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Member Profile: South West Concierge

By November 17, 2015November 24th, 2015Marketing & Membership team blog, Member Profiles
This week we’re putting the spot light on a Sophie Gooch, who is providing the region with a very diverse concierge service aimed at visitors, locals and holiday home owners. With years of experience in the super yacht industry Sophie is brilliant at organising anything and can go as 5 star as you like.

Sophie Gooch

Director- South West Concierge

Business Name:                South West Concierge

Location:                              Margaret River, Western Australia

How long have you been operating/in the business?

South West Concierge was established in January 2015, after I had previously worked on private and charter superyachts serving guests and owners from 2005 to 2014, cruising worldwide.

Tell us about yourself & the business

South West Concierge provide comprehensive personal assistance and concierge services to busy families and individuals in the south west of Australia, servicing Busselton, Dunsborough, Yallingup, Eagle Bay, Margaret River and Augusta.

I offer clients the opportunity to create their own bespoke service to meet individual needs and requirements no matter how big, small, simple or luxurious.

What is your unique point of difference?

South West Concierge is the only business of its kind in the south west. Having worked for multinational billionaires in a demanding fast paced environment, I have a very clear understanding of what a client expects and offer a level of service that is unparalleled. The business has been developed utilising the ‘traditional’ concierge frame work, however tailored for the south west, with the aim to provide a service to locals, visitors and those who have privately owned holiday homes.

My expertise is food & wine service, having completed WSET wine courses in France & London, in addition to cocktail courses and others in floristry. I am able to call upon my very comprehensive experience in running the interior of a yacht including, but not limited to, accounting, provisioning, maintenance periods, HR, housekeeping & laundry.

Do you have any new updates to share – i.e. renovations, new services or products, etc. .

 Recently I have had enquiries from brides to over-see their wedding day, which is a special and exciting addition to the services I offer.

Favourite part of the job – what keeps you going? 

Happy clients, meeting new people and the never ending variety that is what I do.  No two days are ever the same!

Anything else you’d like other members to know about you and/or your business?

Having grown up in a large Perth family, riding horses became my first love, which led to eventing in NSW.  I then went on to study agribusiness in the UK, followed by two years in IT. Upon returning to Australia after 4 years in the UK, I was employed at Austereo in sales and event coordination, during which time I heard about careers in the yachting industry.

So I bought a one way ticket to France with the dream of sailing around the Mediterranean! After 10 amazing years, I have transferred my skills from sea to land, creating a concierge business in the Margaret River region!

What do you love about Your Margaret River Region? 

Friendly people, stunning beaches, beautiful countryside, wonderful food & wine, plenty of varied and exciting events throughout the year…. I can breathe, be myself, be creative and live life by my own design. What’s not to love?

From Crew to Concierge

Life after yachting is a daunting thought, what skills can you carry from your time on a Superyacht into the real world? Sophie Gooch has adapted the skills from her 9 ½ year yachting career and packaged it into a boutique concierge service in the spectacular wine region of Margaret River, Western Australia.

At the peak of Sophie’s career she was the Purser on the 90m Superyacht Nahlin and recalls “Diving with sharks in the Polynesian Islands and swimming with humpback whales in Tonga” as the most memorable experience during her career at sea. After cruising the world for 9 ½ years , the South Pacific is her favourite destination that provided that ‘wow’ factor that only yachting can offer.

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