Nina Thompson Enjoying America’s Cup Role
Bermudian Nina Thompson is the Travel Manager for Travel Places Bermuda, the official accommodation supplier for the America’s Cup Event Authority.
Her role includes managing accommodation needs for the America’s Cup staff, teams, media, regatta officials, commercial partners, suppliers, dignitaries and other associate personnel for the America’s Cup events in Bermuda.
Q: Tell us a little bit of your background.
I’m a 13th generation Bermudian and I went to Bermuda High School before moving on to boarding school in Nova Scotia. I graduated from McGill University in 2005 and moved to New York in 2006 where I worked in the Bermuda Department of Tourism’s office until moving back to Bermuda in 2011.
I had a mid-life crisis and went to culinary school in Paris in 2013 – best decision I ever made. I then moved back to Bermuda and somehow found myself working for the America’s Cup! My Dad was a massive sailor [Commodore, Olympian, Pan American] so I like knowing he would be super proud of me working for this event.
My favourite thing about Bermuda is colour. When I lived in NYC I couldn’t handle all the grey. Grey buildings, grey streets, grey skies. I missed colour, and it’s what I love most about this island
Q: What sort of opportunities have you had through this position?
Traveling and meeting new people has been great. I’ve been fortunate enough to be invited to promote our spectator packages on the Bermuda Tourism Authority’s stand at four of the six World Series events this year and seeing the boats compete in other destinations truly gives me goosebumps.
It’s incredible the frenzy in an Event Village right before a race. I remember when Oracle Team USA and BAR were competing for the top spot in Portsmouth on the last day you could hear a pin drop in a crowd of about 150,000 people! It’s amazing to see the excitement that surrounds this sport.
Q: How does it feel working for a global organization?
I work directly for Travel Places Bermuda Ltd but I work alongside the ACEA crew in their office. Working for Travel Places has made me a better employee, hands down. I have incredible respect for my boss Matt Warren, and I feel the respect is mutual which makes for a great working relationship.
As I’m the only employee in Bermuda at the moment there’s a lot of responsibility on me not only to manage my time but there’s a lot of trust and pressure to ensure that I represent Travel Places well in Bermuda. My boss trusts that I am able to get the work done without direct supervision as my team is based in the UK and I’ve found that this has motivated me to work harder.
I also look for opportunities to create alternative revenue streams in addition to hotel inventory. Working for Travel Places has introduced me to a sports travel world I never knew existed as they also handle the British Olympic teams, Volvo Ocean Race stop overs and Formula1 Racing as well as the America’s Cup.
Q: What is the best part of your job?
My job lets me develop and maintain relationships across a variety of client groups such as individual travelers, top level executives, hoteliers, travel agents across the world, private property owners, real estate agents, the Bermuda Tourism Authority and the Bermuda Hotel Association.
Meeting new people and cultivating those relationships and trust are paramount to my achievements. I used to be incredibly shy and was horrible at networking but this job has forced me out of my comfort zone and now I’m able to chat to anyone! I enjoy working alongside the incredibly talented America’s Cup Event Authority and America’s Cup Bermuda teams.
They are the best people in the right positions and working with people who are motivated and creative inspires me to push myself to be better and do better every single day.
What a great opportunity Ms. Thompson.
I love hearing about Bermudians involved in the America’s Cup.