New Found Respect for Events Management

I have always been an avid music follower. A "channel flicker" in the car so I don't miss out on anything. That embarrassing girl who sings to pop music in dead lock traffic. Music soothes the soul.

I have been lucky enough to land an internship at entertainment events company Mellen Events in Claremont late last month,which works solely on music festivals and musical events. This is no generic office internship. I am working as part of the operations and communications part of the Mellen team, with my first big "gig" being Future Music Festival 2015, held at Joondalup Arena.

My first week, apart from learning 12 new names consisted of me conducting online research as I will be organising the VIP areas (Sunset Club and First Class) for Future this year. This meant researching: food caterers, furniture, decor and everything from port-a-loos to hairstylists. It has taken me a good week to realise just how important my job actually is and just how much responsibility it entails. Which has made this first two weeks fairly stressful but also invaluable.

My first week also saw me make a lot of contact with all different kinds of companies and people, communicating through email, telephone and face to face. Putting my communication skills to good use, as each person/company would need to be approached differently depending on what was being discussed i.e. making furniture enquiries versus approaching hair stylists for a contra-deal on working at the show. 

A typical day at the Mellen office could consist of emails and phone calls all day. It could also consist of site visits and meetings (next post on HBF Arena). Creating schedules, run sheets, contact lists and most importantly creating an event from essentially nothing. I've quickly learnt events is a very spontaneous and fast paced environment. You could spend a whole day or even a few days on a task, only for someone to change their mind or for something to not be approved, and you have to begin all over again. There is no doubt in my mind I am getting real life experience and real work experience within this office.

My mentor Ash, began as an intern too, and stepped into an Event Manager role when she finished her internship. I have such respect watching her juggle a million jobs at once, and work the immense hours she does. She often reminds me however that she lacks a social life because of it.

Large scale events are definitely not for the faint hearted or the softly spoken. Long days of 15+ hours and sleepless nights are a given, and you have to think on your feet. I am very excited to see how the next few weeks pan out and how this event comes together.

In terms of traditional public relations, I am not sure how relevant this internship is. However what I may lack in writing traditional documents i.e. press releases and media releases, I feel I am gaining experience in communication skills/liaising and event management skills. Which is something I have always had an avid interest in.

Billie Reason