Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association | Harrisburg, PA 17101
  • About Us
    • Our Team
    • Board of Directors >
      • Committees
    • Corporate Marketing Program
    • Careers
    • Contact
  • Coronavirus Resources
    • Coronavirus FAQs
    • Submit Coronavirus Questions
    • carryoutPA
    • PA Restaurant & Hotel Promise
    • Operational Resources >
      • Mask Solutions
      • Hand Sanitizer
      • Social Distancing Solutions
      • Industry Services
      • Business Guidance Documents >
        • Cocktails To Go
        • Reopening PA Restaurants >
          • Reopening Philly Restaurants
          • Allegheny County Mitigation
        • Extended Premise Information
      • Business Resources
    • Relief Efforts >
      • Aid & Assistance for Employees
      • Business Relief & Resources >
        • CHIRP Information
        • PA Women's Conference
        • Restaurant Relief Priorities
      • Temporary/Transitional Work
    • Webinars
    • Industry Data
  • Membership
    • Join Now
    • Renew Now
    • Preferred Partners
    • Chapters
    • Member Directory
    • Member Login
  • Events
    • Calendar
    • Annual Conference
    • PRLA Leadership Forum 2022
    • Advocacy Boot Camp 2022
    • PA Tourism Summit
    • Golf Classic
    • Industry Awards
    • National Restaurant Awards >
      • Faces of Diversity - 2019
      • Restaurant Neighbor Award - 2019
    • Chapter Events >
      • Great Philly Cook Off
      • Taste of Bucks-Mont
  • Education & Training
    • PRLA Educational Foundation >
      • Scholarship Program
      • Hospitality Assistance Response of PA (HARP)
      • ProStart >
        • 2022 ProStart State Invitational
        • Postsecondary Education
        • Instructor Resources
        • Student Resources
        • Industry Member Resources >
          • Virtual Experience Interest Form
        • ProStart Blog
      • Hospitality & Tourism Management (HTM) Program
      • Workforce Development >
        • Temple University SHTM Master's Program
        • AHLEI Products and Certifications
        • Restaurant Ready
    • ServSafe >
      • ServSafe Manager Certification
      • ServSafe Alcohol
      • ServSafe Workplace
      • ServSafe Allergens
      • ServSuccess
      • ServSafe Ops
      • ServSafe Educational Products
    • RAMP >
      • RAMP Certification Details
    • Human Trafficking Prevention Training
    • Webinar Wednesday >
      • Archives
    • Donate to PRLAEF
  • Advocacy
    • Action Center
    • PAC/Advocacy Fund >
      • What is PAC? >
        • PAC Recognition Levels
        • PAC Contribution
      • What is Advocacy Fund?
    • Advocacy Resources >
      • Election Toolkit
      • Tourism Study
      • Reports
      • Issue Summaries >
        • HB 2513
  • News & Resources
    • News and Publications >
      • Press Releases
      • News Center
      • Media
      • Quarterly Magazine
    • Online Buyer's Guide
    • Job Board
    • Classified Ads

PA ProStart Blog

My Hospitality Story | MG Hodge, Venue Specialist

11/17/2020

 
COVID-19 has impacted the hospitality industry in unimaginable ways. But this industry is resilient, and will come back stronger than ever. We're bringing back the #MyHospitalityStory series to profile some of the brilliant people that make up this industry, and to inspire students by showing them real-world career paths and possibilities that hospitality has to offer.

MG Hodge
Founder & CEO, The Venue Specialist LLC

Briefly describe your job and responsibilities.
I am the founder and sole employee of The Venue Specialist. I research and establish relationships with venues and other Philly area event vendors to be able to match clients with venues that are perfect for their event.
​​
What does a "typical" day at work look like for you?
Each day is different, but during the pandemic it's been webinars, industry and venue research to stay up to date, and carving out time for social media.

What was your first job in the hospitality industry?
My very first job was at a deli when I was 16 years old. I enjoyed working in the food industry, so the next job I had was as a hostess then waitress at a restaurant.

When did you know this industry was right for you?
The year after college, I waited tables at a fine dining restaurant. We had the capacity to host private parties, which included weddings. I enjoyed working the events, and especially enjoyed being able to work as the assistant to the Event Coordinator. That was a huge turning point for me.

Briefly describe your career path and how you got to where you are today.
My undergrad is from Drexel in Marketing. After my 3 co-ops, I knew I wanted to spend as little time as possible in a cubicle and I did not want to work for a massive company. After college, I waited tables for a year, and then I taught English in Germany for a year. When I returned to Philly from Germany, I tried to get a job in the events world, but I had a very difficult time getting my foot in the door. I ended up taking a cubicle job at a large company and immediately started applying to grad schools. I was accepted into Temple's Tourism and Hospitality Management program, which I absolutely loved. I did all of my research in the craft beer industry, which led to an internship with a local brewery and a full-time job after graduation. I spent the next 7 years working and teaching in the beer industry, but a few years ago needed a break. I wanted to stay in the Tourism and Hospitality Management field, but I wasn't sure what was next. I spent a few months both self reflecting and reconnecting with friends and colleagues from over the years, trying to figure out how I could use my talents doing something that I enjoyed, and of course make a living! I recognized the difficulty that people had in finding the right venue for their event, more specifically for weddings, and I just started running with the idea of being a venue specialist. Once I came up with the idea, I started asking friends who were already married if they would have paid someone to have found their wedding venue for them, as opposed to them doing all of the research and contacting themselves. The response was overwhelming, and I realized that I had a great idea for a business!

What is your favorite part of your job?
So many elements! I love working with the venues and cultivating relationships with other event industry colleagues. I love being able to problem solve and think outside of the box to offer my clients suggestions and solutions that they wouldn’t have arrived at on their own.

What is the most challenging part of your job?
Finding clients! Since the concept of a venue specialist is relatively unknown, potential clients who are frustrated in their venue search don't know they can pay someone to do the work for them. It's a lot of work to get the word out about the services I offer!

What advice would you give to students interested in your profession?
Everyone has their own path, so even though the door to working in the events world wasn't open for me before, I found another door. Whatever you decide to do today, doesn't have to be what you are doing 5 years from now. Just keep learning and networking and find out what you are truly good at and passionate about, and that's what will drive you.

What achievement are you most proud of?
The implementation of our elopement and micro wedding packages - our COVID 2020 pivot. I'm absolutely loving working with these smaller weddings!

What do you like to do outside of work?
Travel and explore other parts of the world, enjoy adventures with my husband and dog.

What is your favorite food to make or eat?
I love sandwiches!

What's at the top of your bucket list?
Traveling to Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.
    Picture

    PA ProStart Blog

    The PA ProStart Blog is for Pennsylvania students and teachers of the ProStart Program- a nationwide, two-level high school career and technical education program that teaches culinary arts and restaurant fundamentals. 

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019

    Categories

    All
    Culinary Career Profiles
    My Hospitality Story
    NPSI
    PAPSI

Copyright Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association.  All Rights Reserved.
100 State Street  |  Harrisburg, PA 17101
Phone: (800) 345-5353| info@prla.org
Privacy Policy
MemberClicks
  • About Us
    • Our Team
    • Board of Directors >
      • Committees
    • Corporate Marketing Program
    • Careers
    • Contact
  • Coronavirus Resources
    • Coronavirus FAQs
    • Submit Coronavirus Questions
    • carryoutPA
    • PA Restaurant & Hotel Promise
    • Operational Resources >
      • Mask Solutions
      • Hand Sanitizer
      • Social Distancing Solutions
      • Industry Services
      • Business Guidance Documents >
        • Cocktails To Go
        • Reopening PA Restaurants >
          • Reopening Philly Restaurants
          • Allegheny County Mitigation
        • Extended Premise Information
      • Business Resources
    • Relief Efforts >
      • Aid & Assistance for Employees
      • Business Relief & Resources >
        • CHIRP Information
        • PA Women's Conference
        • Restaurant Relief Priorities
      • Temporary/Transitional Work
    • Webinars
    • Industry Data
  • Membership
    • Join Now
    • Renew Now
    • Preferred Partners
    • Chapters
    • Member Directory
    • Member Login
  • Events
    • Calendar
    • Annual Conference
    • PRLA Leadership Forum 2022
    • Advocacy Boot Camp 2022
    • PA Tourism Summit
    • Golf Classic
    • Industry Awards
    • National Restaurant Awards >
      • Faces of Diversity - 2019
      • Restaurant Neighbor Award - 2019
    • Chapter Events >
      • Great Philly Cook Off
      • Taste of Bucks-Mont
  • Education & Training
    • PRLA Educational Foundation >
      • Scholarship Program
      • Hospitality Assistance Response of PA (HARP)
      • ProStart >
        • 2022 ProStart State Invitational
        • Postsecondary Education
        • Instructor Resources
        • Student Resources
        • Industry Member Resources >
          • Virtual Experience Interest Form
        • ProStart Blog
      • Hospitality & Tourism Management (HTM) Program
      • Workforce Development >
        • Temple University SHTM Master's Program
        • AHLEI Products and Certifications
        • Restaurant Ready
    • ServSafe >
      • ServSafe Manager Certification
      • ServSafe Alcohol
      • ServSafe Workplace
      • ServSafe Allergens
      • ServSuccess
      • ServSafe Ops
      • ServSafe Educational Products
    • RAMP >
      • RAMP Certification Details
    • Human Trafficking Prevention Training
    • Webinar Wednesday >
      • Archives
    • Donate to PRLAEF
  • Advocacy
    • Action Center
    • PAC/Advocacy Fund >
      • What is PAC? >
        • PAC Recognition Levels
        • PAC Contribution
      • What is Advocacy Fund?
    • Advocacy Resources >
      • Election Toolkit
      • Tourism Study
      • Reports
      • Issue Summaries >
        • HB 2513
  • News & Resources
    • News and Publications >
      • Press Releases
      • News Center
      • Media
      • Quarterly Magazine
    • Online Buyer's Guide
    • Job Board
    • Classified Ads