I’ve been asked many times whether I would recommend the apprenticeship approach to starting out in the industry, versus university. I was lucky enough to do an apprenticeship and start working immediately after A-Levels. This was, for me, the best route into the events world because I knew it was a very hands-on career path and I wanted to get stuck in from the get-go. However, university was the choice of many of my peers who are equally as content and achieving great successes.
The bigger question I’ve found myself asking in recent years though, is not how people get into the industry, but why people should join the industry. It seems the wider appeal of events as a viable career during the crucial school-leaving age has been lost over the past few years.
This type of workforce gap can have a detrimental impact, (as we have already seen post-pandemic). The uncertainty surrounding the pandemic led to panic. Many event professionals explored other avenues and found alternative careers, some temporary but many permanently, which had a huge effect on those who remained.
The most interesting shift for me is not the peers who have since left the industry, but the downturn in entry-level professionals joining the industry due to the nervousness around job security. This surprises me because, without underestimating the work and skills required, it is essentially one of the easiest industries to get your foot in the door with if you are a talented and driven individual.
What makes us special?
Personally, I wouldn’t work in another industry because events offer something for everyone, and everyone has a part to play. From the emphasis on sustainability and protecting the environment to the digital and technical innovations taking place to enhance experiences, there really is no end to what the industry can offer to someone’s career.
There is no special criteria to fit into either, in fact, this industry actively encourages you to break the mould. It’s in our delivery too, look at the spotlight on inclusivity and audience equity that’s taking place right now for example.
As an industry that is heavily people focused, I’d like to think that we’re leading the way when it comes to accurate representation and accommodating different accessibility needs. AI has nothing on our ability to put an audience’s experience first.
Collectively, we need to be louder in our pride for the industry and get the message in front of the next generation who aren’t aware of all the benefits and opportunities. I’m keen to re-establish the events sector as a fresh, exciting, reliable and totally feasible career with plenty of prospects for young people from any background.
