Michaela Gray, sales manager, UK and Ireland, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, loves a good singalong in the car while clocking up the miles
I never really know until the Friday before what’s happening the following week. It could be a mix of planes, trains and cars, and usually I am either travelling all around the UK or hopping over to Ireland. It boggles my mind to think about how many miles I actually do. Day to day, I will be out attending commercial meetings and manager meetings, hosting in-store training sessions, doing sales calls and attending roadshows. A lot of my time is spent travelling to our parks in Florida and California on fam trips – definitely one of the perks of the job.
I usually have a waterproof jacket, umbrella, a bottle of water, some kind of pop-up stand for events and a spare pair of trainers. You have to be practical as you never know what you might need on the road.
I’m a mixed bag when it comes to music tastes – it could be anything from Motown classics to some dance tunes or chill-out stuff. I love the Stereophonics and can often be caught out singing along to Whitney Houston or Jennifer Hudson in the car.
I love M&S for snacks when I’m out and about. I usually try to grab something healthy like strawberries, but there’s always got to be a sugar fix to keep my energy up, like a chocolate bar.
I took a giant giraffe plush and bags of lettuce to agents and got the agents to “feed” it when we launched Serengeti Safari at Busch Gardens Tampa. I also took a giant Cookie Monster and Big Bird on the road with me when we opened Sesame Street Safari of Fun.
Getting out and about and meeting different types of people. I really enjoy all the different accents and cultures of people in the UK. No day is ever the same, which is really lucky – I’m not stuck at a desk all day.
Traffic, especially when you see the tailbacks on a Friday afternoon and realise that you aren’t going to get home until late. Also trains – when they’re delayed or when you’ve been on your feet all day and can’t get a seat.
I’d like to think they would say I was professional but also passionate about the brand, knowledgeable, energetic and approachable.
They’re all good. Everyone always offers to pop the kettle on when I arrive, so I’ve got no complaints there. Sometimes I do have to decline, though, otherwise I’d be constantly going to the toilet.
The importance of clients pre-booking tickets and that our ticket options offer great value for money. It’s also good to help clients map out what they want to do in each park before they go so they can get the most out of their visit. The SeaWorld Parks Extras such as Serengeti Safari at Busch Gardens where guests can hand-feed the giraffes, and dining packages like Dine with Shamu can make someone’s holiday extra special and $2 for every one booked goes to wildlife conservation charities around the world.
Get in touch. Contact me on Michaela.Gray@cubo.com or check out the SeaWorld Parks agent site – www.seaworldparksagents.co.uk - and I’ll be happy to chat. Our sales team is made up of five people. If you didn’t work in travel, what would you like to do instead? I’d star in Gogglebox on Channel 4. It would definitely be a full-time job.