world’, no less), regularly hosting leading statesmen, film stars and European royalty.

Yet heritage alone doesn’t fill a conference diary, book out the year’s wedding dates, or fund maintenance. Behind the sheer magnificence of the building itself is an active, modern events operation, dealing with changing event behaviours, personalising the little details, and acting as a conduit to share the magic of the castle. Jenny George has spent 23 years helping those two worlds work together.

Having first joined Leeds Castle as a waitress when her two daughters were young, George progressed through a variety of roles, from hospitality to event planning, before taking up the sales manager position. It’s a complete education: guest service, event planning, managing sales and event teams, building partnerships, sales strategy, and spearheading innovative ways to expand Leeds Castle’s offer. You can’t learn all that from the comfort of an office alone.

With a front-row seat to the many ways the events industry has changed over the years, from cheques to chatbots, postal contracts to instant RFPs – who better to put our burning questions to? We caught up to talk through the practical realities of operating a historic venue, unexpected moments, and how to remain commercially relevant without sanding away the very character that clients pay to see.

What do you love most about your job?

I love working as part of a team that creates amazing experiences and seeing our guests enjoying them. From the initial sale and showcasing Leeds Castle as a truly unique hospitality destination through to reading the incredible feedback we received. Seeing the hard work, care and attention our teams put into every event recognised is really special, it makes my job very rewarding.

You started as a waitress and are now sales manager. What does knowing a venue from the ground up teach you that you couldn’t learn in a management role alone?

Starting as a waitress taught me the importance of teamwork and what it takes to deliver exceptional guest experiences. It also gave me a real understanding of how events need to work within a heritage venue. Our kitchens aren’t necessarily where you would want them to be, and storage is a challenge, so knowing the quirks of the Castle from my time on the floor helps me understand what is realistically possible. It means I can work with our teams and clients to find creative solutions, while still preserving what makes Leeds Castle so unique. Having hands on experience definitely makes me appreciate how hard our operational teams work, and it means I am always happy to get stuck in and support with operational requirements when needed.

Complete with luxury accommodation, Leeds Castle is a popular venue for conferences, seminars and training sessions as well as corporate summer parties and company events.

Is there anything that still surprises you about guest behaviour?

Absolutely! What still surprises me is how much our guests embrace the magic of Leeds Castle. Even professional corporate guests will often check out each other’s bedrooms to see what they look like – they are all unique in their own way. At a recent high-profile event, a rainbow appeared over the castle and the guests came pouring outside in excitement, dancing on the lawn together – and this was before the drinks had started! It certainly made me smile and it’s moments like these that remind me of how special Leeds Castle is.

You’ve said that clients often rave about your teams as much as the venue. What do you think separates a good hospitality team from a great one?

A good hospitality team delivers what is expected; a great team anticipates what a guest needs before they even ask. It’s about being genuinely warm, taking ownership and having the confidence to solve problems quickly and calmly. Making each guest feel comfortable is a fine line, some guests appreciate a friendly chat and others prefer a little space. Being able to read the situation and judge what each individual needs is a real skill. A great hospitality team recognises those differences and adapts their approach to make everyone feel welcome.

Leeds Castle is more than 900 years old, but you’ve talked about the need to keep pace with what clients want. How do you modernise events at a historic venue without losing what makes it special?

We can’t compete with modern so we very much embrace the history, Leeds Castle is the backdrop and that’s the reason people are booking. We introduce modern touches with food and entertainment – the combination of heritage and contemporary hospitality is what makes Leeds Castle such an unique and memorable destination. It’s about listening to what our clients want and being creative about how we can deliver it in such a historic setting.

When Christmas rolls around, Leeds Castle offers party packages for every budget across different spaces, along with casino night shared parties and murder mystery evenings.

As a charitable venue, the commercial success of Leeds Castle ultimately supports something bigger. Does that influence the way you think about your role?

100%! I think it’s one of the reasons I have been at Leeds Castle for so long. I am genuinely passionate about Leeds Castle and what we do here – a cliche, I know! Knowing that the commercial success supports the wider charitable and conservation work gives an added sense of purpose. I am proud that the hospitality events that we host not only give amazing experiences, but also help ensure Leeds Castle can continue to be enjoyed by future generations. That is something that I never take for granted and I will always give my utmost to make it succeed, as I know all of the team do.

Across your career in the industry, what’s changed most – and what hasn’t?

So much has changed. My sales career started with fax enquiries, contracts in the post and waiting for cheques to clear. Now it’s much more technology focused and clients want immediate responses. Clients have more choice, higher expectations and want experiences that feel unique to them. It’s a positive change, technology allows us to be more efficient and communicate faster and gives clients a smooth experience. What hasn’t changed is the importance of genuine hospitality, people still remember how you made them feel and that will always remain!

What’s one challenge the events industry and heritage venues will have to adapt to next?

Sustainability will be a continuing challenge for the events industry within heritage venues. Clients increasingly want events that are more sustainable, with less environmental impact, and quite rightly so. For heritage venues, reducing waste, energy use and emissions can be particularly challenging and expensive, especially as a charitable foundation. Historic buildings can restrict what modern infrastructure we can install, such as solar panels and improved heating systems. Luckily, we have an amazing team constantly looking for ways to become more sustainable.

What’s one thing you hope never changes about Leeds Castle?

The people. What makes Leeds Castle really special is the genuine love from our teams for the venue and our guests, whether they are day visitors, wedding couples or hospitality guests. There is a real passion across the team for making people feel welcome, entertaining them and creating experiences that amaze them. I hope that never changes. Genuine enthusiasm and pride is what we do best and I hope that will always be the heart of Leeds Castle.

Leeds Castle is one of the most highly reviewed wedding venues in the entire county; almost every single review credits the team's genuine enthusiasm and exceptional planning and delivery. 

Looking back, what’s one piece of advice you’d give yourself starting out?

I never imagined that starting at Leeds Castle as a waitress when my two daughters were little, would lead me to where I am today. The one piece of advice would be, have more confidence in myself and my abilities. Looking back, I probably didn’t trust my instincts enough, worried too much, and questioned myself. Not knowing the answers is perfectly acceptable - just ask the questions to find them. Working in a heritage environment where we are constantly juggling so many elements, I still ask questions every day!

Keen to discover more insights from leading event industry professionals? We sat down with Markus Thesleff, CEO and founder of Thesleff Group, to talk about what makes a great venue and how he launched multiple award-winning concepts, as well as Jason Wintur, a leading figure in the fast-growing competitive socialising industry.

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