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Admirably Supporting the Next Generation of Event Managers

Admirably Supporting the Next Generation of Event Managers

November 18, 2020

“Taking the Governor’s temperature was not something we anticipated we’d ask our event manager intern to do at the start of the year. But here we are in late-2020 and, like all of us in this remarkably agile and energetic sector, we had to adapt – and quickly. That’s when we thought of contacting ICMS to ask about partnering with them on their internship program.”

Guest post by Anita Kenny of Admire Events:

As the events industry crumbled to its knees back in mid-March, those working in events from all over the world, across the entire industry were left wondering – what now? Whether you organise events internally, are an external agent running events for clients or a service provider, COVID-19 made us all stop in our tracks.

Let’s face it … so many different areas were affected – venues, AV services, caterers, hospitality staff, entertainers – even our trusty photographers.

As a boutique events company with a decent portfolio and small team, the reality began to creep in for Admire Events. We had some really important events to deliver, including a series of recognition events for the NSW Emergency Services personnel (a group that had been hit hard over the summer bushfire period). We couldn’t let them down, but also had to ensure we delivered this correctly, for everyone’s sake.

Change was inevitable for event managers

Over the coming months with COVID regulations for events changing constantly, it was evident that the future of events would look very different. Zoom was already taking over all face to face meetings, and more and more live streams and webinars were taking place – at least people were still delivering their content!

But it started us thinking about the future of not just our upcoming events, but all events going forward, which in turn got us thinking about the next generation of event managers:

  • Imagine being part-way through your studies to become an event manager – when a global pandemic prevents people gathering and mingling.
  • What is the outlook for those with aspirations to become event managers?
  • How has the training for event managers changing?
  • Like all bachelors, graduate certificate and masters students requiring some exposure to on the job training, how would our future events leaders get to experience the real-live events they had signed up for?
  • What could we, as experienced event managers, do to help our sector? The impacts would affect all of us.

Collaboration and support – simply working together!

We continued to forge ahead to deliver the Emergency Services event, and collaboration had never been more important. We had significantly re-designed all our events, and taken time to develop modern processes and professional skills to keep on trend, so working with partners who were also moving forward in their way of thinking was really important. We were all learning as we were going, relying on the knowledge and professionalism of other industry support partners to deliver.

We realised collaboration and communication was key. Maintaining industry relationships and supporting businesses to continue to stay in the game was also good business sportsmanship!

We were already working with trusted business partners, so contacting ICMS for a collaboration was a natural next step.

Enter Carlissa to the Admire Events team – a second year Bachelor of Event Management student referred to us by the ICMS Work Integrated Learning team. Carlissa was itching to do some real-live event work and have an opportunity to adapt all that great academic learning in a practical way at a physical event. We were so happy we could provide this opportunity at such a time!

TEAM-work works!

With just a few weeks until the major Emergency Services Awards Presentation, September 2020 was a great time to expand the team. Despite restrictions on mass gatherings, we had an event to organise!

Carlissa embraced all types of duties in the lead up to the event, being exposed to a great range of integral duties, such as sponsorship delivery requirements; social media and marketing; and audio visual presentations.

It was so good to have Carlissa as part of the team going into the final stages of this event – which had never been delivered in this format before, so of course we were nervous, but also confident that we had a good team for execution.

With pre-event COVID training, Zoom catch ups, introductions and re-visiting government protocols for VIPs and dignitaries, we arrived on site as a solid and excited team, ready for showtime!

Carlissa got right into it. The photo above shows her temperature checking the Governor – something which is now part of every physical events’ COVID-safe plan.

We believe that, despite COVID, the timing for event management students like Carlissa, entering the event management sector, is great. Not only, of course, because COVID won’t last but also because these students have a unique opportunity to be at the forefront of the latest tech, innovation and risk management protocols around the events sector. During their internships students like Carlissa are learning new skills that not many will have had the opportunity to – and that no one had anticipated would ever become as important.

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ICMS is grateful to Admire Events and all ICMS Industry Training Partners for supporting the ICMS Industry Training Work Integrated Learning Program.

The ICMS Industry Training program is exemplary in the higher education sector. That’s because all ICMS degrees include a built-in work placement with an industry partner. Work Integrated Learning (WIL) subjects are built into all bachelor and master degrees. This gives ICMS students an opportunity to prepare for their future professional career by: gaining relevant experience in their chosen industry; learning skills; and growing their contacts and networks.

Considering taking on an ICMS intern? Read these 12 Considerations for Partners

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Photo by Oneill Photographics

 

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General News, News, Current Students