That's a Wrap! Five Years Supporting Formula One Hospitality at COTA

2 days ago

6 min read

Another United States Grand Prix comes to a close, and once again, what a privilege it has been to play our part in bringing this extraordinary event to life.

For five years, Aspire Globally has been proud to work alongside the team at Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, supporting their onsite catering partner, Proof of the Pudding, in delivering hospitality during one of the world's most exciting sporting events.

Every October, we return to Austin with the same enthusiasm, familiar faces and a few new ones, knowing that no two events are ever quite the same. There are always new challenges, improvements to be made and opportunities to build upon what we have learned in previous years. And while the racing may be the reason everyone comes together, there is an entirely different world of activity taking place behind the scenes.

Our Aspire Globally events team brings decades of international luxury hospitality experience to the circuit, working alongside the operational teams to prepare associates, support service delivery, strengthen leadership and help create those special moments that guests remember long after the racing has finished.

The People Behind the Experience

Formula One hospitality is about considerably more than exceptional food, fine wines and spectacular views of the racing. It is about the people who make the magic happen and, equally importantly, the people we are there to take care of.

This year, our team was once again led by Alistair Forrest, supported by Francisco Caixeiro and John Merrick, each bringing their own considerable experience of international hospitality and major event operations. Before the first guests arrived, there were teams to prepare, training to deliver, service areas to organise and hundreds of small details to consider. Alistair and the team worked alongside Proof of the Pudding, helping associates understand what it means to welcome guests with warmth, confidence and professionalism, anticipate their needs and create an atmosphere where everything appears effortless.

Far from it! The reality is that what guests enjoy over three days of racing takes weeks of planning and preparation, with hundreds of people working behind the scenes to transform temporary spaces into sophisticated hospitality venues. Kitchens, bars, restaurants, lounges and service areas have to be created, equipped and made operational, often with people who have never worked together before. Then, almost overnight, these spaces become bustling hospitality destinations, welcoming guests who quite rightly expect the highest standards.

Making the Impossible Look Effortless

And that is where the real work begins. When the gates open and thousands of people begin arriving at the circuit, there is little time to stop and contemplate what might have been done differently. Decisions have to be made, unexpected challenges overcome and practical solutions found, sometimes within minutes. We have always believed that the measure of a good hospitality team is not whether everything goes perfectly, but how people respond when it doesn't.

That is very much where Aspire comes into its own. We fit into the operation, roll up our sleeves and work alongside the people delivering the experience. Where we find loose ends, we bring them together. Where something has been overlooked, we help find a solution. And where teams need additional guidance or encouragement, we are there to support them. We bridge the gaps between departments, help people communicate and make sure the guest experience continues without interruption. More often than not, if we have done our job properly, the guests will never know there was a problem in the first place.

There were some particularly encouraging developments in 2026. It was wonderful to see the improvements in organisation, the stronger coordination between teams and the considerable effort being made to build upon previous years. At The BEST, Alistair was especially pleased with the progress in catering operations, stock management, culinary leadership and the way the service teams worked together. These things may not sound particularly glamorous, but they make an enormous difference to the people delivering the service and, ultimately, to the guests enjoying it.

Five Years of Learning, Sharing and Improving

One of the great privileges of returning to COTA year after year is seeing familiar faces, recognising the people who make a difference and watching how the operation continues to evolve. We get to know the teams, understand the challenges they face and share the knowledge and experience we have accumulated over more than four decades of working in hospitality around the world. We don't arrive with the intention of taking over; we simply fit right in, work alongside everyone else and build upon what we have learned together.

Event hospitality is not something you can learn entirely from a textbook. It requires a sharp awareness of what guests expect and the ability to deliver those standards in circumstances that are often far removed from the comfort and familiarity of a traditional luxury hotel.

Whether you are working in a prestigious city-centre hotel or a temporary hospitality venue miles from anywhere, the expectations remain remarkably similar. Guests expect warmth, sophistication, attention to detail and the quality of service they have become accustomed to. They don't necessarily know that the beautiful suite they are sitting in was an empty space just weeks earlier, or that the people serving them may have met for the very first time only a day or two before.

Bringing People Together to Create Something Special

Some associates may be experienced hospitality professionals, while others may be casual servers working at an event of this scale for the first time. People may come from different backgrounds, speak different languages and have very different understandings of what luxury hospitality means. None of that changes what the guest expects, and nor should it. The challenge is to bring those individuals together, help them understand the standards we are trying to achieve and encourage them to work as one team.

This is something I have always felt particularly strongly about. You cannot simply hand someone a list of service standards and expect them to become a wonderful host. You have to help them understand why the smallest gestures matter, why anticipating someone's needs can be more meaningful than simply responding to a request, and why genuine warmth and kindness will always make a greater impression than a perfectly rehearsed greeting.

We help people take ownership, show initiative, build camaraderie and support one another, because the experience we create for guests begins with the way we treat the people working alongside us. When associates feel supported, valued and confident, they begin to take pride in what they do, and that pride is reflected in the way they look after others.

More Than an Event — Five Years of Relationships

After five years at COTA, perhaps one of the most rewarding things is recognising that we are not simply returning to deliver another event. We are returning to relationships, friendships and a shared ambition to make things better. We have seen improvements, celebrated successes, learned from the difficult moments and watched people grow in confidence. Every year we take away new experiences and ideas that help us prepare for the next.

And that, for me, is what makes this work so rewarding. It is not just about the racing, the hospitality suites or the excitement of Formula One. It is about being part of something much bigger, working with people who genuinely care and knowing that, in our own way, we have helped make a difference.

A Thank You to Our Partners and Teams

Our sincere thanks to the leadership and teams at Circuit of The Americas, Bobby, Bailey, Jade and particularly Jessica and the Food & Beverage operation, and the many talented people at Proof of the Pudding who work tirelessly to make this extraordinary event a success. It takes an enormous amount of commitment to bring an operation of this scale together, and we are always grateful for the opportunity to work alongside you.

A very special thank you also goes our colleagues Alistair Forrest, Francisco Caixeiro and John Merrick, who once again represented Aspire Globally with such professionalism, commitment and pride. The work you do is not always visible to the people enjoying the event, but your experience, judgement and willingness to help others make an enormous difference.

Five years, countless experiences, familiar faces, new friendships and one shared ambition: to make every year better than the last.

That's a wrap for COTA 2026, and what a wonderful journey it continues to be.

We wear our COTA badge of honour with pride.