Alexandra Howell, Chicago Hospitality Professional of the Month (February 2018)

February 15th, 2018 | hereschicago

First and foremost, can you tell us your current position, company and describe what you do?

I am an Account Manager for SourceOne Events. I work directly with clients starting at the contractual stage, to pre-show organization, to managing the show/event onsite to making sure SourceOne exceeds all expectations as the last truck leaves the docks.

Where did your hospitality career begin and when was that “aha” moment when you knew you were supposed to be in hospitality as a career?

My hospitality career started in high school as a restaurant hostess. But my “aha” was my college internship at the University Wisconsin at Whitewater First Year Experience Office. I assisted with prepping and running all freshman orientations and freshman Welcome week.

What qualities to you feel a person needs to excel in as hospitality professional?

• Enjoy working with other
• Detail oriented
• Truly love what you do; look at it as a lifetime career

What’s your favorite place in the entire world?

Puerta del Sol, Madrid, Spain

What is your favorite way to spend a Saturday?

Walking my dog, running some errands and spending the afternoon with my family/friends.

What was your family like growing up?

-Hectic, crazy, loud, big, nosey, unpredictable, eventful; there was never a dull moment and not much has changed.

Did you—or do you—have a nickname? What’s the story behind it?

Alex or Al would be the most popular nickname because those are the shorter name to Alexandra. My best memory growing up of those nicknames is my Fathers enjoyment of telling people I was his third son, Alex.

Have you received any praise or accolades recently?

I was voted “Star of the Month” at SourceOne. Once a month SourceOne employees vote for whom they believe deserves the title that month. I was the winner in January 2018, so that was very, very cool!

What is your favorite restaurant or bar (Personally)?

Any super club in the country that serves Old Fashions and prime rib.

Have you ever sung karaoke? If so, what song?

Yes. The last time I sang Karaoke was with one of my best friends, LJ and we sang Higher by Creed.

What does it take to be a successful event planner?

I believe the #1 characteristic that makes an event planner successful is truly caring about your clients, shows and company.

What’s on your bucket list?

-Spend a NYE in NYC
-Go on a Safari in Africa
-Travel to all 7 continents and all 50 States
-Have a family
-Go Skydiving

What’s the most embarrassing moment you’ve had?

I do a lot of embarrassing things so I can’t recall which is the most embarrassing. But I can tell you I run into a lot of things, trip over a lot of things, bump into things, are clumsy and have a tendency of hurting myself.

What was your First concert?

-Jesse McCartney, he was my middle school obsession. You will still find some of his hits on my IPod today.

What are your thoughts about Hereschicago.com? 

Hereschicago.com is the #1 location and reference for anything and everything Chicago Hospitality!