What is a company meeting?
At Vatel Bordeaux, our teams do everything they can to ensure the success of our students. This is why company meetings have been set up in our school, in order to allow our students to discover many companies in the hotel, catering and tourism sector.
The principle of company meetings
It is the arrival of a company within the school to present its corporate culture, i.e. its values and advantages, and above all to exchange between students and professionals. Also, it will come to present offers of internships, work-study programs, fixed-term contracts, or even permanent contracts for certain companies.
The Vatel Bordeaux company meeting progress
Generally, Vatel Bordeaux offers the following organization to professionals:
– 9 a.m.: the reception of the professionals, the visit of the hotel and the presentation of the teaching teams and the hotel-restaurant
– 10 a.m.: the presentation of the company to the students for 1h30min and with a time for discussion
– 12:30 pm: the lunch at Les Tables Vatel Bordeaux between the professional(s) and the Corporate Relations team
The organisation of a company meeting
Lisa Roquigny, one of the members of the Corporate Relations team, and the professional get in touch to arrange a day according to the respective schedules and the students concerned. Lisa tries to organise company meetings according to the type of establishment (international or French) and the timetable of the English or French classes to avoid as much as possible that they are in professional practice during the event.
Once the date has been validated, a poster is created to communicate useful information to the students. Thanks to a Google Forms, a link is generated to introduce the company that is coming to the students and so that they can register on motivation.
The day before the company arrives, a confirmation email is sent to the registered students specifying the precise information of the event (the name of the professional, the room, the time and the campus).
Afterwards, the professionals receive the photos taken on site accompanied by thanks for their visit by email. In addition, Vatel Bordeaux or the administrative teams share content about each visit on social networks.
The advantages of company meetings
The benefits of a company meeting for students
These company meetings give students the chance to discover companies related to the hotel and catering, tourism and wine and spirits sectors that they do not necessarily know and to which they would not go on their own.
Building a network is the main advantage that company meetings offer students. Even if they don’t feel concerned about a company, it may have a large network that opens up other opportunities.
Companies meetings also allow students to find an internship or a work-study program because the companies that come to meet them often have offers to suggest. It is for this reason that students are asked to come with their CV.
“Winter companies are seeing a good number of recruits for our students, such as Airelles, Cheval Blanc, etc. Even if we talk more about networking than recruitment, 8 out of 20 students were taken on an internship at Les Airelles Courchevel following their visit, for example.” Lisa Roquigny, in charge of company meetings
The interest of a company meeting for the school according to Lisa Roquigny, in charge of company meetings
“These company meetings allow us to preserve our partnerships, to have new ones, to gain visibility and to differentiate ourselves from other schools. There are many schools that organise forums, but I think that there are very few schools that offer a unique time of exchange between a single company and students enrolled on motivation.”
The most significant company meetings according to Lisa Roquigny, in charge of company meeting
“Last year, the AYAT group made a Kahoot to offer gifts to the first 3 such as a meal at a restaurant, a breakfast, a cocktail. It was a format that the students really enjoyed. Often, companies do a Kahoot before the start of the presentation to find out if the students have researched the company that is moving in advance.”
Company meetings in the first quarter of 2024
Company meetings from January to March
This first term was punctuated by numerous company meetings in order to give students the opportunity to meet professionals from different types of institutions and sectors of activity.
In January, Vatel Bordeaux welcomed the Cheval Blanc houses, the Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer company and Fairmont Le Montreux Palace.
In February, the First Name moved to our campuses as well as the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc and the Château Saint-Martin & SPA Oetker Collection.
In March, Disneyland Paris, Les Sources de Caudalie, Palace des Vignes and the Center Parcs group were able to talk to our students.
The most successful company meeting
At the beginning of this year, Disneyland Paris is the most successful company meeting at Vatel Bordeaux with 70 participants in total.
“Disneyland Paris is still very famous, attached to our sector and it makes you dream, everything to please our students.”
Lisa Roquigny’s advice
“Contract catering and senior residences are branches of our sector that are undervalued by our students. However, they offer very good working conditions such as an interesting salary, flexible hours, a more comfortable pace than in the classic hotel industry… “