Event Team

Event Manager

1. Role Summary

As an Event Manager (EM) you lead the Yacht Week event for the assigned week. You take ownership of planning, coordinating and delivering official Yacht Week events, and you act as the main point of contact between Yacht Week, local partners, and the on-site team.

You manage the Event Team directly: the GEM, the EC, the Media and DJ crews, and the RM and HM. You own the shape of the event, its programme, timings, and who does what, and while most of it is agreed as a team, the calls are yours and the team should be clear that you run the event. The route offered to guests is a recommendation, full of suggestions and information; each yacht’s guests choose where and when they actually sail, unless their skipper judges that the safety of the crew or yacht must come first. On the crew yacht, mealtimes are your call in collaboration with the team, with the HM leading on what is cooked. The RM and HM work for you, as your senior advisers and as the team leaders for the Leads, skippers, and hosts.

Where it reaches skippers and hosts, the tone changes, because each skipper is the captain in command of their own yacht and each host is responsible for their own galley, food safety, and service. Anything the RM and HM pass to their skipper and host teams must be advice, recommendation, or information, never a command; you and the RM/HM agree that messaging together, and you approve it before it goes out. The same light touch covers how the RM skippers the crew yacht and how the HM runs the galley.

In one sentence: you lead the event and the budget and manage the Event Team, including the RM and HM; what reaches skippers and hosts is always advice or information, never a command.

Reporting & Working Relationships

Reports to: Operations Coordinator (OC) and Yacht Week central operations.
Leads on the route: Guest Experience Manager (GEM), Event Coordinator (EC), Route Manager (RM), Host Manager (HM), Route Medic.
Co-hosts evening events with: GEM, EC, RM, HM.
Liaises with: venue partners, central operations, Quarterdeck (QD) on Skipper and Host team matters via the RM and HM.
Owns: budget, event delivery, team performance.

Role Ownership Across the Team

Operations Coordinator (OC): cross-destination operations; supplies pre-week intelligence and the budget for each EM.
Event Manager (EM): route lead; manages the Event Team and the event, and owns the budget.
Guest Experience Manager (GEM): owns the guest experience, guest relationships, and complaint handling.
Event Coordinator (EC): the EM's right hand; keeps the YW App schedule, app comms and message updates current, is on-site POC for the Media and DJ teams, and helps wherever needed.
Route Manager (RM): coordinates route operations and supports and coaches the skipper team; supplied by Quarterdeck (QD).
Host Manager (HM): coordinates and supports the host team and supports the onboard guest experience; supplied by Quarterdeck (QD).
Route Medic: assigned skipper, host, or event crew member with medical credentials; provides route-level medical response and health & safety support.
Lead Skipper: route-level skipper-support role assigned to selected skippers; sits under the RM. Advisory and coordination only, no command authority over any other yacht.
Lead Host: route-level host-support role assigned to selected Hosts; sits under the HM. Advisory and coordination only, no authority over skipper teams or yacht command.
Lead Tech: route-level technical-support role assigned to selected skippers with strong yacht-systems experience; sits under the RM as a support function. Advisory and coordination only, does not replace charter-company technicians or formal repair channels.
Quarterdeck (QD) is Yacht Week's external service provider for the Skipper and Host crews (including RM, HM, and the Route Medic). YW is the customer; QD supplies the people. Skipper/host-side performance, offboarding, and replacement decisions sit with QD.

The Delegation Chain

You set the plan and priorities for the week. Information and execution flow downward through your team: GEM for guest experience, EC for app and information flow, RM for skippers, HM for hosts, Route Medic for medical incidents. The chain works only if you keep the brief sharp and the loop tight.

The EM sets the plan and priorities for the week, and the budget to work within.
EM briefs GEM, EC, RM, HM, and Route Medic through the week.
Functional owners execute: GEM holds guest experience; EC owns app and comms; RM works directly with the skipper team; HM works directly with the host team; Route Medic owns medical response. Each skipper and host owns their own yacht and their own crew.
The RM and HM relay to their skipper and host teams on your direction and with your sign-off, and always as advice, recommendation, or information, never as a command, since each skipper and host carries command and responsibility on their own yacht.
EM remains the escalation point of last resort and the only owner of budget decisions, refunds, and material commitments to guests or partners.
Cover when you are away: if you are not contactable or not present when a decision or action is needed, you can appoint a stand-in. If you have not, authority passes down the chain, first to the Route Manager (skipper of the crew yacht), then to the Host Manager, until you are reachable again. Whoever acts in your place contacts the OC straight away, or the HOO if the OC is not reachable, to stay informed and take instructions, follows 5.2 Severity & Response by severity, and checks any cost-related or material decision (refunds, yacht changes, partial credits, budget commitments) with the OC first. If an issue spans multiple functional owners, the EM chairs the resolution and assigns the lead.

If an issue spans multiple functional owners, the EM chairs the resolution.

Authority

Sole owner of budget decisions, refunds, partial credits, and material commitments to guests or partners.
Final sign-off on any guest-facing or public message that names a partner (venue, sponsor, or brand) before the EC posts it.
Approves all communications the RM and HM send to the skipper and host teams, agreed with them and kept to advice, recommendation, or information.
Final escalation point for cross-functional issues on the route.
Escalates any skipper or host conduct or performance matter to Quarterdeck (QD), who decide formal actions in coordination with the RM and HM.
Vendor / venue confrontation: EM resolves on route. EM reports to OC, who logs in the Event Incident Log and briefs the HOO. OC or HOO contacts the vendor for any follow-up beyond the route.

2. Core Responsibilities

Your week breaks into five core responsibility areas. Every duty you perform should map back to one of these.

2.1 Event Delivery

Own end-to-end execution of all official Yacht Week events: arrivals, briefings, beach clubs, night events, departures.
Pre-event venue walk for every event: equipment check (DJ decks, speakers, mics, generator, branding signs) and confirmation that venue-contracted security and VIP wristband enforcement are in place.
Make real-time operational decisions on venue changes, weather calls, transfers, and partner issues.
Sign off on schedule changes and partner-facing commitments.
Maintain operational rhythm: keep events on time, on budget, on brand.

2.2 Team Leadership

Set the daily mandate at the morning briefing; align GEM, EC, RM, HM, and Route Medic on priorities and risks.
Run the end-of-day debrief to surface fresh feedback and align tomorrow.
Hold the line on team standards; address issues directly with the relevant role lead.
Protect team energy: rotate late events, protect off-evenings, mid-week 1:1 with each role.
Brief the skipper and host teams daily via RM and HM. Each Skipper and Host take care of their own crew to and from transfers.

2.3 Budget & Authority

Sole owner of budget decisions, refunds, partial credits, and material commitments.
Approve any messaging before EC posts.
Final escalation point for cross-functional issues.
Authorise formal actions on skipper or host crew in coordination with the RM/HM and Quarterdeck (QD) management.

2.4 Stakeholder Coordination

Liaise with venue partners, on-land suppliers, transport providers, and local authorities.
Liaise with central operations (via the OC) and with Quarterdeck (QD) management on Skipper/Host team matters via the RM and HM.
Represent Yacht Week to all external stakeholders for the week.
Hand over cleanly to next week's EM with documented learnings, risks, and partner notes.

2.5 Brand & Standards

Yacht Week brand voice: warm, confident, energetic, never defensive. Professional, reliable, respectful. No jargon, no internal acronyms.
Wear official Yacht Week merchandise during operational hours.
Hold the line on Code of Excellence (COE) compliance.
Zero tolerance on sexual harassment, drugs, and serious alcohol incidents. Same-day documentation.
Reinforce sustainable onboard and on-land practices aligned with Company values.
Lead by example.
Set the standard for the team: how you communicate sets the tone for everyone else on the route.

3. Pre Event Preparations

The week is won or lost before guests arrive. As EM you sit at the top of pre-arrival prep: overseeing operational setup, reading the data from last week, and protecting the team’s energy for the week ahead. Five workstreams run in parallel.

3.1 Guest Profile Dashboard

Review the OC-supplied dashboard end to end: country and age split, returning guests, music preferences, prior YW issues, open CS tickets, group dynamics, dietary, medical and accessibility flags.
Know your VIPs by name before Saturday.
Walk the dashboard with GEM, EC, RM, HM, and Route Medic at the Saturday morning briefing.

The Operations Coordinator (OC) supplies this dashboard. The OC works across destinations, supporting EMs and the Head of Operations. Future state: a per-week Metabase dashboard so the profile is one click away.

3.2 Yacht-by-Yacht Communication Plan

3.3 Previous Week's KPIs & Feedback

3.4 Operational Setup

Venue confirmations: arrival times, setup, headcounts, dress codes.
Logistics: transfers, transport contracts, equipment.
On-land partners: contracts, contacts, expectations.
Timings: when each event opens, when it must end, when the fleet must be back on the water.
Mass-event late transfers (Ultra-style): paid local volunteers pre-arranged. The 2025 Ultra intern bailout left a single staff member working 3am, 4am and 5am transfers; do not repeat.
Apply learnings from last week. What added time. What to drop. What to adjust.

3.5 Team Health & Focus

The team has to last the season. A burned-out crew loses the plot by week three. Your job is to keep them effective and keep them human.

Are they happy? Notice signals early.
Is the team working efficiently together? Friction in pairings, unclear handoffs.
Do they love the job? Energy and pride show in performance.
Work-life balance: long days are inherent, protected hours are not optional.

Suggested practices:

Mid-week 1:1 with each role (GEM, EC, RM, HM, Route Medic).
Rotate who runs the late events so no one carries the closing shift every night.
Protect at least one off-evening per role per week.
Friday-night decompression conversation before the next week begins.

4. Weekly Schedule (Saturday to Saturday)

Yacht Week runs Saturday to Saturday. The schedule below is the principle, not a stopwatch; exact venues and timings vary per week and per destination, but the rhythm holds. The week breaks into:

Pre-Arrival; Saturday (guests arrive, typically around lunchtime but varying with their travel, and skippers and hosts adapt to when their guests turn up);

Sunday to Thursday (sailing days);

Friday (the last full day and night, with a Yacht Week event where the destination runs one);

and Saturday morning (guests depart and every yacht is cleared out by 9am, so there is no Yacht Week programming on the Saturday). Information moves outward from the EM via the EC’s app push notifications; skippers and hosts run their own ~8-10 person crew on each yacht; the Event Team stays strategic and supports the crews. The single biggest success factor is that skippers and hosts are well-informed at all times; the daily app push notification and the RM/HM broadcasts to their teams are how that happens.

4.1 Pre-Arrival (before the week begins)

Pre-Arrival is the run-up to the week before guests embark. Each role’s Section 3 workstreams land during this window.

Day	Activity	EM Responsibilities
Wed	OC briefing pack absorbed	Read the dashboard end-to-end. Know your VIPs by name. Note dietary, medical, and accessibility flags.
Thu	Operational setup	Confirm venue partners, transport, suppliers, transfer plan. Apply learnings from last week’s debrief.
Fri	Final pre-week alignment	Walk the venue plan; confirm next-week check-in plan with EC; set up the EM Budget; align with RM/HM on first-week skipper/host onboarding for Saturday.

4.2 Saturday: Arrival Day

Saturday is the heaviest day of the week for most route roles. Marina check-in opens around mid-afternoon and runs through early evening; the welcome dinner / opening party closes the day.

Time block	Activity	EM Responsibilities
Morning	Management & all-staff meetings	Lead the management meeting (EM/RM/HM); lead the all-staff meeting; sign off kit hand-out.
Marina check-in (afternoon)	Walk the marina	Visible at check-in. Resolve issues real-time. EC + GEM run check-in mechanics; you walk it and hold the bar.
Welcome dinner (evening)	Co-host with the team	Co-host with GEM, EC, RM, HM. Hold operational rhythm; brief EC on any change for tomorrow.
Opening party / late	Eyes on the room	Co-host. Visible. Note anything for the morning debrief.

4.3 Saturday → Friday: Sailing Days

Saturday to Friday share a common rhythm: the crew yacht repositions early, a morning event-crew meeting, the daily app push notification to guests, sail / event prep through midday, venue set-up in the afternoon, the day’s guest-facing event in the evening, and a ‘tomorrow’s schedule’ post on the Event Team WhatsApp group before the team winds down. Guests may sail on the Saturday arrival day too where the skipper is comfortable on safety, and Friday is a full day at sea, not a rush back to the marina.

Time block	Activity	EM Responsibilities
Crew morning meeting (~09:30)	Set the day	Chair the meeting: yesterday’s misses, today’s plan (the Run of Show, ROS), and the sober-on-duty rotation. Brief the EC on the day’s app push and any schedule changes, and the RM and HM on the day’s skipper and host briefing.
Mid-morning	Route & weather variance	Confirm with the RM (weather, port, fuel), and with the EC any schedule changes that need to be pushed to the app.
Afternoon	Pre-event venue walk	Walk the venue: equipment check (DJ decks, speakers, mics, generator, branding), venue security and VIP wristband enforcement, and no glass on the dance floors (plastic cups). Sign off any changes to schedule, refunds, and partner-facing commitments.
Pre-event	60 / 30 / 15 reminders out (via EC)	Confirm the EC’s pre-event reminders are queued for the app so each skipper and host can get their own group to the transfers on time.
Event window (evening)	Co-host & operational rhythm	Co-host with GEM, EC, RM, HM. Hold the rhythm. Resolve at the venue level; escalate to OC only when needed.
Late	Day debrief	Short end-of-day debrief: GEM’s themes, EC’s comms volume, and the RM and HM’s crew flags. Note any equipment failures to feed back to the OC.

4.4 Friday & Saturday: Final Night, Feedback & Departures

Friday is the closing day: sail back to the home marina, the crew yacht week-review meeting, yacht-hopping farewells across the fleet, and end-of-week closeout (kitty, commissions, damages, comp report, KPI capture).

Time block	Activity	EM Responsibilities
Friday morning	Sail back	The crew yacht sails back early; coordinate with the RM as the fleet returns to the marina.
Friday, back at the marina	Chair the review	Chair the week review with the team: what went well and what missed, and brief next week’s EM on partner notes, risks, and learnings.
Friday evening	Closeout	Sign off the kitty, commissions, and comp report; confirm any yacht issues are logged via the report form; file partner debrief notes.

5. Complaint & Incident Handling

Every guest complaint and operational incident follows the same flow:

Listen → Acknowledge → Assess severity → (Delegate if needed/suitable) → Act → Close → Log.

Severity decides authority; authority decides who acts and who escalates. The role-with-the-relationship holds the guest POC through resolution; the role with operational ownership runs the fix behind the scenes. All Med+ incidents are documented in the Event Incident Log within the same operational day.

5.1 Principles

Listen first. Acknowledge before defending. Repeat the issue back in your own words.
Severity-led: classify before acting. When in doubt, escalate one level higher.
Single guest POC: whoever first held the guest relationship keeps it through resolution. The operational fix routes to the right role behind the scenes.
Speed over perfection on medium incidents. Same-day Event Incident Log entry is non-negotiable for: sexual harassment, drugs, drunk-on-duty, glass injury, anaphylaxis, vendor confrontation pushed onto crew, yacht emergency, social-media-bound complaint.
Critical incidents are owned by the Head of Operations (HOO). The HOO leads or stays connected to the response, supported by OC, EM, Route Medic, and any other relevant staff. The route team's job during a Critical is to deliver facts, hold guest comms locally where directed, and execute on the HOO's call.
Confidentiality is the default. Medical details are held in line with company policy and applicable data-protection rules. Staff misconduct details are shared only with those who need to know to act (EM, RM/HM, Quarterdeck (QD) as relevant), not across the team.
External / public communication during a Critical incident routes through the HOO. Route roles do not speak to media, social platforms, or families on behalf of Yacht Week without HOO sign-off.

5.2 Severity & Response

Use this matrix to decide whether you handle an issue alone, loop in another role, the EM, or escalate beyond the route. When in doubt, escalate one level higher.

Severity	Examples	Action
Low	Schedule confusion, dietary tweak, lost item, minor venue gripe.	Resolve in role on the spot, ideally via skipper/host. Log at end of day.
Medium	Repeat complaint, partner-venue conflict, missed transfer, group dissatisfaction with one event, minor conduct flag.	Resolve in role; notify EM same-day. If skipper/host involved → route operational fix to RM/HM. Log immediately in the Event Incident Log.
High	Safety incident, medical issue, refund request, conduct incident, social-media-bound complaint, repeated skipper/host failure.	Stop. Notify EM immediately. RM/HM looped if crew-related; Route Medic looped if medical. EM may escalate to OC; OC briefs HOO. The role-with-the-relationship stays with the guest. Same-day Event Incident Log entry.
Critical	Injury, missing person, criminal incident, vessel emergency, anaphylaxis, regulatory issue.	Safety protocols first. HOO owns the response, supported by OC, EM, Route Medic, and any other relevant staff. Emergency services as required. All external comms route through HOO. Document everything in the Event Incident Log within the hour.

5.3 Chain of Command

The route team resolves what it can in scope; everything else escalates along these lines.

Within the route team: GEM, EC, and Route Medic surface to EM. EM is the route-level decision point for refunds, yacht changes, partial credits, schedule changes, and partner-facing commitments.
Crew-related issues: skipper-side route through RM; host-side route through HM. RM and HM document conduct or performance issues same-day with EM and Quarterdeck (QD).
Medical issues: surface to the Route Medic via direct app contact. The nearest skipper or host is first responder and calls the Medic. The Medic treats within scope, stabilises, and arranges escalation to local medical services where exceeded.
Yacht / supplier issues: RM relays via the EM into the OC, who reports formally to the YW Commercial Team weekly.
Cross-destination patterns: OC reads every Event Incident Log entry across active routes weekly and surfaces themes to the HOO.
Critical incidents: HOO leads. OC, EM, Route Medic, and any other relevant staff connect into the response. External comms route through HOO.

5.4 Event Manager Responsibilities

On the route you are the decision point for anything that crosses functional lines, touches budget, or commits Yacht Week to a guest or partner. Above that, escalate.

Manage refunds, yacht changes, partial credits, schedule changes, and partner-facing commitments on the route.
Same-day documentation with QD (via RM or HM) for any skipper or host conduct incident. Do not wait for end-of-week.
Chair the resolution for any cross-functional incident; assign the lead between GEM, EC, RM, HM, and Route Medic.
Vendor / venue confrontation: you resolve on route. Crew surface, HM/RM and you handle. Report to OC regardless of outcome — OC logs in the Event Incident Log and briefs the HOO. OC or HOO contacts the vendor for any follow-up beyond the route. The 2025 Cape Sol incident is the case study.
High and Critical: notify OC immediately; OC briefs HOO. Hold operational rhythm on the route while HOO runs the response.
Final approver of messaging before EC posts.
During Critical: facts and recovery on the route; external comms via HOO.

6. KPIs & Feedback Analysis

Performance is reviewed continuously, weekly with the EM, and at the end of the season. Feedback is also a live operational input, not just a retrospective scoreboard. When a theme surfaces, it triggers action: to the route plan, to logistics, to music, to skipper or host behaviour, to venue or partner conversations, or to yacht-company escalations. The faster a theme is recognised and routed, the smaller the fix. The KPI scorecard itself (metrics, targets, thresholds) is being defined separately and will land in a future revision.

Pull the full KPI scorecard and survey results from the YW App feedback form at week's end.
Read end-to-end. Your domain spans guest, comms, route, hosts, medical, and partners.
Identify the top three risks for next week and the action you've taken on each.
Translate route-level feedback into next week's mitigations: route plan, transfers, venue brief, skipper/host briefings (via RM/HM), partner conversations, music or DJ direction (via EC).
Hand over to next week's EM with the complaint log, KPI snapshot, partner notes, and risk list.

Guest Experience Manager

1. Role Summary

As a Guest Experience Manager (GEM) you own the guest experience for the whole of a Yacht Week. Everyone on the team shapes how guests feel, each in their own way; the difference is that this is your entire focus. You spend the week among the guests: reading the mood across the fleet, building relationships early, noticing friction before it is raised, and owning any complaint from the first conversation through to resolution.

This is what sets you apart from the Event Coordinator (EC), who owns the information side: the YW App schedule, guest messages, and the practical questions of where, when, and what. Logistics answers sit with the EC. Anything to do with how a guest feels, and putting it right when something slips, sits with you.

In short: the EM leads the event, the EC keeps the app and the messages flowing, and you own the guest relationship and how the week feels.

Reporting & Working Relationships

Reports to: Event Manager (EM).
Works alongside: Event Coordinator (EC) on app and message-based comms.
Primary delegation partners: Route Manager (RM) and Host Manager (HM).
Supported by: Operations Coordinator (OC) for data and pre-week intelligence; Route Medic for medical concerns.
Co-hosts evening events with: EM, EC, RM, HM.

Role Ownership Across the Team

Operations Coordinator (OC): cross-destination operations; supplies pre-week intelligence and the budget for each EM.
Event Manager (EM): route lead; manages the Event Team and the event, and owns the budget.
Guest Experience Manager (GEM): owns the guest experience, guest relationships, and complaint handling.
Event Coordinator (EC): the EM's right hand; keeps the YW App schedule, app comms and message updates current, is on-site POC for the Media and DJ teams, and helps wherever needed.
Route Manager (RM): coordinates route operations and supports and coaches the skipper team; supplied by Quarterdeck (QD).
Host Manager (HM): coordinates and supports the host team and supports the onboard guest experience; supplied by Quarterdeck (QD).
Route Medic: assigned skipper, host, or event crew member with medical credentials; provides route-level medical response and health & safety support.
Quarterdeck (QD) is Yacht Week's external service provider for the Skipper and Host crews (including RM, HM, and the Route Medic). YW is the customer; QD supplies the people. Skipper/host-side performance, offboarding, and replacement decisions sit with QD.

The Delegation Chain

The GEM manages and monitors the guest experience across the fleet, and is the EM’s dedicated lead on it. Most issues are solved onboard by a yacht’s own skipper and host; you support them, the RM, the HM and the Leads wherever it helps, and where something cannot be resolved onboard you step in and see it through. You never let go of a flagged issue until the guests are genuinely happy again. You also seek out guests through the week to understand how they are doing, what is working well, and where Yacht Week can improve. Because a yacht’s own skipper and host are the guests’ day-to-day point of contact, you work into each crew through the RM and HM rather than speaking to guests directly.

GEM identifies a need, mandate, offer, or guest-side issue.
GEM briefs RM (skipper-related) or HM (host-related) with the desired outcome.
RM/HM relays to skippers/hosts and pushes the solution forward. They deliver to the guest.
If RM/HM is unavailable or the situation is time-critical, GEM may go direct to skipper/host and notifies RM/HM after.
Direct GEM-to-guest conversation: last resort only. With 500 guests across the fleet, the GEM cannot be the messenger for every yacht. Use RM and HM as proxies.
Medical issues route to the Route Medic for assessment; the GEM remains the guest's relational POC.

If a guest issue is caused by a skipper or host, the GEM remains the guest’s POC for the rest of the week. The skipper/host side of the issue is forwarded to RM/HM to deal with through them.

2. Core Responsibilities

Your week breaks into six core responsibility areas. Every duty you perform should map back to one of these.

2.1 Guest Experience Ownership (Eyes & Ears)

Be physically present and visible across the fleet (marina, briefings, venues, events).
Observe mood, friction, and joy in real time. Pick up on issues before they're raised.
Build relationships with every yacht as early as possible, Day 1 if at all feasible.
Personalize for returning guests and anyone flagged with a prior YW issue: greet them face to face on Day 1 and address the earlier issue up front. The pre-week dashboard surfaces these guests, so do not wait for them to come to you.

2.2 RM / HM Coordination & Delegation

Act as point of contact for the Route Manager and Host Manager throughout the week.
Receive and act on information, issues, and opportunities relayed from skippers and hosts via RM/HM.
Relay requests, offers, and information for guests through RM/HM, who pass them to the skippers and hosts to deliver.
Direct comms with a skipper/host only when speed demands it. Notify RM/HM immediately after.
When the issue is skipper- or host-caused, hold the guest relationship; route the operational fix to RM/HM.

2.3 Event Co-Hosting

2.4 Live KPI & Feedback Analysis

Monitor the YW App feedback form continuously. Guests receive the feedback form on the final day of events (Friday), so most responses land on Friday and Saturday, with more arriving later as reminders go out.
Analyze feedback as soon as it lands; identify themes within hours, not days.
Convert insights into immediate fixes: feed into the next event, the next venue brief, or the next RM/HM hand-off.
Share findings with EM, EC, RM, HM at the daily debrief.

2.5 Flag Log & Guest Satisfaction Monitoring

GEM keeps a log of every yellow and red flag raised during the week, drawn from day-to-day contact with the RM and EM, the in-app feedback channel, and direct observation on the marina. The log is a working tool, not a report. Each entry records the flag (what), the yacht and source (where it came from), the action (who is doing what), and a status (open or closed). GEM works the log every day until everything in it is closed. Flags are not held for a fixed mid-week check; they are caught and worked as they come in.

2.6 Brand & Standards

Yacht Week brand voice: warm, confident, energetic, never defensive. Professional, reliable, respectful.
Wear official Yacht Week merchandise while in service, and at a minimum whenever you are moving around a marina, especially just after docking and before leaving. It matters that guests and colleagues can instantly see who is on the team: it keeps everyone safer, makes it easy to ask for help, and is great marketing.
Champion the Code of Excellence (COE) and help the whole team live up to it.
Zero tolerance on sexual harassment, drugs, and serious alcohol incidents. Same-day documentation up the chain to OC. Harassment is the highest-priority conduct category we track. See the Sexual Misconduct Policy.
Champion sustainable practices on board and on land, in line with the Code of Excellence: leave no trace, minimise single-use plastic, sort and reduce waste, and keep energy and water use down.
Lead by example.
On the crew yacht, pitch in: keep your own cabin tidy and help with dishes, tidying, and setting up, following the routine the EM and HM set.
Represent Yacht Week to a high standard at all times; guests treat you as the brand.
Hold the line on safety, conduct, and venue rules without losing the experience.

3. Pre Event Preparations

The week is won or lost before guests arrive. Five workstreams run in parallel in the days leading up to embarkation.

3.1 Guest Profile Dashboard

Build a per-yacht and per-guest picture before the week starts. The Operations Coordinator (OC) is responsible for supplying this data, pulled from booking data, the YW App, customer service notes, and prior-week handover. The GEM consumes and acts on it.

Country / nationality split per yacht (informs language, social mix, music).
Age distribution per yacht and across the fleet.
Returning guests: flag and personalize. They expect to be remembered.
Music preferences (genre, artists, vibe per yacht).
Guests with prior YW issues: flagged from customer service or past complaint logs. Priority touch-points on Day 1.
Open customer service tickets or pre-week requests still unresolved.
Group dynamics: bachelor/bachelorette, corporate, friends, mixed.
Dietary, medical, or accessibility flags. Anaphylaxis and severe allergy flags reviewed with the Route Medic and HM before Saturday briefing.

3.2 Yacht-by-Yacht Communication Plan

Before guests step on the dock, decide how you will engage each yacht across the week. Remember that most contact happens via skipper/host, not directly via you.

Day 1 introduction plan per yacht: when, where, by whom (you, RM, or HM).
Targeted touch-points for VIP / flagged / returning guests.
Cadence of presence: which yachts you walk past daily, which you check in on lightly.
Channel matrix per yacht: primarily through skipper/host (via RM/HM), GEM in person as needed.

Goal: every yacht has met the GEM as early as possible, ideally on Day 1, and knows their skipper/host is the day-to-day channel. Early relationship plus clear channel equals far fewer escalations later.

3.3 Previous Week's KPIs & Feedback

Read the data before you sail.

Pull the previous week's KPI scorecard and survey results from the YW App feedback form.
Identify recurring complaint themes (venues, transfers, music, food, comms).
Note partner feedback (venue, skipper, host) from prior-week debrief.
Convert each recurring issue into a proactive mitigation for this week, built into Day 1 briefing, fleet briefing to skippers/hosts via RM/HM, or venue conversations.

By Saturday morning, you should be able to name the top three risks for this week and the action you’ve already taken on each.

3.4 VIP & Flagged-Guest Plan

Build the VIP / returning / flagged-guest list for the week from the OC dashboard and CS notes.
Decide the Day 1 personal-greeting plan for each: you direct, via skipper/host (via RM/HM), or both.
Pre-brief RM and HM on which yachts host flagged guests so the relevant skipper/host is briefed on arrival.
Pre-brief the Route Medic on any medical-flag guests so awareness is in place from Saturday.

3.5 Team Coordination

Confirm delegation chain, escalation chain, and evening-event hosting roles with EM, EC, RM, HM.
Confirm complaint-handling and severity-call protocol with EM.
Align with EC on guest comms: who messages, who responds, brand voice baseline.
Align with the Route Medic on the medical-incident protocol and how guest-side comms are handled when a medical event occurs.

4. Weekly Schedule (Saturday to Saturday)

Yacht Week runs Saturday to Saturday. The schedule below is the principle, not a stopwatch; exact venues and timings vary per week and per destination, but the rhythm holds. The week breaks into: Pre-Arrival; Saturday (guests arrive, typically around lunchtime but varying with their travel, and skippers and hosts adapt to when their guests turn up); Sunday to Thursday (sailing days); Friday (the last full day and night, with a Yacht Week event where the destination runs one); and Saturday morning (guests depart and every yacht is cleared out by 9am, so there is no Yacht Week programming on the Saturday). Information moves outward from the EM via the EC’s app push notifications; skippers and hosts run their own ~8-10 person crew on each yacht; the Event Team stays strategic, not herding. The single biggest success factor is that skippers and hosts are well-informed at all times; the daily app push notification and the RM/HM broadcasts to their teams are how that happens.

4.1 Pre-Arrival (Wed → Fri before week begins)

Pre-Arrival is the three days before guests embark. Each role’s Section 3 workstreams land during this window.

Day	Activity	GEM Responsibilities
Wed	Guest dashboard absorbed	Read end-to-end: country, age, returning guests, music preferences, prior YW issues, open CS tickets, group dynamics.
Thu	VIP & flagged-guest plan	Build the personal-greeting plan; align with RM/HM on which yachts host flagged guests so the relevant Skipper/Host is briefed on arrival.
Fri	Medical & allergy alignment	Walk dashboard’s medical and severe-allergy flags with HM and Route Medic. Confirm Saturday allergy-briefing plan.

4.2 Saturday: Arrival Day

Saturday is the heaviest day of the week for most route roles. Marina check-in opens around mid-afternoon and runs through early evening; the welcome dinner / opening party closes the day.

Time block	Activity	GEM Responsibilities
Morning	Briefings	Attend management & all-team meetings; align with EC on welcome-experience split (you = welcome, EC = paperwork).
Marina check-in (afternoon)	Welcome experience	Personally meet each yacht as guests board. Allergy / medical intake alongside HM. VIP / returning-guest personal greeting.
Welcome dinner (evening)	Visible & circulating	Co-host. Eyes on the room. Establish your visibility for the week.
Opening party / late	Day-1 flags	Surface any Day-1 flags to RM/HM and to tomorrow’s morning meeting.

4.3 Saturday → Friday: Sailing Days

Time block	Activity	GEM Responsibilities
Crew morning meeting	Receive overnight signal	Receive overnight info from skippers/hosts via RM/HM. Action items agreed. Today’s flagged guests / VIPs known by name.
Mid-morning	Fleet check	Where geography allows, walk the marina or rafted fleet. Check on flagged guests in person. Route any skipper/host issue through RM/HM.
Afternoon	Light venue walk	Brief touch with EM on venue partner; align with EC on pre-event reminders for any flagged guests.
Event window (evening)	Co-host & circulating	Co-host with EM, EC, RM, HM. Eyes on the room.
Late	Day log + feedback scan	Log the day. Scan any new YW App feedback survey responses. Surface themes to EM & EC same-day.

4.4 Friday & Saturday: Final Night, Feedback & Departures

Friday is the last full day and night. Where the destination runs one, a Yacht Week event closes the week on the Friday night, though this varies by destination. On Saturday morning the guests depart and every yacht is cleared out by 9am, so there is no Yacht Week programming on the Saturday; skippers and hosts are responsible for their guests clearing out on time, since late departures hold up the marina and delay the maintenance and cleaning teams. This block also covers the crew yacht week-review and the end-of-week closeout (kitty, commissions, damages, comp report, KPI capture).

Time block	Activity	GEM Responsibilities
Morning	Live feedback monitoring	Surveys land fast post-closing event. Identify themes within hours; feed any urgent fix into the final-day plan.
Closing night event	Personal goodbyes	Co-host the closing event (Friday where the destination runs one, otherwise the last scheduled night). Personal goodbye to flagged and returning guests during the event. Remind guests how useful their feedback is.
Evening	Handover	Hand the complaint log, KPI snapshot, partner notes, and risks to next week’s GEM

5. Complaint & Incident Handling

Every guest complaint and operational incident follows the same flow:

Listen → Acknowledge → Assess severity → Route → Act → Close → Log.

Severity decides authority; authority decides who acts and who escalates. The role-with-the-relationship holds the guest POC through resolution; the role with operational ownership runs the fix behind the scenes. All serious incidents are reported up the chain to OC the same operational day; OC owns the season-level documentation.

5.1 Principles

Listen first. Acknowledge before defending. Repeat the issue back in your own words.
Severity-led: classify before acting. When in doubt, escalate one level higher.
Single guest POC: whoever first held the guest relationship keeps it through resolution. The operational fix routes to the right role behind the scenes.
Speed over perfection on serious incidents. Same-day report up the route chain to OC is non-negotiable for: sexual harassment, drugs, drunk-on-duty, glass injury, anaphylaxis, vendor confrontation directed at crew.
Critical incidents are owned by the Head of Operations (HOO). The HOO leads or stays connected to the response, supported by OC, EM, Route Medic, and any other relevant team members. The Event Team's job during a Critical is to deliver facts, hold guest comms locally where directed, and execute on the HOO's call.
Confidentiality is the default. Medical details are held in line with company policy and applicable data-protection rules. Misconduct details are shared only with those who need to know to act (EM, RM/HM, Quarterdeck (QD) as relevant), not across the team.
External / public communication during a Critical incident routes through the HOO. Route roles do not speak to media, social platforms, or families on behalf of Yacht Week without HOO sign-off.

5.2 Severity & Response

Use this matrix to decide whether you handle an issue alone, loop in another role, the EM, or escalate beyond the route. When in doubt, escalate one level higher.

Severity	Examples	Action
Low	Schedule confusion, dietary tweak, lost item, minor venue gripe.	Resolve in role on the spot, ideally via skipper/host. Log at end of day.
Medium	Repeat complaint, partner-venue conflict, missed transfer, group dissatisfaction with one event, minor conduct flag.	Resolve in role; notify EM same-day. If skipper/host involved → route operational fix to RM/HM. Log immediately in the Event Incident Log.
High	Safety incident, medical issue, refund request, conduct incident, social-media-bound complaint, repeated skipper/host failure.	Stop. Notify EM immediately. RM/HM looped if crew-related; Route Medic looped if medical. EM may escalate to OC; OC briefs HOO. The role-with-the-relationship stays with the guest. Same-day Event Incident Log entry.
Critical	Injury, missing person, criminal incident, vessel emergency, anaphylaxis, regulatory issue.	Safety protocols first. HOO owns the response, supported by OC, EM, Route Medic, and any other relevant staff. Emergency services as required. All external comms route through HOO. Document everything in the Event Incident Log within the hour.

5.3 Chain of Command

The Event Team resolves what it can in scope; everything else escalates along these lines.

Within the Event Team: GEM, EC, and Route Medic surface to EM. EM is the route-level decision point for refunds, yacht changes, partial credits, schedule changes, and partner-facing commitments.
Crew-related issues: skipper-side route through RM; host-side route through HM. RM and HM document conduct or performance issues same-day with EM and Quarterdeck (QD).
Medical issues: surface to the Route Medic via direct comms. The nearest skipper or host is first responder and calls the Medic. The Medic treats within scope, stabilises, and arranges escalation to local medical services where exceeded.
Yacht / supplier issues: RM relays via the EM into the OC, who reports formally to the YW Commercial Team weekly.
Cross-destination patterns: OC and HOO review reports across active routes weekly and surface themes back to the Event Teams.
Critical incidents: HOO leads. OC, EM, Route Medic, and any other relevant team members connect into the response. External comms route through HOO.

5.4 Guest Experience Manager Responsibilities

You hold the guest relationship through the week. Most complaints either reach you directly (in person, via skipper/host through RM/HM) or get escalated to you by the EC from the YW App. You classify, route, and stay with the guest until it’s closed.

Listen → Acknowledge → Assess severity → Route → Act → Close → Log. Severity classification on the spot.
Surface serious incidents to the EM same-day.
Skipper or host-caused issues: you hold the guest relationship through the week, and the operational fix routes to RM or HM. Never blame or undermine the skipper or host in front of the guest.
Resolution Toolkit (within authority, no EM approval): drink or amenity to recover a moment, reseat or rearrange a guest, reschedule a transfer where logistics allow, offer official merchandise as a goodwill gesture.
Out-of-scope for GEM, EM-only: refunds, yacht changes, partial credits, written commitments.
Eyes-on signals to surface immediately: intoxication, group friction, mental-health flags, allergy concerns, predatory or non-YW behaviour around guests.

5.5 Post-event guest communications

Once the week is over, or once a guest complaint is in during the week, Customer Service holds the guest relationship and owns all guest-facing communication. The Event Team, YW Operations & Management and QD Management feed input through CS and act on guest comms only at CS’s request. If a guest reaches out directly after the week, or after a complaint is in, the response is to refer them back to CS rather than reply. Skipper, Host and Event Team contact with the guest stops the moment a complaint is in, including via WhatsApp or social channels. The matter is escalated to the Route Manager, the Host Manager and the Event Manager.

6. KPIs & Feedback Analysis

Event Coordinator

1. Role Summary

As an Event Coordinator (EC) you are the right hand of the Event Manager. The role mixes a baseline task list with being the team’s runner: keeping the YW App schedule, guest comms, and message updates current and acting as the on-site point of contact for the Media and DJ teams, while also carrying things from A to B, helping the DJs at an event, giving the media team a hand, or supporting the GEM or EM with whatever comes up. Bring a positive, open mind and be ready to take on any challenge, including tasks not written down here.

In one sentence: the EM leads the event, the GEM owns the guest experience, and you are the EM’s right hand, keeping the information flowing and helping wherever you are needed.

Reporting & Working Relationships

Reports to: Event Manager (EM) for the assigned week.
Works alongside: Guest Experience Manager (GEM) on guest relationship and guest issues.
Co-hosts evening events with: EM, GEM, RM, HM.
Supports: Media and DJ teams as on-site POC.
Liaises with: app and comms tooling owners at central operations, venue teams as needed.

Role Ownership Across the Team

Operations Coordinator (OC): cross-destination operations; supplies pre-week intelligence and the budget for each EM.
Event Manager (EM): route lead; manages the Event Team and the event, and owns the budget.
Guest Experience Manager (GEM): owns the guest experience, guest relationships, and complaint handling.
Event Coordinator (EC): the EM's right hand; keeps the YW App schedule, app comms and message updates current, is on-site POC for the Media and DJ teams, and helps wherever needed.
Route Manager (RM): coordinates route operations and supports and coaches the skipper team; supplied by Quarterdeck (QD).
Host Manager (HM): coordinates and supports the host team and supports the onboard guest experience; supplied by Quarterdeck (QD).
Route Medic: assigned skipper, host, or event crew member with medical credentials; provides route-level medical response and health & safety support.
Quarterdeck (QD) is Yacht Week's external service provider for the Skipper and Host crews (including RM, HM, and the Route Medic). YW is the customer; QD supplies the people. Skipper/host-side performance, offboarding, and replacement decisions sit with QD.

The Delegation Chain

The EM decides the plan; you carry it into the world via the app, email, and direct on-site comms with media and DJ partners. RM and HM are the channel into the yachts. You do not bypass them.

EM (or GEM, RM, HM) flags a comms need: schedule change, venue update, transfer info, etc.
EC drafts the message, gets EM approval where required (refunds, partner names, schedule changes), and posts.
EC monitors guest replies in-app and answers operational questions (where, when, what); guest experience issues route to the GEM.
EC supports Media and DJ teams as their on-site POC for content windows, set times, equipment, and venue access.

For anything app or comms-related that crosses into guest experience or partner relations, EC and GEM coordinate before pushing.

2. Core Responsibilities

Your week breaks into five core responsibility areas. Every duty you perform should map back to one of these.

2.1 App & Message Comms Ownership

Keep the YW App schedule, guest-facing app comms, and all message updates current, via app and email.
Post the daily app update each morning through the week.
Monitor the YW App continuously during operational hours. Many guest questions need an immediate response, keep up with all messages, treat them as ASAP. Logistics questions (where, when, what) you answer directly; experience, relationship, behaviour, partner, or repeat issues you forward to GEM with a quick holding reply.
Send change updates as soon as confirmed; guests should not learn about a venue, transfer, or schedule change from anyone but the app.
Staged pre-event reminders via the YW App ahead of each transfer, with a clear pickup time and location, so each skipper and host can get their own group of 8 to 10 guests to the pickup on time.
Maintain Yacht Week brand voice in every message: warm, confident, energetic, never defensive. Brief and clear.

For anything app or comms-related that crosses into guest experience or partner relations, EC and GEM coordinate before pushing.

2.2 Schedule & Information Flow

2.3 Media & DJ Support

2.4 Event Operations Support to EM

Support the EM in the delivery of all official events (briefings, beach clubs, night events, departures).
Co-host evening events alongside EM, GEM, RM, HM. Guest experience first, fun second.
When the EM is stretched or deep in something, take tasks off them so they can stay focused.
Run the operational comms legwork pre-event and post-event.

2.5 Brand & Standards

Yacht Week brand voice: warm, confident, energetic, never defensive. Professional, reliable, respectful.
Wear official Yacht Week merchandise while in service, and at a minimum whenever you are moving around a marina, especially just after docking and before leaving. It matters that guests and colleagues can instantly see who is on the team: it keeps everyone safer, makes it easy to ask for help, and is great marketing.
Champion the Code of Excellence (COE) and help the whole team live up to it.
Zero tolerance on sexual harassment, drugs, and serious alcohol incidents. Same-day documentation up the chain to OC. Harassment is the highest-priority conduct category we track. See the Sexual Misconduct Policy.
Champion sustainable practices on board and on land, in line with the Code of Excellence: leave no trace, minimise single-use plastic, sort and reduce waste, and keep energy and water use down.
Lead by example.
On the crew yacht, pitch in: keep your own cabin tidy and help with dishes, tidying, and setting up, following the routine the EM and HM set.
Brand voice in every guest-facing message: brief, clear, no defensive language.

3. Pre Event Preparations

The EC role is hands-on and learned mostly on the job, so there is no heavy pre-event workload. Before the week begins you stay in contact with the EM, who briefs you and assigns anything that needs doing. What matters is that you arrive understanding how the week runs and ready to help from the first day.

Stay in touch with the EM and take on any pre-event tasks they assign.
Read the event schedule and the Run of Show (ROS) so you understand the shape of the week and the range of tasks you will be asked to cover.
Ask the EM to add you to a full YW event in the app before you arrive. Watching a live event shows you how guest communications actually work, the timing and the tone, and where things could be improved. Treat it as a chance to learn and to spot ideas.
As the on-site point of contact for the Media and DJ teams, introduce yourself before arrival. The EM will usually set up a shared group in the app for this, or give you other instructions.
Get comfortable with the YW App itself (schedule, messages, notifications) so you can use it confidently from day one.
Sort your own arrival and travel logistics, and bring any questions to the EM.

4. Weekly Schedule (Saturday to Saturday)

4.1 Pre-Arrival (before the week begins)

Pre-Arrival is the run-up to the week before guests embark. Each role’s Section 3 workstreams land during this window.

Focus	Activity	EC Responsibilities
Understand the week	Read the schedule & ROS	Read the event schedule and the Run of Show so you know the shape of the week and the range of tasks you will cover.
Learn the app	Follow a live YW event	Ask the EM to add you to a full YW event in the app, so you can see how guest communications work and spot improvements.
Media & DJ	Introduce yourself	As their on-site point of contact, say hello before arrival. The EM will usually set up a shared app group, or give other instructions.

4.2 Saturday: Arrival Day

Saturday is the heaviest day of the week for most route roles. Marina check-in opens around mid-afternoon and runs through early evening; the welcome dinner / opening party closes the day.

Time block	Activity	EC Responsibilities
Morning (around 09:00)	Departing-guest support & Day-1 prep	Outgoing guests check out around 09:00; be on hand to support EM and GEM with any tail-end issues. Day-1 welcome message scheduled in the YW App for the arriving guests.
Mid-day	General EM support & event prep	Saturday tasks vary widely and shift on the day; you are the EM’s general support. Confirm venue / DJ / media for the opening event. Check inbound DJ and Media team arrival times via the OC dashboard.
Marina check-in (afternoon)	Greet new guests; check-in support	Check-in setup varies by destination: in Croatia a separate check-in team takes the lead and the Event Team supports, while at most other destinations the Event Team runs check-in itself. This can change from place to place, so confirm the setup for your destination. The GEM owns the welcome experience; you support throughput where useful.
Pre-welcome dinner	Opening venue setup	Brief the DJ team for the opening venue. DJ load-in needs vary by destination: some venues have a full kit, others need YW gear from the route kit. Light boxes, flutter flags, group-photo cue.
Welcome dinner / opening (evening)	Media & DJ POC; co-host	Sound check. Co-host with EM, GEM, RM, HM. First call for Media or DJ team.
Late	Charge cycle + tomorrow’s brief	Soundboks and DJ gear on charge. ‘Tomorrow’s Schedule’ post on the Event Team WhatsApp group.

4.3 Saturday → Friday: Sailing Days

Time block	Activity	EC Responsibilities
Crew morning meeting	Brief in, plan comms out	Confirm with EM the day’s app push contents and any schedule changes.
Morning	Daily app push	Push the day’s run-of-show via app; event team WhatsApp group post in parallel.
Throughout operational hours	Continuous app monitoring	Stay glued to the YW App. Many guest questions need an immediate response. Answer logistics (where, when, what) directly. Forward experience, behaviour, relationship, partner, or repeat issues to GEM.
Pre-event reminders	Staged reminders before each transfer	Push pre-event reminders via app with a clear transfer pickup time and location, so each skipper and host can get their own group of 8 to 10 guests to the pickup on time.
Afternoon	Venue setup oversight	DJ load-in (~90 min pre-party); sound check (~60-75 min pre-party); flutter flags, light boxes, route flag at venue; group-photo cue.
Event window (evening)	Co-host & Media/DJ POC	Co-host. First call for Media or DJ team. Run the operational comms legwork.
Evening	‘Tomorrow’s Schedule’ post	Post tomorrow’s schedule to the Event Team WhatsApp group. Soundboks and DJ gear charge cycle.

4.4 Friday: Final Day, Feedback & Departures

Time block	Activity	EC Responsibilities
Morning	Final app push	Departure transfer info via app. Final team post reminding guests how useful their feedback is.
Closing night event	Support GEM at goodbyes	Bring merch and a charged phone to capture any last guest input, and remind guests how useful their feedback is.

5. Complaint & Incident Handling

Every guest complaint and operational incident follows the same flow:

Listen → Acknowledge → Assess severity → Route → Act → Close → Log.

Severity decides authority; authority decides who acts and who escalates. The role-with-the-relationship holds the guest POC through resolution; the role with operational ownership runs the fix behind the scenes. All serious incidents are reported up the chain to OC the same operational day; OC owns the season-level documentation.

5.1 Principles

Listen first. Acknowledge before defending. Repeat the issue back in your own words.
Severity-led: classify before acting. When in doubt, escalate one level higher.
Single guest POC: whoever first held the guest relationship keeps it through resolution. The operational fix routes to the right role behind the scenes.
Speed over perfection on serious incidents. Same-day report up the route chain to OC is non-negotiable for: sexual harassment, drugs, drunk-on-duty, glass injury, anaphylaxis, vendor confrontation directed at crew.
Critical incidents are owned by the Head of Operations (HOO). The HOO leads or stays connected to the response, supported by OC, EM, Route Medic, and any other relevant team members. The Event Team's job during a Critical is to deliver facts, hold guest comms locally where directed, and execute on the HOO's call.
Confidentiality is the default. Medical details are held in line with company policy and applicable data-protection rules. Misconduct details are shared only with those who need to know to act (EM, RM/HM, Quarterdeck (QD) as relevant), not across the team.
External / public communication during a Critical incident routes through the HOO. Route roles do not speak to media, social platforms, or families on behalf of Yacht Week without HOO sign-off.

5.2 Severity & Response

Use this matrix to decide whether you handle an issue alone, loop in another role, the EM, or escalate beyond the route. When in doubt, escalate one level higher.

Severity	Examples	Action
Low	Schedule confusion, dietary tweak, lost item, minor venue gripe.	Resolve in role on the spot, ideally via skipper/host. Log at end of day.
Medium	Repeat complaint, partner-venue conflict, missed transfer, group dissatisfaction with one event, minor conduct flag.	Resolve in role; notify EM same-day. If skipper/host involved → route operational fix to RM/HM. Log immediately in the Event Incident Log.
High	Safety incident, medical issue, refund request, conduct incident, social-media-bound complaint, repeated skipper/host failure.	Stop. Notify EM immediately. RM/HM looped if crew-related; Route Medic looped if medical. EM may escalate to OC; OC briefs HOO. The role-with-the-relationship stays with the guest. Same-day Event Incident Log entry.
Critical	Injury, missing person, criminal incident, vessel emergency, anaphylaxis, regulatory issue.	Safety protocols first. HOO owns the response, supported by OC, EM, Route Medic, and any other relevant staff. Emergency services as required. All external comms route through HOO. Document everything in the Event Incident Log within the hour.

5.3 Chain of Command

The Event Team resolves what it can in scope; everything else escalates along these lines.

Within the Event Team: GEM, EC, and Route Medic surface to EM. EM is the route-level decision point for refunds, yacht changes, partial credits, schedule changes, and partner-facing commitments.
Crew-related issues: skipper-side route through RM; host-side route through HM. RM and HM document conduct or performance issues same-day with EM and Quarterdeck (QD).
Medical issues: surface to the Route Medic via direct comms. The nearest skipper or host is first responder and calls the Medic. The Medic treats within scope, stabilises, and arranges escalation to local medical services where exceeded.
Yacht / supplier issues: RM relays via the EM into the OC, who reports formally to the YW Commercial Team weekly.
Cross-destination patterns: OC and HOO review reports across active routes weekly and surface themes back to the Event Teams.
Critical incidents: HOO leads. OC, EM, Route Medic, and any other relevant team members connect into the response. External comms route through HOO.

5.4 Event Coordinator Responsibilities

You handle guest comms broadly through the YW App. Resolve what you can; escalate to GEM when an issue touches experience, behaviour, relationship, partner, or is a repeat. EC and GEM are not in competition; EC reads first, GEM owns the relationship.

Pure logistics (where, when, what, schedule, transfer, dress code, venue access): you answer directly.
Anything touching guest experience, behaviour, relationship, partner, or that's a repeat issue: forward to GEM same-message with a quick holding reply.
Refunds, partial credits, written commitments: route to EM. EC does not commit YW to anything material.
Brand-voice compliance: warm, confident, energetic, never defensive, even under pressure.
During Critical: pause the regular comms cadence on HOO's call. Pre-cleared messages only.

Route Manager

1. Role Summary

As a Route Manager (RM) you skipper the crew yacht (no paying guests) and coordinate and support the skipper team across the route. You keep communication flowing, and you support and coach skippers to do their best work, alongside the Event Manager and the Event Team.

On the crew yacht you carry out the normal skipper role. Because you have no paying guests to attend, you are much freer than a skipper on a guest yacht, and you use that to be very present with the whole skipper team, the Lead Skippers, and the hosts, alongside looking after the event team members on board.

You do not command, direct, or assume responsibility for any other skipper’s yacht. Each skipper remains the sole captain in command of their yacht. Your role is advisory and coordination-based: guidance, coaching, and information flow. Your coaching and feedback are support only; they never transfer a skipper’s responsibility for the yacht and its crew up to the RM, a Lead, or the Company.

In one sentence: the EM leads the event; you keep the route running and support and coach the skipper team.

Reporting & Working Relationships

Reports to: Event Manager (EM) operationally for the assigned week.
Reports to: Quarterdeck (QD) management for skipper performance, offboarding, and route-level escalations.
Works alongside: Host Manager (HM), parallel role for the host team.
Co-hosts evening events with: Event Manager (EM), Guest Experience Manager (GEM), Event Coordinator (EC), and Host Manager (HM).
Liaises with: skippers across the route; the Route Medic on medical-incident handling; the QD Operations Manager for staffing and replacements.

Role Ownership Across the Team

Operations Coordinator (OC): cross-destination operations; supplies pre-week intelligence and the budget for each EM.
Event Manager (EM): route lead; manages the Event Team and the event, and owns the budget.
Guest Experience Manager (GEM): owns the guest experience, guest relationships, and complaint handling.
Event Coordinator (EC): the EM's right hand; keeps the YW App schedule, app comms and message updates current, is on-site POC for the Media and DJ teams, and helps wherever needed.
Route Manager (RM): coordinates route operations and supports and coaches the skipper team; supplied by Quarterdeck (QD).
Host Manager (HM): coordinates and supports the host team and supports the onboard guest experience; supplied by Quarterdeck (QD).
Route Medic: assigned skipper, host, or event crew member with medical credentials; provides route-level medical response and health & safety support.
Lead Skipper: route-level skipper-support role assigned to selected skippers; sits under the RM. Advisory and coordination only, no command authority over any other yacht.
Lead Tech: route-level technical-support role assigned to selected skippers with strong yacht-systems experience; sits under the RM as a support function. Advisory and coordination only, does not replace charter-company technicians or formal repair channels.
Lead Host: route-level host-support role assigned to selected Hosts; sits under the HM. Advisory and coordination only, no authority over skipper teams or yacht command.
Quarterdeck (QD) is Yacht Week's external service provider for the Skipper and Host crews (including RM, HM, and the Route Medic). YW is the customer; QD supplies the people. Skipper/host-side performance, offboarding, and replacement decisions sit with QD.

The Delegation Chain

You receive direction from the EM, relay operational coordination to the skipper team, and pass real-time information from the team back to the EM. The operational WhatsApp Community (managed by QD) is the primary channel for crew comms; the YW App is the guest-facing channel for route info, schedule, and changes.

The EM sets the plan and priorities for the week, and the budget to work within.
RM relays operational coordination, weather, port and route updates to skippers via the app.
Skippers are in charge of their operations onboard their yachts (each remains in command); RM coaches, supports, and gathers performance information.
RM escalates safety issues, performance concerns, and incidents to the EM and to QD management without delay.
Medical incidents surface to the Route Medic for assessment; the RM stays in the loop on operational impact.
Acting as EM: if the EM is not contactable or not present when a decision or action is needed and has not appointed a stand-in, you act as EM (as skipper of the crew yacht) until the EM is reachable again. Contact the OC straight away, or the HOO if the OC is not reachable, to stay informed and take instructions. This applies mainly to emergencies on the crew yacht or incidents at the event that need a manager; act on severity per 5.2 Severity & Response, and check any cost-related or material decision (refunds, yacht changes, partial credits, budget commitments) with the OC first. If you are also unavailable, the Host Manager is next in line.

You are the documentation owner for skipper performance, Code of Excellence (COE) breaches, and incident reports: facts, dates, and witnesses where relevant. If an issue spans multiple functional owners, the EM chairs the resolution.

Authority

Advisory and coordination authority over skippers; each Skipper retains command of their own yacht.
Provides feedback to skippers when issues arise, in person and early, with documented examples. Submits notes and observations to QD via the EM. Supports QD-instructed formal actions including removal from duty, reassignment, or offboarding.
Owns the route's spare-equipment kit (adapters, speaker, microphone, generator fuel cans). Surfaces replenishment needs to EM, who consolidates to OC; OC fulfils via storage, with Head of Operations (HOO) support if needed.

2. Core Responsibilities

Your week breaks into eight core responsibility areas. Every duty you perform should map back to one of these.

2.1 Skipper Team Coordination

Day-to-day coordination point for the skipper team across the route.
Operational WhatsApp Community (managed by QD) is the primary channel for skipper-team comms: broadcasts in the skipper-team group; direct chat with individual skippers as needed.
The YW App is the guest-facing channel for route info, schedule, and changes, and the company is working toward using it for more as it improves.
Default to broadcast posts in the skipper-team group for one-to-many; reserve direct chats for time-critical or skipper-specific coordination.
Each skipper shepherds their own ~8-10 person crew to and from events. RM briefs the skipper team on what's expected per event; skippers are in charge of their operations onboard their yachts.
Where Lead Skippers and a Lead Tech are assigned to the route, they sit under the RM as support roles for a defined group of skippers. You appoint the Lead Skippers in the QD admin assignment view for the week, where you can see every skipper working that week. Once you set the number of Leads, the system distributes skippers across them: evenly first, weighted so each Lead mainly gets skippers from their own starting marina and the group can meet on the first and last day, and, where skippers are short, spread across yacht lengths and cats and monos so no Lead carries a single yacht type. Groups can shift as bookings are added or cancelled and settle two weeks before charter start.
Use the Leads to extend support across the week, particularly to newer skippers and on technical issues. Lead Skippers create the group within the QD WhatsApp Community and make early contact, check that each crew have completed their crew-list data and that allergy, dietary and medical notes have been reviewed so the guest summary can be shared where a yacht runs without a host, support raft coordination, and keep sight of how each yacht is running through walk-throughs and group-chat check-ins. This is support, not a handover of performance-management or escalation ownership. Lead Skippers also compare notes with the Lead Hosts, since a host often has a read on a skipper and the reverse is true, and surface anything that cannot be resolved onboard to you. Lead Skippers and Lead Tech do not command any other yacht and do not replace the RM, the HM, or the EM.

2.2 Daily yellow and red flag dialogue with the skipper team

The most important thing the RM does on the water is run a constant dialogue with the skipper team so the Event Team can support actioning before anything escalates. Each day, run a short, standing, structured check with every skipper. The bar is to flag yellow even when it does not feel red yet: a difficult guest dynamic that feels manageable onboard, a host wellbeing concern, a yacht condition issue, a logistics bump from arrival day. Yellow flags are how the Event Team gets a chance to support before things go red. Skippers do not wait for the daily check if something material happens; they surface to the RM as soon as they can.

2.3 Daily action-plan cycle with GEM and EM

Each day, the RM, GEM and EM align on the day’s flags and agree the action plan. RM brings the flags from the skipper team. HM brings the flags from the host team. GEM brings the eyes-on signals from the marina and the in-app feedback monitor. The three of them, with HM in the loop where the issue touches a host, agree how each flagged yacht is handled through the rest of the week. GEM, together with the affected yacht’s skipper and host, executes through the week. The aim is to shift from end-of-week postmortems to in-week support.

2.4 First-time-in-destination flag

First-week-of-season flagging covers skippers new to the season. First-time-in-destination is a separate flag: a skipper who has not sailed those waters before. Skippers self-flag at first meeting with the RM. Where possible the RM pairs first-time-in-destination skippers with a destination-experienced Lead Skipper through the week, and the RM and Lead Skipper give extra attention and support. The same logic applies to first-time-in-destination hosts, raised via the HM and supported by the Lead Host.

2.5 Skipper Support & Coaching

Run regular check-ins with skippers for coaching, feedback, and support (high performers and developing alike).
Record and submit per-skipper performance notes and feedback observations to Quarterdeck (QD) via the EM.
Flag concerns early to the EM and to the QD Operations Manager.
Skipper conduct: zero tolerance on harassment and drunk-on-duty behaviour. Document with EM and QD same day. Repeat patterns are tracked over time and acted on.
Where instructed by QD management, support formal actions including removal from duty, reassignment, or offboarding.
Toward the end of the week, remind the skipper team to encourage guests to leave feedback, warmly and without being pushy.

2.6 Operational Coordination

Maintain route operational rhythm: daily and weekly schedules, key timings, expected movements.
Monitor and communicate variables impacting operations: weather, local rules, port constraints, logistics.
Provide timely updates to EM, HM, and central operations.
Skipper resignation or dismissal mid-week: skipper notifies RM. RM notifies the QD Operations Manager, who deploys a standby skipper. EM owns the guest-facing message via EC. GEM picks up the affected yacht's relationship for the rest of the week. Cover and redistribution decisions sit with QD, not the RM.
Day-to-day coverage for dropouts or last-minute changes is handled by Quarterdeck via the standby pool. The RM notifies the QD Operations Manager promptly so deployment can begin.

2.7 Safety, Standards & Incident Handling

Reinforce maritime safety expectations and the Code of Excellence (COE).
Document and escalate incidents, complaints, and near-misses to the EM and QD management without delay.
Forward yacht-related issues to the OC, who routes them to the YW Commercial Team: damages, poor service, late check-in, wrong yacht specs, and charter-company cash demands.
Coordinate operational handover when skippers leave or are replaced, including app access, route notes, and incident context.
Loop in the Route Medic on any incident with a medical dimension.

2.8 Brand & Standards

Yacht Week brand voice: warm, confident, energetic, never defensive. Professional, reliable, respectful.
Wear official Yacht Week merchandise while in service, and at a minimum whenever you are moving around a marina, especially just after docking and before leaving. It matters that guests and colleagues can instantly see who is on the team: it keeps everyone safer, makes it easy to ask for help, and is great marketing.
Champion the Code of Excellence (COE) and help the whole team live up to it.
Zero tolerance on sexual harassment, drugs, and serious alcohol incidents. Same-day documentation up the chain to OC. Harassment is the highest-priority conduct category we track. See the Sexual Misconduct Policy.
Reinforce sustainable onboard and on-land practices aligned with Company values.
Lead by example.
On the crew yacht you skipper, handle the rubbish and help the host with the dishes, keep your own cabin tidy, and support the routine the EM and HM set.
Reinforce cleanliness and hygiene standards onboard.
Each skipper retains command of their yacht; the RM is advisory and coordination-based.

3. Pre Event Preparations

Pre Event is where you set up the skipper team for a week that runs cleanly without you having to micromanage. Four workstreams run in parallel.

3.1 Guest Profile Dashboard

3.2 Previous Week's KPIs & Feedback

Read the full KPI report.
Through a skipper lens: per-skipper feedback, route-level themes, timing issues, complaints rooted in route or yacht.
Feed route and timing learnings to the EM in time for Saturday morning briefing.
Forward yacht-related issues to the YW Commercial Team via the OC: damages, poor service from the yachting company, late check-in, wrong yacht specs.

3.3 Skipper Team Setup

3.4 First-Week Skipper Onboarding (Saturday)

A repeatable Saturday curriculum so first-week skippers land on the same standard every week.

Operational updates from the season so far.
Current operational team structure and reporting lines.
Code of Excellence (COE) walkthrough and acknowledgement.
Reporting protocols: incidents, performance, yacht issues.
YW App walkthrough.
Q&A.

4. Weekly Schedule (Saturday to Saturday)

4.1 Pre-Arrival (before the week begins)

Pre-Arrival is the run-up to the week, from about two weeks out through the Friday before guests embark. This is when the Lead Skippers are chosen, the groups are set up, and the team is checked in and briefed.

Day	Activity	RM Responsibilities
2 Weeks Before	Choose Leads	Choose the Lead Skippers (and the Lead Tech where used) and mark them in the QD Admin under their assignment. This matters: every skipper needs to see who their Lead is in good time before the week begins. Notify the QD Admin of who has been chosen as Lead so it can be confirmed and the pay level adjusted accordingly.
2 Weeks Before	Lead Comms Groups	Instruct all Leads to set up their WhatsApp or YW App groups and invite their skippers two weeks before the event start, not earlier. Create the groups within the QD Community, and make sure every Lead and skipper understands that all content shared in the group is deleted once the week is completed.
1 Week Before	Check Lead Groups	Check that every Lead has made contact with each skipper who is new for the season, or an experienced skipper doing their first week of the season. This keeps the current year’s procedures fresh in mind: returning team members often assume everything runs the way it always has, but procedures and routes change year to year.
Friday Before	RM Meeting	Send out the spot and time for the RM meeting. Suggest the Leads do the same for their groups.

4.2 Saturday: Arrival Day

Saturday is the heaviest day of the week for most route roles. Marina check-in opens around mid-afternoon and runs through early evening; the welcome dinner / opening party closes the day

Time block	Activity	RM Responsibilities
Morning	Event Team Meeting	Attend the Event Team meetings to sync arrival-day and weekly tasks and any information from the EM.
Morning	Skipper check-ins	Talk to any skipper with performance issues or poor guest remarks from the previous week.
After lunch (typically 1 to 3pm, varies)	Skipper Meeting	Chair the skipper meeting.
Marina check-in (afternoon)	Known-issue coaching	Through the Lead Skippers, brief skippers on which yachts have known issues or pre-existing damage, so they document it and are not charged for damage that predates them or charged twice for the same problem
Afternoon	Early guest signals	Flag any early signs, relayed from a skipper, that guests might be unhappy. Notify the GEM and build an action plan to pinpoint them and resolve the issue.
Evening	Lead Skipper sync	Hold a group meeting with the Lead Skippers, and the Lead Tech where assigned, to sync on what is going well and any route or guest concerns to stay alert to.
Evening	Next-morning plan	Confirm the next morning’s reposition plan with the Lead Skippers, and if needed send it to all skippers.

4.3 Saturday → Friday: Sailing Days

Saturday to Friday follow a loose rhythm, not a fixed timetable. Most days there is a morning Event Team sync, a schedule push to guests, and an evening guest event, but the shape shifts: some days add a daytime event, or an early arrival at a stop for an excursion. Treat the points below as the RM’s recurring focus, not a stopwatch. Guests may sail on the Saturday arrival day too where the skipper is comfortable on safety, and Friday is a full day at sea, not a rush back to the marina.

Time block	Activity	RM Responsibilities
Early morning	Day’s brief	Join the morning Event Team sync to get the EM’s instructions and brief for the day, and align with the EC on what the skippers will be told through the app.
Morning	Skipper team brief	Brief the skipper team on the day’s program, route, weather, port and transfer notes, through the skipper-team group and direct chats as needed.
During the day	Crew Yacht	Skipper the crew yacht and reposition it to the next stop, your own skipper role for the week.
During the Day	Route & operations	Keep the skippers updated on weather, port, fuel, and any route or transfer changes as the day develops.
During the day	Lead check-ins	Check in with the Lead Skippers, and the Lead Tech where assigned, on how the skippers are doing and on any technical issues.
During the day	Guest issues & POC	Relay guest issues and praise to the GEM and EM, and be the onboard point of contact for them when they need action or information from any yacht.
Afternoon/Evening	Presence across the fleet	Move among the yachts at anchor, at raft-ups, and at events to see how the skippers are performing, coaching and supporting where needed.
Ongoing	Recognition & team spirit	Recognise good people, a lot. Creating a positive atmosphere and strong team spirit across the skipper team is one of your most important jobs.
Ongoing	Future weeks	Keep comms running for the weeks ahead: the future weeks you are RM on and the future Lead groups, so each week is set up in good time before it starts.

4.4 Friday & Saturday: Final Night, Feedback & Departures

Time block	Activity	RM Responsibilities
Friday morning	Sail back	Sail the crew yacht back early and aim to be first of the fleet into the start and end marina, around noon, so you are set up to support the other yachts as they arrive.
Friday, from noon	Charter check-out support	As the yachts dock and check out with the charter company, be on hand, or make sure the Lead Skippers are, to support skippers through the check-out, especially newer ones and where damage or repair costs are discussed. A senior skipper alongside them helps keep the process fair, clear, and well-documented. Any yacht issue is logged by the skipper through the QD report form (https://www.quarterdeck.co/report-form/) as soon as it arises, which reaches the YW Commercial Team, the HOO, and QD Management automatically; your role is to coach, support, and help negotiate where needed.
Friday evening	Week review	Review the week with the EM and, through the Lead Skippers, get a read on how each skipper’s week went. The aim is to spot who is doing well and who needs more support or coaching, not to find fault.
Friday night	Marinas quiet	Through the Lead Skippers, keep the marinas quiet. Guests should never be left alone on a yacht overnight; at most one crew member may leave (for example a country-to-country transfer or a personal flight). If a skipper leaves, cover passes to the Lead; if the Lead does not cover it, it sits with you.
Saturday morning	Yachts vacated on time	Make sure every yacht is cleared out on time.
Saturday, after departures	Performance reporting to QD	Report per-skipper performance to QD Management. The way you report may vary, but it is key to flag who stands out and who needs support, whether in skippering and operations or in service mindedness and hospitality.

5. Complaint & Incident Handling

Every guest complaint and operational incident follows the same flow:
Listen → Acknowledge → Assess severity → Route → Act → Close → Log.
Severity decides authority; authority decides who acts and who escalates. The role-with-the-relationship holds the guest POC through resolution; the role with operational ownership runs the fix behind the scenes. All serious incidents are reported up the chain to OC the same operational day; OC owns the season-level documentation.

5.1 Principles

Listen first. Acknowledge before defending. Repeat the issue back in your own words.
Severity-led: classify before acting. When in doubt, escalate one level higher.
Single guest POC: whoever first held the guest relationship keeps it through resolution. The operational fix routes to the right role behind the scenes.
Speed over perfection on serious incidents. Same-day report up the route chain to OC is non-negotiable for: sexual harassment, drugs, drunk-on-duty, glass injury, anaphylaxis, vendor confrontation directed at crew.
Critical incidents are owned by the Head of Operations (HOO). The HOO leads or stays connected to the response, supported by OC, EM, Route Medic, and any other relevant team members. The Event Team's job during a Critical is to deliver facts, hold guest comms locally where directed, and execute on the HOO's call.
Confidentiality is the default. Medical details are held in line with company policy and applicable data-protection rules. Misconduct details are shared only with those who need to know to act (EM, RM/HM, Quarterdeck (QD) as relevant), not across the team.
External / public communication during a Critical incident routes through the HOO. Route roles do not speak to media, social platforms, or families on behalf of Yacht Week without HOO sign-off.

5.2 Severity & Response

Use this matrix to decide whether you handle an issue alone, loop in another role, the EM, or escalate beyond the route. When in doubt, escalate one level higher.

Severity	Examples	Action
Low	Schedule confusion, dietary tweak, lost item, minor venue gripe.	Resolve in role on the spot, ideally via skipper/host. Log at end of day.
Medium	Repeat complaint, partner-venue conflict, missed transfer, group dissatisfaction with one event, minor conduct flag.	Resolve in role; notify EM same-day. If skipper/host involved → route operational fix to RM/HM. Log immediately in the Event Incident Log.
High	Safety incident, medical issue, refund request, conduct incident, social-media-bound complaint, repeated skipper/host failure.	Stop. Notify EM immediately. RM/HM looped if crew-related; Route Medic looped if medical. EM may escalate to OC; OC briefs HOO. The role-with-the-relationship stays with the guest. Same-day Event Incident Log entry.
Critical	Injury, missing person, criminal incident, yacht emergency, anaphylaxis, regulatory issue.	Safety protocols first. HOO owns the response, supported by OC, EM, Route Medic, and any other relevant staff. Emergency services as required. All external comms route through HOO. Document everything in the Event Incident Log within the hour.

5.3 Chain of Command

The event team resolves what it can in scope; everything else escalates along these lines.

Within the event team: GEM, EC, and Route Medic surface to EM. EM is the route-level decision point for refunds, yacht changes, partial credits, schedule changes, and partner-facing commitments.
Crew-related issues: skipper-side route through RM; host-side route through HM. RM and HM document conduct or performance issues same-day with EM and Quarterdeck (QD).
Medical issues: surface to the Route Medic via direct app contact. The nearest skipper or host is first responder and calls the Medic. The Medic treats within scope, stabilises, and arranges escalation to local medical services where exceeded.
Yacht / supplier issues: RM relays via the EM into the OC, who reports formally to the YW Commercial Team weekly.
Cross-destination patterns: OC reads every Event Incident Log entry across active routes weekly and surfaces themes to the HOO.
Critical incidents: HOO leads. OC, EM, Route Medic, and any other relevant staff connect into the response. External comms route through HOO.

5.4 Route Manager Responsibilities

Skipper-side first escalation point. You document everything that touches conduct, performance, or yacht safety; the event team relies on the Event Incident Log being current.

Skipper-side first escalation for any incident on the water or in port. Same-day Event Incident Log entry.
Skipper conduct (sexual harassment, drunk-on-duty, named-skipper safety failure): zero tolerance. Same-day with EM and Quarterdeck (QD); do not wait for end-of-week.
Yacht and supplier issues: pre-position spares from the route kit; surface replenishment needs via EM (EM consolidates to OC). Surface persistent issues via OC into the YW Commercial Team weekly report.
Per-skipper performance ratings to QD weekly with documented examples; flag concerns early.
During Critical involving a yacht: emergency protocols first. Then loop EM and HOO.
Confidentiality on misconduct: shared only with EM, HM (where relevant), QD, and the directly affected skipper. Not across the wider team.

Host Manager

1. Role Summary

As a Host Manager (HM) you operate from the crew yacht (no paying guests) and coordinate and support the host team across the route. You keep communication flowing, and you support and coach hosts to do their best work, alongside the Event Manager and the Event Team.

On the crew yacht you carry out the normal host role, provisioning and cooking for the team on board. Because you have no paying guests to attend, you are much freer than a host on a guest yacht, and you use that to be very present with the whole host team, the Lead Hosts, and the skippers, alongside looking after the event team members on board.

Your work with the host team is support, not control: you help, coach, and foster team spirit and a strong service culture. Coaching, feedback, and spot-checks are support only and never transfer a host’s responsibility for their own provisioning, cooking, and service. Each host remains responsible for following Company standards and for escalating any health or safety concern immediately.

In one sentence: the EM leads the event; you support and coach the host team and help lift the onboard guest experience.

Reporting & Working Relationships

Reports to: Event Manager (EM) operationally for the assigned week.
Reports to: Quarterdeck (QD) management for host performance, offboarding, and route-level escalations.
Works alongside: Route Manager (RM), parallel role for the skipper team.
Co-hosts evening events with: Event Manager (EM), Guest Experience Manager (GEM), Event Coordinator (EC), Route Manager (RM).
Liaises with: hosts across the route; the Route Medic on medical-incident handling; provisioning and budget owners; the QD Operations Manager for staffing and replacements.

Role Ownership Across the Team

Operations Coordinator (OC): cross-destination operations; supplies pre-week intelligence and the budget for each EM.
Event Manager (EM): route lead; manages the Event Team and the event, and owns the budget.
Guest Experience Manager (GEM): owns the guest experience, guest relationships, and complaint handling.
Event Coordinator (EC): owns the YW App schedule, app comms and message updates; on-site POC for Media and DJ teams.
Route Manager (RM): owns route operations and skipper-team coordination; supplied by Quarterdeck (QD).
Host Manager (HM): owns host-team coordination and onboard guest experience; supplied by Quarterdeck (QD).
Route Medic: assigned skipper, host, or event crew member with medical credentials; provides route-level medical response and health & safety support.
Lead Skipper: route-level skipper-support role assigned to selected skippers; sits under the RM. Advisory and coordination only, no command authority over any other yacht.
Lead Tech: route-level technical-support role assigned to selected skippers with strong yacht-systems experience; sits under the RM as a support function. Advisory and coordination only, does not replace charter-company technicians or formal repair channels.
Lead Host: route-level host-support role assigned to selected Hosts; sits under the HM. Advisory and coordination only, no authority over skipper teams or vessel command.
Quarterdeck (QD) is Yacht Week's external service provider for the Skipper and Host crews (including RM, HM, and the Route Medic). YW is the customer; QD supplies the people. Skipper/host-side performance, offboarding, and replacement decisions sit with QD.

The Delegation Chain

You receive direction from the EM, relay operational coordination to the host team, and pass real-time information from the team back to the EM. The operational WhatsApp Community (managed by QD) is the primary channel for crew comms; the YW App is the guest-facing channel for route info, schedule, and changes.

The EM sets the plan and priorities for the week, and the budget to work within.
HM relays daily program needs, service standards, and provisioning guidance to hosts via the app.
Hosts are in charge for their operations onboard their yachts; HM coaches, supports, and gathers performance information.
HM acts as first escalation point for host-related guest issues, with material matters going to the EM.
Medical incidents surface to the Route Medic for assessment; the HM stays in the loop on operational impact.
Acting as EM: if neither the EM nor the Route Manager is available when a decision or action is needed and no stand-in has been appointed, you act as EM until the EM is reachable again. Contact the OC straight away, or the HOO if the OC is not reachable, to stay informed and take instructions, act on severity per 5.2 Severity & Response, and check any cost-related or material decision (refunds, yacht changes, partial credits, budget commitments) with the OC first.

You are the documentation owner for host performance, COE breaches, provisioning failures, and incident reports.

2. Core Responsibilities

Your week breaks into seven core responsibility areas. Every duty you perform should map back to one of these.

2.1 Host Team Coordination

Day-to-day coordination point for the host team across the route.
The operational WhatsApp Community (managed by QD) is the primary channel for host-team comms; the YW App is the guest-facing channel for route info, schedule, and changes, and the company is working toward using it for more as it improves.
Where Lead Hosts are assigned to the route, they sit under the HM as a support role for a defined group of Hosts. You appoint the Leads in the QD admin assignment view for the week, where you can see every Host working that week. Once you set the number of Leads, the system distributes Hosts across them: evenly first, weighted so each Lead mainly gets Hosts from their own starting marina and the group can meet on the first and last day, and, where Hosts are short, spread across yacht lengths and cats and monos so no Lead carries a single yacht type. Groups can shift as bookings are added or cancelled and settle two weeks before charter start.
Use the Leads to extend support across the week, particularly to newer Hosts. They create the group within the QD WhatsApp Community and make early contact, run the Day-1 checks on crew-list, allergy and dietary data, sync shopping rounds where it helps first-time Hosts, and watch galley and food quality through visits and group-chat photos. This is support, not a handover of coaching or escalation ownership. Lead Hosts also compare notes with the Lead Skippers, since a skipper often has a read on a host and the reverse is true, and surface anything that cannot be resolved onboard to you.

2.2 Support & Coaching

2.3 Performance, Conduct & Cover

Record and submit per-host performance notes and feedback observations to Quarterdeck (QD) via the EM.
Flag concerns (including cultural-fit) early to the EM with documented examples and dates.
Where instructed by QD management, support formal actions including removal from duty, reassignment, or offboarding.
Host resignation or dismissal mid-week: host notifies HM. HM notifies the QD Operations Manager, who deploys a standby host. EM handles the guest-facing message via EC. GEM picks up the affected yacht's relationship for the rest of the week. Cover and redistribution decisions sit with QD, not the HM.
Coordinate operational handover when hosts leave or are replaced (replacement host brief, app access, route notes, incident context).

2.4 Guest Experience & Service Standards

Any host-related guest issue is first raised with the host's assigned Lead Host, with the Host Manager notified in parallel. The Host Manager then informs both the EM and the GEM of the matter and makes sure it is actioned and resolved.
Guide hosts on last-minute guest requests and itinerary adjustments.
Align daily programming needs with host capabilities and resourcing.
Coordinate closely with the RM to ensure skipper and host collaboration runs smoothly.
Vendor confrontation does not land on hosts. Hosts surface; HM and EM resolve on the route.
Toward the end of the week, remind the host team to encourage guests to leave feedback, warmly and without being pushy.

2.5 Provisioning & Budget

Coach hosts on provisioning best practices, budgeting, and expense tracking, and make training and resources available; each host remains responsible for how they provision, cook and account for spend.
Support resolution of major provisioning failures, budget overruns, and supplier issues; escalate where required.
Support consistency across yachts through coaching and shared standards, without taking control of any host's galley.
Allergy and dietary data reaches hosts via their assignment info in the QD Admin; hosts read it and act on it, and each host remains responsible for allergy handling and food safety on their own yacht.
Vendor confrontation does not land on hosts. Hosts surface; HM and EM resolve on the route.

Each host shares a meal plan and a budget with their group on Day 1, before provisioning. This is a host responsibility.

The HM’s role is to verify with Leads that it has happened. The Lead Host runs the spot-check across the host team in the first 24 hours and reports back to the HM if anything is missing. In the same pass the Lead Host checks that each host has completed their crew-list review and looked over allergy, dietary and medical notes. The check-in is a prompt and a support, never a sign-off: each host remains solely responsible for allergy handling and food safety on their own yacht. The Day 1 meal plan and budget heads off the most common provisioning friction: group disagreement at the supermarket, a host who feels unbacked, and guests who feel they are paying for something they did not agree to.

2.6 Crew Yacht: Working Together

You run the crew yacht as a normal host would, with provisioning and cooking as your main job. Nobody on board is on holiday, so the yacht is kept clean and everyone contributes.

With the EM, set clear expectations early for how the yacht is run: who does what, and a simple routine for chores, understood from day one.
Everyone keeps their own cabin tidy and helps keep the yacht clean at all times.
As a baseline the HM provisions and cooks and the skipper handles rubbish and dishes; beyond that, the EM, GEM, EC, and RM help with dishes, setting the table, and tidying, and the DJ and media team help where they reasonably can.
Some team members carry a guest-facing profile, for example a well-known DJ or media guest, and are not asked to do chores; plan around that.
You hold day-to-day responsibility for how the yacht runs and take the lead on it. In busy weeks, or when part of the team cannot pitch in, you may carry more, and the EM backs you in setting and holding the expectations.
Who helps whom changes week to week, so stay flexible; the EM and HM make the daily calls. Operations come first, perfect food timing second.

2.7 Brand & Standards

Yacht Week brand voice: warm, confident, energetic, never defensive. Professional, reliable, respectful. No jargon, no internal acronyms.
Wear official Yacht Week merchandise while in service, and at a minimum whenever you are moving around a marina, especially just after docking and before leaving. It matters that guests and colleagues can instantly see who is on the team: it keeps everyone safer, makes it easy to ask for help, and is great marketing.
Champion the Code of Excellence (COE) and help the whole team live up to it.
Zero tolerance on sexual harassment, drugs, and serious alcohol incidents. Same-day documentation up the chain to OC. Harassment is the highest-priority conduct category we track. See the Sexual Misconduct Policy.
Reinforce sustainable onboard and on-land practices aligned with Company values.
Lead by example.
Host safety protocol: never alone with venue staff at night. Transfer-back-with-companion as a standing rule

3. Pre Event Preparations

Pre Event is where you set up the host team for a clean week. Five workstreams run in parallel.

3.1 Guest Profile Dashboard

3.2 Previous Week's KPIs & Feedback

3.3 Host Team Setup

Review last week's host performance. Praise the strong, support the developing.
Identify first-week hosts for the upcoming week.
Check who the Route Medic is for the week, make sure you have their number, and know what yacht they are on.
For the crew yacht you cook on, note the medical and allergy flags for your crew members. This info should be supplied via the QD Admin system, but always double check onboard.

3.4 First-Week Host Onboarding

A repeatable checklist so first-week hosts land on the same standard every week. It is covered through a pre-arrival video brief or a one-to-one between arrival and embarkation, rather than in a group meeting.

Operational updates from the season so far.
Current operational team structure and reporting lines.
Code of Excellence (COE) walkthrough and acknowledgement.
Reporting protocols: incidents, performance, provisioning issues.
YW App and operational WhatsApp Community walkthrough.
Provisioning and budget process refresher.
Q&A.

4. Weekly Schedule (Saturday to Saturday)

4.1 Pre-Arrival (before the week begins)

Pre-Arrival is the run-up to the week, from about two weeks out through the Friday before guests embark. This is when the Lead Hosts are chosen, the groups are set up, and the team is checked in and briefed.

When	Activity	HM Responsibilities
2 Weeks Before	Choose Lead Hosts	Choose the Lead Hosts and mark them in the QD Admin under their assignment. This matters: every host needs to see who their Lead Host is in good time before the week begins. Notify the QD Admin of who has been chosen as Lead so it can be confirmed and the pay level adjusted accordingly.
2 Weeks Before	Lead Comms Groups setup	Instruct all Leads to set up their WhatsApp or YW App groups and invite their hosts two weeks before the event start, not earlier. Create the groups within the QD Community, and make sure every Lead and host understands that all content shared in the group is deleted once the week is completed.
1 Week Before	Confirm Lead Contact	Check that every Lead has made contact with each host who is new for the season, or an experienced host doing their first week of the season. This keeps the current year’s procedures fresh in mind: returning team members often assume everything runs the way it always has, but procedures and routes change year to year.
Friday	Confirm Meeting Points	Send out the spot and time for the HM meeting (if it will occur). Suggest the Leads do the same for their groups and run joint provisioning rounds with their teams.

4.2 Saturday: Arrival Day

Saturday is the heaviest day of the week for most route roles. Marina check-in opens around mid-afternoon and runs through early evening; the welcome dinner / opening party closes the day.

Time block	Activity	HM Responsibilities
Morning	Talk to Hosts	Attend the management meeting Talk to any host with performance issues or poor guest remarks from the previous week.
Mid-day or as scheduled	Crew yacht supermarket run	Restock the crew yacht’s supplies for the week.
Mid-day – Afternoon	Provisioning	Crew Yacht Provisioning.
Morning/Mid-day or as scheduled	Lead Meeting	Hold a group meeting with the Leads to sync on what is going well and how to keep it up, plus any guest or route concerns to stay alert to.
Opening Event	Team Greetings	Talk to and look after the Host Team. Get first info on how their guests are and if everything seems ok.

4.3 Saturday → Friday: Sailing Days

Saturday to Friday follow a loose rhythm, not a fixed timetable. Most days there is a morning Event Team sync, a schedule push to guests, and an evening guest event, but the shape shifts: some days add a daytime event, or an early arrival at a stop for an excursion. Treat the points below as the HM’s recurring focus, not a stopwatch. Guests may sail on the Saturday arrival day too where the skipper is comfortable on safety, and Friday is a full day at sea, not a rush back to the marina.

Time block	Activity	HM Responsibilities
Morning	Day’s brief	Join the morning Event Team sync to get the EM’s instructions and brief for the day, and align with the EC on what the hosts will be told through the app.
Morning	Host team brief	Brief the host team on the day’s program, service expectations, and any provisioning or venue notes, through the host-team group and direct chats as needed.
During the day	Crew Yacht	Provision and cook for the Event Crew on the crew yacht, your own host role for the week.
During the day	Presence across the fleet	Move among the yachts at anchor, at raft-ups, and at events to see how the hosts are performing, coaching and supporting where needed.
During the day	Lead check-ins	Check in with the Lead Hosts. Hosts post their food images in their Lead groups, so follow up with the Leads on whether every host is delivering and doing it well.
During the day	Guest issues & POC	Relay guest issues and praise to the GEM and EM, and be the onboard point of contact for them when they need action or information from any yacht.
Ongoing	Recognition & team spirit	Recognise good people, a lot. Creating a positive atmosphere and strong team spirit across the host team is one of your most important jobs.
Ahead of the week	Future Weeks	Keep comms running for the weeks ahead: the future weeks you are HM on and the future Lead groups, so each week is set up in good time before it starts.

4.4 Friday & Saturday: Final Night, Feedback & Departures

Time block	Activity	HM Responsibilities
Crew yacht week-review	Host-team review	Walk the host team’s week with the EM. Ask the Leads to report any host who did not deliver a 10/10. Your job is to make sure it gets reported, not to find who is not good enough: it is about spotting who needs more support and coaching so they can excel in their role, with the help of the team.
Mid-day	Provisioning closeout	Host kitty / leftover stock reconciled.
End of week	Performance reporting to QD Management	Report per-host performance to QD Management. The way you report may vary, but it is key to flag who stands out as best, and who needs support, whether in their cooking or in coaching on service mindedness and hospitality (a common issue is putting themselves first and the guest second).
Friday night	Marinas quiet	Through the Lead Hosts, make sure hosts keep their marinas quiet. Guests should never be left alone on a yacht overnight; at most one crew member may leave. If a host leaves, cover passes to the Lead; if the Lead does not cover it, it sits with you.
Saturday morning	Yachts vacated on time	Make sure every yacht is cleared out on time.

5. Complaint & Incident Handlin

5.1 Principles

Listen first. Acknowledge before defending. Repeat the issue back in your own words.
Severity-led: classify before acting. When in doubt, escalate one level higher.
Single guest POC: whoever first held the guest relationship keeps it through resolution. The operational fix routes to the right role behind the scenes.
Speed over perfection on serious incidents. Same-day report up the route chain to OC is non-negotiable for: sexual harassment, drugs, drunk-on-duty, glass injury, anaphylaxis, vendor confrontation directed at crew.
Critical incidents are owned by the Head of Operations (HOO). The HOO leads or stays connected to the response, supported by OC, EM, Route Medic, and any other relevant staff. The route team's job during a Critical is to deliver facts, hold guest comms locally where directed, and execute on the HOO's call.
Confidentiality is the default. Medical details are held in line with company policy and applicable data-protection rules. Misconduct details are shared only with those who need to know to act (EM, RM/HM, Quarterdeck (QD) as relevant), not across the team.
External / public communication during a Critical incident routes through the HOO. Route roles do not speak to media, social platforms, or families on behalf of Yacht Week without HOO sign-off.

5.2 Severity & Response

Use this matrix to decide whether you handle an issue alone, loop in another role, the EM, or escalate beyond the route. When in doubt, escalate one level higher.

Severity	Examples	Action
Low	Schedule confusion, dietary tweak, lost item, minor venue gripe.	Resolve in role on the spot, ideally via skipper/host. Log at end of day.
Medium	Repeat complaint, partner-venue conflict, missed transfer, group dissatisfaction with one event, minor conduct flag.	Resolve in role; notify EM same-day. If skipper/host involved → route operational fix to RM/HM. Log immediately in the Event Incident Log.
High	Safety incident, medical issue, refund request, conduct incident, social-media-bound complaint, repeated skipper/host failure.	Stop. Notify EM immediately. RM/HM looped if crew-related; Route Medic looped if medical. EM may escalate to OC; OC briefs HOO. The role-with-the-relationship stays with the guest. Same-day Event Incident Log entry.
Critical	Injury, missing person, criminal incident, vessel emergency, anaphylaxis, regulatory issue.	Safety protocols first. HOO owns the response, supported by OC, EM, Route Medic, and any other relevant staff. Emergency services as required. All external comms route through HOO. Document everything in the Event Incident Log within the hour.

5.3 Chain of Command

The route team resolves what it can in scope; everything else escalates along these lines.

Within the route team: GEM, EC, and Route Medic surface to EM. EM is the route-level decision point for refunds, boat changes, partial credits, schedule changes, and partner-facing commitments.
Crew-related issues: skipper-side route through RM; host-side route through HM. RM and HM document conduct or performance issues same-day with EM and Quarterdeck (QD).
Medical issues: surface to the Route Medic via direct app contact. The nearest skipper or host is first responder and calls the Medic. The Medic treats within scope, stabilises, and arranges escalation to local medical services where exceeded.
Yacht / supplier issues: RM relays via the EM into the OC, who reports formally to the YW Commercial Team weekly.
Cross-destination patterns: OC reads every Event Incident Log entry across active routes weekly and surfaces themes to the HOO.
Critical incidents: HOO leads. OC, EM, Route Medic, and any other relevant staff connect into the response. External comms route through HOO.

5.4 Host Manager Responsibilities

Host-related guest issues go first to the host’s Lead Host, with the Host Manager notified in parallel; the Host Manager drives resolution with the EM and the GEM. Vendor disputes do not land on hosts.

Host-related guest issues go to the Lead Host first, with the Host Manager notified in parallel; the Host Manager takes it to the EM and the GEM. Same-day report up the chain to OC.
Host conduct (sexual harassment, cultural-fit, drunk-on-duty): zero tolerance. Same-day with EM and Quarterdeck (QD).
Allergy and severe-allergy data: distributed to hosts via the dashboard before guests arrive (Staff Coordinator → OC → EM → HM). Same-day documentation on any allergy near-miss. The 2025 Greek pasta-with-nuts incident is the case study.
Vendor confrontation: hosts surface, HM and EM resolve on the route. EM reports to OC; OC logs in the Event Incident Log and briefs HOO. Hosts are not the dispute interface. The 2025 Cape Sol incident is the case study.
Per-host performance ratings to QD weekly; flag cultural-fit concerns with documented examples and dates.
Confidentiality on misconduct: shared only with EM, RM (where relevant), QD, and the directly affected host. Not across the wider team.