The world of events can be pretty daunting with the large array of different types of events that exist. I.e. weddings, corporate, conventions/exhibitions, trade shows, sporting or charity fundraisers and more. These are only some examples of some style of events, there are honestly much more but how does one get started or get into the events sphere.
Down below are some of what we would be covering in this post, so if some parts are more interesting to you, feel free to skip to that section of the post.
Passion
Networking
Volunteering
Documenting
Creating Content
Getting Educated
Passion
This is one thing that can never be taught, before everything else you need the passion to love doing events. This is not to scare you away but to instil the very reality that is the events industry. You won’t make money straight away or a lot, it will take time and honestly there are other industries you can make money quickly even in low positions in a company. Events would include maybe working long hours, sometimes really early/late and maybe even multiple days. If you have the passion and love for events, it honestly never feels like work. I never get tired of events it is the one thing I always look forward to doing.
Networking
This is probably the most important thing I learned as well as the first piece of advice I received from my events mentors. Networking is done in many ways, face to face, online or a bit of both. One of the best things to use for networking in my opinion is LinkedIn.
Disclaimer: I am not paid nor endorsed by them but an avid user of the platform
For those unfamiliar with LinkedIn I would describe it as a social media for professionals and companies mixed together with a job posting site. Not only can your profile be made as a online CV but you can also study courses on this platform via the LinkedIn learning and you can sure your thoughts via posts. What I have mentioned so far is simply scratching the surface of what you can do.
You can network and build your connections as you input more data such as your education and employment, LinkedIn will then show you other people who have gone and worked those places. The best way to build your network is by connecting with people who work in your workplace. Once you have them as a connection interact with their posts and they will do so in response with you. Networking is so important as it may lead to getting hired for another company, they may become your future clients with opportunities, the possibilities are endless. Networking does not just have to be online as you can also network at events as well, when you come across someone you get along with, ask them if they want to connect and if they have LinkedIn.
Volunteering
For someone who has little to no experience with events, volunteering is possibly the easiest way to get into events. Companies and conventions are always looking for volunteers and when you don't have much experience be open to everything. Volunteering naturally you won't get paid however you get first hand experience of working at an event, experience different tasks you may do from time to time in the event industry and finally you can also network with other people working the event, such the event managers or even the other volunteers.
It was actually through volunteering that I came across an opportunity to learn more about events in the first place, that I will cover later in the post. I will say though, my first volunteering opportunity was at the ExCel in London with the Move It Show back in 2023, a dance convention. As I mentioned previously with events you will be doing different tasks and in the case of this event I was the studio assistant. My role included tasks such as signposting to different parts of the events for attendees, crowd control, ticketing, sharing information of what is happening that day. I would also be liaison with the dance teachers about the rules and getting them set up. I would also check on the safety of the students periodically and radio if there are any health & safety concerns.
Some places to check is if you go to What’s On at the Excel and check those website for those events directly, quite often they would be looking for volunteers. The other place to check is perhaps a website called Event People, freelancing event opportunities often get shared on there.
Documenting
With every event you do, one thing you should always remember to do is document and share the events you have been part of. I normally share the events I have done on LinkedIn via posts with pictures, my role and responsibilities and sometimes if I have learned anything. If you want to get into something people have to know you are doing things, by sharing not only does it show you are out there doing events stuff but people who come across the post may hit you up, you never know. If people don't know that you do events or have any evidence of you doing events, it would be hard to stand out amongst other candidates for events jobs.
If you wanted to take it a step further, you can make a excel spreadsheet. I know this sounds weird but it is something that I personally do and has helped in many ways. Every event I have done, paid or unpaid, I would put in this spreadsheet, it would include the date of the event, company, name of event, what I did and my key takeaways. This spreadsheet I created purely out of the need to remember what I did so I could refer back to it and since doing it, I have take some entries to some interviews. When something like this is given in an interview, it shows them you're organised, know your way around a spreadsheet and can show the range of different events you have been part of. Quite often in interviews people would do it from memory but the spreadsheet you have written examples of actual events you have done.
Creating Content
We mentioned one way of creating content by documenting all the events you do. There is great importance to make sure you’re putting content out as that is the way people come across your profile by engaging with it. If nobody knows what you do, nobody new is going to come across your profile. By creating content it is also a way to set yourself apart from other people by sharing your unique content and experiences.
For me personally when I’m not doing events, I work full time at my day job which is not event related. I don’t know when the next event gig is coming and I need to do something event related in between. I then thought of doing LinkedIn promotional posts about the current company I work at. Before you ask no I don’t get paid to do it, I simply started doing it out of pure boredom and the desire to share things that don’t get talked about or shared as much. Plus I saw an opportunity to make content about the stuff around me as I’m surrounded with product ranges, campaigns, company ethics, visual merchandising and more.
In a unlikely turn of events this led to other people within the company and outside of it, finding value in my posts enough for them to want to connect with me on the LinkedIn platform. The moral of the story is make great connect could lead to some amazing connections.
Get Educated
I would say getting educated about events is another good way to get into it. There tons of books out there for you check out and not only that but tons of courses where you can get a qualification from a professional board like the Charted Institute of Marketing (CIM). Universities teach them and now in this day and age is the world of the internet where you will probably be paying a fraction of the cost of a regular university. Earlier in this post I mentioned I got an opportunity to learn about events, so here I will tell you.
At my first event experience at the ExCel I came across a student of said course who was telling me about it as well as getting experience there. I looked to it and had a phone consultation that lead me to do the course. It was an events management and communications course a post diploma with Events Academy. The beauty of this course if I chose to do it full time I would be there physically or if I work full time or live in a different country outside of UK then I could do it virtually and part time. This company has not paid me to talk about them but as a student of who recently completed the course overall you learn a lot.
There is a foundation and diploma version where you learn basics and bits of event logistics giving a nice foundation, while the post diploma teaches you everything. The courses are very beginner friendly and you get to do projects that challenge you. I personally did the course to build my knowledge in events and the qualification is a nice bonus.
These are some basics in my opinion, there will be future posts that will be more out specific things.
If this was helpful in any way, feel free to share it with all event loving friends and colleagues.
Signed
Your Little Event Hero
Useful Links
Event People - https://weareeventpeople.co.uk/
Event Academy - https://eventacademy.com/
