Having recently hit the 10-year milestone (25 years in total!), I found myself being asked about my journey in the world of events. So instead of doing a one-to-one interview, I thought I would utilise an AI platform to quiz me about my event career as a senior event professional.

And this is what was asked – the answers, however, are all mine not AI.

1 - Can you share your journey into event management? What inspired you to pursue this career?

The simple answer is I fell into events, then fell in love with it and the rest is history! I graduated from university in the year of 9/11 which threw the job market into turmoil. I applied for event manager roles with no success, until I met an amazing lady at a local jobs fair - Jo Lloyd, who worked for one of the places I’d been rejected from (twice in fact!). We got chatting about the job I’d applied for - what it entailed, and the experience required. She offered me a life-line that ignited a lifelong passion. I worked my way up from staffing team builds, motorised activities, conferences and brand activations before moving to an event manager role. I transitioned to an office-based role, starting as a project executive and now as a project director and a lot of events in-between!

2 - What were some of the biggest challenges you faced when starting out, and how did you overcome them?

Lack of event experience / knowledge, this industry is driven by experience and trying to obtain an events role fresh out of university was a huge challenge – especially as event management degrees didn’t exist until after I graduated.  I think my biggest strength at that time was perseverance and willing to start from a junior position and learn anything and everything about the industry and role to help build my event experience and get a foot in the door.

3 - Can you describe one of the most memorable events you’ve managed? What made it stand out?

For me this is a really hard questions to answer, as I’ve had the privilege to work on some incredible events and clients over the years so instead of one, I’ll give my top 5 Rockitfish ones.

1. 25-year Company Anniversary celebration for an amazing software company who took over a country estate in Cambridge and had lots of mindful activities, Pedalos on a lake, live music and entertainment to help celebrate their big anniversary.
2. Iceland Incentive – taking a group to a Glacier and getting them on snowmobiles and taking them into the middle of nowhere where the sky met the snow! A really amazing destination with a huge WOW factor.
3. 300-year Company site celebration – helping a company celebrates its 300-year anniversary at their own premises with all their friends and families, great activities, celebrity host, party activities, main stage with party band, balloon launch and so many more fun elements.
4. IPO launch for a Software Media Company – taking over a hotel, meeting content, branded goodies, evening party, magical host and headline act of Marc Spelmann doing a mind reading show to entertain the audience.
5. Under the Sea Party – the coolest themed evening I have had the opportunity to produce, it felt like we’d transported the guests under the sea – the giant inflatable octopus on stage helped set the scene to a magical theme.

4 - Have you ever faced a major crisis during an event? How did you handle it?

Thankfully not (or I’ve deleted if from my memory!). I believe if your well planned and think on your feet and understand that this role involves a fair amount of firefighting then you can handle anything that will arise on any event. 

I have however had my fair share of frustrations over the years more than crisis’s, one of these was when BA overbooked my group flight and 2 of my guests couldn’t get their flight home from a 3 day incentive – thankfully they were compensated but never feels great leaving people behind and that you have no control over it!

5 - What key skills have you developed over the years that you believe are essential for successful project management in events?

This industry can be relentless, and all-consuming at times, but key skills essential for a successful role in event management would be time management, staying calm under pressure, understanding how to effectively multi-task/prioritise/plan, attention to detail and extremely strong organisational skills as well as an outgoing personality.

6 - How have you seen the events industry change over the past decade? What trends do you think will shape its future?

There have been so many changes over the last decade it’s hard to know where to start, but for me one of the most important for clients and organisers, has been a clearer focus on DE&I across the whole event journey and understanding events are for everyone.  This should be in the forefront of the event process from conception to completion.  The power of any event is understanding your audience and how best to connect with them, as well as making them feel comfortable in their surroundings. 

Covid also forced a move from live events to online virtual platforms. This then evolved into hybrid meetings which opened a new world of event possibilities for connecting global teams. The technology in this sector grew more rapidly than it would have without a major pandemic and it’s still evolving now and despite a large shift back to live events, the virtual world won’t be leaving us anytime soon.   

Technology is also moving forward at an alarming rate, but not as rapidly as I thought it would, across the events world.  The cost of these new modern technology being introduced still carry a premium price and when all other event costs are rising i.e. hotels, transport, people costs, travel etc, it’s hard to justify additional spend which is still seen as a “luxury” rather than an event essential 

So what does the future hold, I think all of the above elements will continue to evolve and data will play a huge part in the event process (as well as the world).  Having a growth mindset around event is essential, as events can be an incredible platform to communicate, motivate, engage, inform, develop, and grow your audience, so it’s more important than ever that understand what outcomes you desire from your event. 

Over the years’ it’s been a constant conversation to educate that ROI isn’t just about immediate fiscal return, and what this will equate to, but that there are other tangible factors such as ROO and ROE, and that just because you don’t see an immediate financial gain doesn’t mean that the event won’t return any successes.  These will just come in other forms, such as lower attrition rates, a more engaged team, generation of new business ideas, developing teams and sharing knowledge all of which have their returns over time and help promote growth.

7 - What qualities do you look for when building a team for a project?

I think the importance of building a strong team is having the right skill set for each project but also having people around you that will questions and challenge at every point in the process which helps stem creativity.  I’m a strong believer that there is never a wrong answer / solution, as sometimes the wrong answer can help navigate towards the best solution.

Another crucial quality for a successful team is doing what you say you’re going to do, as teams only work if all the pieces come together at the same time.  There is nothing worse than missing a deadline or getting the wrong solution!

8 - What advice would you give to someone just starting their career in event management?

Don’t do it …. Only kidding!

If you want to be successful in events you need to be passionate, as deep at the core this is what drives all of us in any role.  Events can be relentless, stressful and exhausting but at the same time incredibly rewarding, but if you love what you’re doing then it’s easy to get over these hurdles. 

I still love it as much as I did on day one, and there is an abundance of fantastic people in the world of events across all sectors, and I’m lucky enough to work with a team that keeps me motivated every day.

Question 9 - Looking back, what are you most proud of in your career?

Wow, so many moments and incredible events but I think the best part of the job is the relationships I’ve build across the industry and with clients.  I’ve been lucky enough to work with some incredible people / companies over the years and helping them deliver their objectives has been amazing.

Its hugely rewarding when senior leaders of a business give up their time to meet you and have a genuine interest in your company and appreciate the work you do for them.  I’ve always had a keen interest in business, so love hearing about how businesses are evolving, their plans for the future and how we can help them deliver there messages or just catch up on world views!

Questions 10 - How do you stay motivated and inspired in such a fast-paced industry?

I think this all goes back to passion and loving what you do, it makes everything in life easier if you do.

It also helps being surrounded by incredible people both internally and externally, from venues, suppliers, clients and everyone in-between. Nowadays I feel the perception of long-term employment in this industry is increasingly nuanced, and that it can signify a lack of drive and personal growth, and of becoming stagnant, but it couldn’t be further from the truth, as if you truly enjoy the job you do, and the people you do it with and in a business that’s constantly growing and evolving why would you want to look anywhere else.