Events

The sector in a snapshot

There are over 25,000 businesses in the events sector including event organisers, venues, destination marketing organisations (DMOs), destination management companies (DMCs), exhibition contractors, event production companies, and a whole plethora of suppliers.

Events can cover anything from music festivals, to literary fairs, open days, weddings, conferences, sporting events and much more!

As the event industry continues to grow and develop the number of new opportunities emerging is endless. New roles such as virtual event planners, Event Sustainability Coordinator, Customer Experience Manager and many more have emerged in the recent years. Work experience in the hospitality sector can be a great step into a career in events.

What could the sector offer you?

Jobs in this sector are likely to:

  • Allow you to work in an exciting, event fueled environment- you may work on anything from a wedding to a fundraiser, or even a music festival

  • Offer different entry routes- you could enter the sector in different routes and roles

  • Give you flexible work- hours can vary, but will usually be long in the lead up to an event.

  • Variety of work environments- Much of the event planning can take place in an office based setting. However, visits to the site of the event and meeting clients can take place over long distances or abroad.

  • Opportunities to work with people- perhaps even famous faces! You will be in a people focused career with lots of opportunities to engage with others and create memorable experiences.

Reality Check

Events happen because staff put in work and time, meaning that hours can be long and arduous. You may be required over weekends and evenings. being responsible for events can be a position of high responsibility and you need to have a good head for if there's a problem under your watch. As you will work in customer service, people will also not always be happy and you may need to calm people down.


You are likely to need skills in...

Communication and negotiation, organisation, multitasking, business skills (marketing and budgeting), coordinating other, keeping calm during stressful situations.

Some roles in the sector

VENUE MANAGER (approx £30,000 per annum)

A Venue Manager is the person in charge of a location or event space. This may be a hall, theatre, conference centre or hotel. Their main duty is to oversee activities and use of the facilities, which involves ensuring the venue is clean and all equipment is working. They may work with businesses and organisations exhibiting to the public or trade fairs and conferences. The planner helps design and produce exhibition stands, then delivers and installs them on site. They may also book in events or speakers to the space.

STEWARD (can be adhoc work so pay may vary)

You may be a part of important and exciting large scale events such as sporting events, festivals and music concerts. You would be responsible for ensuring the safety and security of people and premises at such gatherings by providing a highly visible security presence, carrying out foot or vehicle patrols, controlling people’s access at points of entry, securing equipment and people, responding to emergency situations and helping to identify and prevent criminal activity.

EVENT ADMINISTRATOR (Between £14,000 to £28,000)

Traditionally, an events administrator or a conference and events administrator is responsible for all the event correspondence being sent to the customers who have booked functions. They may discuss options with customers, liaise with other staff at the venue about requirements and have to follow health and safety requirements. Administrators will have to hone their skills in sales and event marketing in order to be effective.