Nicola Hands has been promoted Director of Weddings and Events Sales at JW Marriott Marquis Dubai
Due to the outstanding performance of the Events Booking Centre (EBC) at JW Marriott Marquis, and driving more than AED 100 million (US $27.23mn) of business in 2017, Hands will now head both the re-branded Marquis sales office and the catering sales segment at the property. Hands began her career with Marriott in 1996 as a banqueting waitress during her studies at Marriott Breadsall Priory Country Club and then moved on to Slough Windsor Marriott in 2000 to work in the sales & events department. She then began a role as sales researcher in Birmingham in 2001. In 2003, she was promoted to senior events manager at the Solihull Renaissance before moving to the Forest of Arden as director of event management for eight years. She then spent another three years in the UK as cluster director for the Midlands sales office and director of sales at the Breadsall Priory Country Club, before joining the JW Marriott Marquis Dubai in October 2013 as director of EBC. Her previous achievements include: winning the 2015 Middle East and Africa Presidents Award Winner for Sales Excellence; being a team member in the 2016 Chairman’s Circle - which is the top 1% of sales worldwide and another team member in the President’s Circle which is the top 5% in the Middle East and Africa; scoring 100% Associate Satisfaction Survey Results in 2015/2016 & 2016/2017; and exceeding budget in 2015 and 2016. She is also a certified Marriott trainer in core sales & service, supporting and developing newcomers into the Marriott style of selling.
