We speak to shadow board member Celine Amara about her journey in the events industry so far:
Tell us about where you are now, and what you love about your job/ course.
I’m currently a student at Bournemouth University, working towards an undergraduate in Events Management. Over the last 4 years, my course has allowed me to grow as an event professional and although challenging, I have really enjoyed my course, learning about event history, theory and working with like-minded people on various projects.
Tell us a bit about your journey to get there.
My first event related job was when I was 16 at a football club in London, and that particular job made me realise that I wanted to pursue a career in events. From that, I started volunteering at events in London during my A-Levels, finding opportunities available to further my skillset. After sixth form, I began studying Events Management at Bournemouth University, where I am now focussing on curating my own projects in the area and working towards graduating in 2022.
What do you wish you’d know when starting out in the industry? What advice would you give to young people starting out in the industry now?
(I am just about starting out in the industry myself, but my lecturer told me this recently and I thought it was great advice) Explore the different roles within the industry! There are a huge range of things to do in the events industry, from pre-production, operations, finance or even design. Initially you may feel confused and overwhelmed deciding what you want to do, but discovering what roles within the industry you enjoy the most will give you a sense of direction when applying for jobs and allows you to refine your skills in that particular expertise.
For those readers still considering whether this industry is the right place for them, tell us what you most love about it. What appealed to you about this industry?
Working in the events industry is firstly a very dynamic job; each day is different to the other which keeps the job fresh and exciting. What I love the most about working in events is collaborating as a team to see a project from the beginning to the end, it gives me a great sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. As well as this, the events industry has allowed me to experience things I may not have otherwise and step out of my comfort zone!
Can you recommend one resource for young people starting in the industry to check out?
I would recommend creating a LinkedIn/The Dots account, if you haven’t already and following companies you are interested in working for in the future. If you are checking LinkedIn regularly, it will help you stay in the loop professionally and sometimes really cool opportunities are posted on their pages! Also, on the EVCOM page we have included resources for you to check out.