In this series, features and series developer Heather Nicholls speaks to the unsung heroes of the events industry to reveal what really drives their passion and the remarkable contributions we too often overlook.

In this edition, we speak to Dolly Alvarez, site manager at Central Hall Westminster.

Alvarez first started working at Central Hall Westminster in May 2025 as a site manager for Atlas, leading the cleaning team. This role introduced her to the events industry. She said: “What attracted me most to the role is how well events are managed. It’s impressive to see a group of young managers running very large events. I work closely with the cleaner’s side, which is also extremely important for an events success.”

Alvarez’s role is vital for the success of events at Central Hall Westminster, because cleanliness is essential for events to go ahead.  When asked how she measures success in her role, she explained: “Success is staying ahead of complaints, following the cleaning specifications and always going the extra mile.”

Quick QandA: 

What does a typical day look like for you?

Every day at Central Hall Westminster is a different challenge. Each event is unique – different rooms, different people and different requirements. It’s a great environment to gain experience, and the teams always support each other.

If your job didn’t exist, what do you think organisers or attendees would miss most?

Everyone would miss having a clean building.

What’s something most people don’t realise about your job? 

People don’t always realise how difficult it can be to clean a building while it’s full of people, requests and activity. We must still achieve the best results while being very aware of hazards and safety.

What’s the toughest challenge you’ve faced during an event?

Challenges happen all the time – checking external areas in very cold weather, dealing with toilet blockage when the building is full, and people are waiting, or cleaning up sicknesses during busy events. These situations require fast action and calm decision-making.

What’s one event you’ll never forget working on and why?

Gala de Danza. They completely transformed the building – it felt out of this world. They even transformed the air into a dream, with a beautiful atmosphere and scent.

What’s been your proudest moment so far?

One of my proudest moments was assisting with the Wednesday Netflix premiere.  It was a very important and high-profile event. The next morning, Jake from the event team personally came to tell me that the cleaning team’s performance was the best. Even though there was a lot to deal with at the end of the event, the team handled it extremely well.

She added: “Our role is very visible, and when cleaning is under control, it directly helps events run successfully. Most of the time, we are not fully taken into account until its impossible to reach certain dirty areas that affect the look of the building, and the cleaning team then becomes essential.”

She added: “I think that people in my position deserve more recognition in the events industry because we help the building to suceed. Cleaning has an important place in all events, and I beleive it is taken into account. Especially at Central Hall Westminster.”