Events management student Gracie Phippen, has completed a successful year-long internship at events company, Primary, reinforcing the agency’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of industry professionals.
Phippen, an events management student from Leeds Beckett University, joined the agency as a part of her placement year and quickly became a valuable member of the team.
Over the 12 months, she gained practical experience across live, hybrid and virtual projects, contributing to creative development, supporting project delivery, and handling on-site logistics. Her role enabled her to develop key skills in planning, communication, client care, and corporate operations.
As a part of her internship, Phippen also joined Primary’s internal sustainability team, actively supporting the agency’s work towards ISO 20121 accreditation in Event Sustainability. This gave her experience of industry best practices in CSR and sustainable delivery – areas of increasing importance for clients and agencies alike.
Client services director, Sam Lunn says: “At Primary, we see mentoring as an investment in the industry’s future. We wanted this to be more than a shadowing exercise. Gracie was fully embedded in our team, treated as a full-time member of the team with responsibilities and client-facing tasks.”
The initiative highlights the value of building strong partnerships with universities and educational institutions to help bridge the gap between academic learning and industry practice.
Primary believes that structured, hands-on experience is one of the most effective ways to develop a skilled, adaptable pipeline of future event professionals.
Weekly mentoring, on-site training, and regular reviews ensured that Gracie’s learning remained structured and impactful, not only for her but also for the team.
Phippen says: “This internship has given me so much more than I ever expected – from learning how to manage real projects to building confidence in fast-paced, live event environments. Being part of a close-knit, experienced team gave me the support and insight I needed to grow. I’m excited to take everything I’ve learned back to university and into my future career.”
Phippen now returns to Leeds Beckett to complete her final year, leaving with a strong foundation of real-world experience.
Following the success of this placement, Primary plans to offer future internships as part of its long-term talent and growth strategy, continuing its commitment to nurturing emerging professionals and supporting the wider growth of the events industry
