Jobs in Events

Live Events Jobs

Live Events work usually involves logistics and operations positions which are very hands-on and require quick thinking and excellent planning skills.

Typical responsibilities include coordinating with suppliers, venues and guests to ensure that the event is logistically perfect. Additionally there would be responsibility for arranging necessary event insurance and meeting all health and safety regulations.

Though no specific qualification is normally a requirement an NVQ or degree in event management will certainly be useful though experience will normally be the deciding factor.

Most venues will have a mixture of sales, marketing, AV and events staff, though depending on the size of the venue you may find positions that incorporate some or all of these fields.

The standard venue manager role tends to be operational, liaising with the client and their suppliers to ensure that they have everything required, then on the event day being on hand to solve problems and assist where required

A knowledge of Health & Safety requirements is useful as is a hands-on character.

Event Marketing Jobs

Public relations and marketing roles generally include such responsibilities as promoting events being run by the organiser, writing press releases, arranging coverage in newspapers and magazines,on-line and may also include writing and designing brochures for the event.

The marketing role can vary widely with each organisation and event. In general a marketing person will work on a specific event or group of events rather than within a central marketing department and will promote the event to sponsors, exhibitors and delegates. The promotional activity is performed to try and gain leads for the sales staff to follow up and convert. Normal a proven record in a marketing role would be required although not necessary with the event industry.

Sales Jobs in the Event Industry

Sales positions are amongst some of the best paid areas in the event industry, however you must be ready to be work in a fast paced environment and prepared to work to tough targets in order to receive your commission bonus.

Sales roles in the event industry will vary from employer to employer, some event industry employers will use cold-calling whilst others will take advantage of trade shows, exhibitions and marketing campaigns.

Depending on the type of company you work for the sales staff may be selling sponsorship, exhibition space, delegate passes or a combination of all three amongst other products and services.

Being well organised and having good networking skills are vital. Language and cultural skills can also be extremely useful in sales roles as the event industry grows rapidly overseas more and more companies in the English speaking nations are looking to export services overseas.

Conference Jobs

Conference production is all about the content of conferences rather than the logistics (the venue, the catering, etc). Producers research markets, identifying the movers and shakers in those markets and persuade them to speak at the event they’re putting together and write conference programmes and marketing material.

Conference production roles may also include sourcing sponsors and delegates for the event too. The actual role will depend on the size of the company and whether there are specialised departments e.g. sales, marketing etc.

If you're interested in logistics and operations, then this is not the type of job for you! Conference Production is a sales/research role.

AV (Audio Visual) Jobs

If you have an aptitude to technical applications, then an AV (Audio Visual) roll may be suitable for you. The roll involves the setting up of video-conference equipment and sound systems at events and shows of varying size and complexity from small and simple through to the large stage set-ups at the major live events across the world.

There are sales and marketing roles within the AV field, so you should be clear about exactly what role you are looking for when thinking about av jobs.

A technical background is normally preferred to an events background, and proof of problem-solving and a calm temperament is useful too. Previous experience of sounds and video systems would be essential for large scale projects.

Work Experience and Placements in the Event Industry

Intern positions will normally incorporate a wide range of jobs and projects, from events to sales, data entry to literature design. The more varied your work placement the more you are going to learn about the industry and this will hopefully help you decide which field you would like to follow.

The positions may be paid, though the majority are either unpaid, or only travel expenses are paid. The duration of placement can vary too, from six months down to just one day (the event day).

With experience being such a key factor in successful event recruitment, work placements are a great way of building your CV/resume.