A Leisure & Tourism Management graduate from The University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) has been appointed as a Sales & Development Manager with the Ambassador Theatre Group at the new Swansea Arena.
Rhiannon Boyce- Coles from Swansea will be working as part of a team to attract world-class music and theatre entertainment to the 3,500-capacity arena, which is being operated by Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG) and is one part of the emerging £135 million Copr Bay phase one district being developed by Swansea Council and advised by development manager RivingtonHark.
Rhiannon said she was looking forward to working with local and regional partners to host events, ceremonies, and banquets, as well as looking after corporate guests and sponsors at the arena.
She said: “I am really proud to be working at the new Swansea Arena. It is such a thrill to be joining the wonderful team here at the Ambassador Theatre Group, the world’s number one theatre organisation.
“I am very proud to live in Swansea and I have witnessed the building being constructed over the last few years and am so excited to now be working in this iconic building and being part of its journey.”
Rhiannon said the university had fuelled her passion for a future career within the hospitality sector. She recalls:
“I remember going to a university open day at UWTSD and listening to the team talk about the content of the courses. I was glad to hear about the opportunities to travel within the UK and internationally on work placements. I loved the passion they had for tourism and hospitality. I will never forget the enthusiasm and excitement shown by Jacqui Jones (programme director) when she told us we could apply to work at the Walt Disney World Corporation in Florida, the CN Tower in Toronto, or Little Nell in Aspen Colorado. I knew right away after leaving that open day that UWTSD was my first choice. I definitely made the right decision.”
During her time at UWTSD, Rhiannon said the course gave her the confidence to explore opportunities within her future career as well as a love and appreciation of travel, languages, and culture. She was also made aware of the valuable opportunities and connections to global organisations that were available locally, which made her feel proud and lucky to live and work in South Wales, and to call Swansea, her home.
“I had excellent support and mentoring during my time at UWTSD,” she said. “It was wonderful to have lecturers who had worked in the tourism and hospitality industry and learn from their first-hand knowledge and expertise. I feel very lucky to have had such talented professionals and industry experts sharing their knowledge and experience on a daily basis.”
Since graduating Rhiannon has stayed in touch with UWTSD and said her lecturers have always been available for career advice and mentoring.
Rhiannon also worked closely with UWTSD International Hotel Management BA students and academic staff during her role as a manager at the Marriott Hotel in Swansea. She said this was an opportunity for her to share knowledge and experience with the students.
“UWTSD gave me the theory & practical knowledge I needed for a career in hospitality,” she said. “I was lucky enough to have two work placements during my studies: one of which was at the World Disney resort in Florida. This gave me a passion for entertainment, tourism, and hospitality. It also gave me world-class training in customer service delivery.”
Jacqui Jones, Programme Manager for the Tourism and Events Portfolio said: “It’s been wonderful watching Rhiannon’s career continue to take off! We have been running specialist degrees in Tourism for nearly 30 years and it is rewarding to know that our graduates still appreciate the world-class training and opportunities they gained through their placements at Disney World in Florida and their university studies.”
