Goodbye and Good Luck! Three Winning Tips We Should All Bear in Mind

Hi everyone,

I finished my internship last Wednesday! I spent the morning working again at one of Event and Conference Co’s own events- The Winning Mindset. This was a corporate breakfast held at the Parmelia Hilton, complete with eggs benedict (my favourite meal in the world), journalist Katie Price as MC, and special guest, eagles star Josh Kennedy. Falling on World MS Day, Josh, an MS Society ambassador, spoke to the audience about his life on and off the football field, his business interests and his affiliation with the MS Society.

above (L-R): myself, Josh Kennedy and fellow intern/peer Emily.

The event was a great end to my internship, partly because I too got to enjoy the breakfast and also because it ran smoothly without a hitch. I’ve really enjoyed my time at Event and Conference Co and am sad to be saying goodbye to all the lovely people I’ve met along the way. I don’t know what I’ll do with my Mondays now! If I had three pieces of advice I could pass on to future interns, it would be these:

1.  Have confidence in yourself

Just because you’re an intern and inexperienced compared to others in your workplace does not mean you’re completely incompetent! Have faith in your abilities; you haven’t spent the past two and a half years writing media releases for no reason. An internship is a place to test your skills and build on them; no one is expecting you to get it right the first time. Accept that you can only learn from your mistakes, and what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. You’re there to learn, and to prepare yourself for life beyond uni, so make the most of it and prove to everyone around you that you’re ready to graduate and make it in the big bad world.

2.  Fake it ‘til you make it

This is something one of my supervisors told me on my last day. Working for a small business in the events management industry can be extremely competitive, and the pressure is always on to find new clients or coordinate events that occasionally staff members may have no experience in. Half the time our supervisors may not even know what they’re doing, but they’re confident in their abilities to pull off the event and that they are able to work in the best interests of their client. If you have confidence in yourself and your capabilities, people will have confidence in you. So don’t doubt yourself, and if you are for whatever reason- fake your confidence. Fake it until it comes naturally to you.

3.  Don’t be afraid to ask for help

We are interns and we are learning! Everyone understands that. If you don’t understand the task assigned to you, please don’t spend half an hour staring at your computer screen wondering what you should do or thinking of ways to procrastinate (I may/may not have done this). Just ask for help, no one is going to bite your head off for it. If anything, asking for help shows initiative, and proves to your supervisors that you’re eager to learn and to complete this task to the best standard possible.

This has been an unforgettable experience, and has given me much needed confidence and preparation for life outside of uni. I wish all of my peers the very best once they graduate, and good luck to everyone who is about to start their internships for next semester!

Signing off for the final time,

Clare


17095543
Bentley Campus

Putting Practice to the Test: My First Event!

After weeks of planning I finally got to participate in one of Event and Conference Co's own events! The Creativity in Practice Workshop showcased some of Perth's most creative minds, who gave guests their own top tips on how to run flawless events. The workshop was targeted at event planners, wedding planners, EAs and PAs, and anyone interested in all things creative.

The event was held at Mercedes College- a unique but central location- on the evening of Wednesday May 18. Throughout the workshop I had numerous jobs to fulfil, including assisting with the set-up and pack-up of speakers' presentations, directing latecomers to the workshop from the carpark and handing out refreshments. Having worked on the planning of this event for the past two months, it was extremely rewarding to see the whole thing come together. Being an interactive workshop, it was also interesting to observe the different techniques and tips that the speakers/vendors in the event industry utilise to ensure their event is a success. 

above: Bites By D creations.

above: Michael Algeri, of Micktric Events, speaks to guests about the importance of lighting at events.

The workshop itself also allowed me to gain a further understanding into the events industry. As I said in my first blog post, I've never really had much interest in the event industry. But now that I've had first-hand experience in coordinating and planning an event as a team, and have been able to execute it successfully, I'm beginning to reconsider. Working as a team, the task seems a lot more manageable than it does daunting, and researching the finer details is almost exciting. This experience has increased my level of interest so much so that I found myself considering whether I would make the same decisions that had been made for this event, as I would with my own event. 

It's really interesting to note how much my views on the events industry have changed over the course of my internships. I really enjoy planning and putting together the events, as they are always different and can challenge you in all sorts of ways depending on the event. They also allow you to exhibit a more creative flair than what you would be able to whilst writing media releases. I really enjoyed working on this workshop, as it not only allowed me to exhibit my professionalism and work ethic whilst running the event, but it also gave me the chance to learn more about working with vendors, and what kind of vendors would be suitable of various events.

Let's see what the next event brings!

Until next time,

Clare

17095543

Bentley Campus

The Importance of Research

Interning at an event management company that runs its own and clients’ events, it’s almost impossible to be left with nothing to do. With at least five events occurring from May to July- two of them being their own- work at Event and Conference Co lately has been nothing short of busy. There’s media releases to be sent out, clients, venues and special guests to liaise with, marketing ideas to be formulated and executed, and most importantly; RESEARCH TO BE DONE!

Though often tedious and time-consuming, I’ve found research to be one of the most important aspects of my work, whether it be for event planning or solely for public relations purposes. Throughout my time at Curtin, the importance of research and knowing what you’re talking about and who you’re talking to has been stressed in each and every PR unit. I’ve always been aware that there is a significant amount of research behind events, but I’ve never really understood how much until now.

This research has been centred on an upcoming formal event in July, dedicated to Perth’s emergency service men and women. With an event in honour of a particular group of people, ensuring we have the right guests, sponsors and a suitable venue has been a painstakingly long task. It has been my responsibility to create a comprehensive database of both potential event sponsors and invited guests. I made it my mission to make these databases as complete and concise as possible, considering all paid workers as well as volunteers in the metropolitan area. I then widened my search to consider other professions, such as psychologists and lawyers; that may help these service men and women within and beyond their job descriptions.

Completing this database was one of the longest tasks I've been given at my internship, and by no means did I consider it to be a complete and comprehensive list of all individuals associated with emergency services in Perth. That list could have gone on forever! For me, this task emphasised the importance of research, and just how much is necessary to contribute to a successful event. This task tested my work ethic, and made me realize how important it is to research your guests rather than inviting everyone and anyone to a formal event, or any particular company rather than targeting organisations with common interests relating to your cause.

Until next time,

Clare