inCROWD: Lore Group's Josephine Somers

In our latest inCROWD interview, we catch up with Lore Group’s Josephine Somers on reconnecting with London, summer holidays in Ireland and why she loves working in events.

Josephine worked with a number of luxury hotel groups including Mandarin Oriental, The Langham London, Morgan Hotels and SBE prior to joining Lore Group in late 2018 when it launched the hotel collection, which includes Sea Containers London, Riggs Washington DC, Pulitzer Amsterdam, and two new properties. Her global role is dedicated to the MICE sector, focusing on building client relationships, increasing business across the three destinations, and creating awareness of the group.

My favourite #inVOYAGEMoment is… the first night of inVOYAGE. There is always an air of excitement, as you reconnect with friends and are introduced to new people. It’s so wonderful to enjoy the surroundings and share travel experiences, reminisce about previous trips, and discuss the highlights of the days ahead. It’s such a pleasure to come together, connect and build relationships.

The thing I most love about working in events is… meeting likeminded passionate people. Our incredible industry is resilient and full of forward-thinking creatives all of whom have a love of what they do. It’s a unique industry and I count myself as very lucky to be part of it.

Day to day, I enjoy the teamwork element of my role, working closely with our regional hotel teams and collaborating to ensure the client’s vision comes to life.

Luxury to me means… the luxury of time and space and a true sense of place. Luxury comes from experiences. It’s a journey that combines enrichment, enjoyment and culture with time to appreciate your surroundings. I love the opportunity to learn, explore and create memories with those I love most.

My earliest memory is… travelling to Ireland for the summer. I remember the excitement of being with my siblings, grandparents and cousins at leisure, the freedom of going from the ‘big city’ to a much simpler life and long summer days and evenings. We had the best times!

City slicker or beach bum?
Both! I love the culture, and energy of a city, but downtime for me is on a beach with a good book and the sound of the waves.

If I could get on a plane right now… I would fly straight to Ireland for some quality time with my family, many of whom I haven’t seen for almost a year, for lots of hugs, good food and walks by the sea.

I also can’t wait to fly to Washington, D.C. – we recently opened our second hotel in the city, Lyle and I’ve yet to see it since it was completed!

Suitcase essentials
My laptop to keep up with emails, an eye mask to help me sleep – and my gym gear to offset all of the food!

Your favourite hidden gem?
Over the past few weeks, I have reconnected with London and there is nowhere quite like it in the world. Particularly, the Southbank and Shoreditch as both have unique cultures and maintain a sense of community. I love the city’s parks, rooftop bars and unrivalled range of restaurants. Walking in the city has been a joy especially as its returned to life in recent months.  

Most memorable event moment?
I couldn’t possibly choose! I have been lucky enough to attend many special events around the world from Amsterdam to Washington, D.C. and meet many wonderful people. We don’t realise how lucky we are in our industry until recently when we couldn’t travel or meet in person.

Within our hotels every event is important as it’s about meeting client expectations, whether that’s a glamorous press launch, one day CEO board meeting or a company buyout. We always want to ensure we exceed expectations and build loyalty across our hotels.

Do you have a mantra you live and work by?
Carpe Diem, seize the day.

Remember what’s important, be aware of your priorities and keep yourself grounded. Work hard but have balance. I try my best at doing this every day.

When I’m not working, I’m most likely to be… spending time with my children and husband, I love cooking and enjoy having a house full of family and friends, good food, wine and conversation. It’s the simple things.

When the pandemic is over, I am most looking forward to… travel internationally is top of the list, heading to one of the islands without restrictions and have a family holiday. Closer to home, I am looking forward to going to a concert to enjoy live music and experiencing the atmosphere of an arena full of people.

I’m also looking forward to getting back to our hotels in Amsterdam and Washington, D.C. – I have missed the teams at our properties there and can’t wait to see the changes and improvements they’ve worked on throughout the pandemic.