Have you ever had the feeling that your job doesn’t do anything exciting? That you don’t make things happen? Are you looking for a career move that’ll get you jumping out of bed in the morning, buzzing with energy and excitement, knowing your contribution will make a difference?
Events that make people sit up and take notice
London Fashion Week was last month, from 18
th to 22
nd September and we can’t resist getting caught up in the excitement. It is an amazing event to stage and be part of and we spoke to
Kaye Ford, who has been a photographer at LFW since 2008. She gave us an insider’s view on the event.
The pressure
Kaye is quick to tell us she isn’t an event manager – they were the people “dressed all in black, running around with headsets on, frantically checking which models were ready and which weren’t.”
Everyone is on a tight timescale. Sometimes the models arrive straight from another fashion show and they have less than 20 minutes to get hair, make-up and costume adjustments done.
As a photographer Kaye captures that frantic, last minute activity. She tells us that all the interesting stuff happens in the last 30 minutes before the show starts. Also, the shows typically run 20-30 minutes behind schedule with the pressure of trying to co-ordinate a horde of busy, glamorous, ‘in demand’ people.
The buzz
The event manager’s role is to keep everything moving in the right direction. It’s a challenge to constantly adjust the schedule. You’re directing a hive of manic activity behind the scenes so that attendees see nothing but pure, perfected, elegance on the catwalk.
Imagine: constant calls back and forth on the radio and being so completely in the flow that you don’t have time to wonder what’s for lunch or what’s on TV later. The thrill of being part a huge, globally revered event and knowing you’re part of the team that makes it happen. All our event managers talk about the buzz and the high of doing their job, whether volunteering, in a placement, running their own business or a permanent role.
A job well done
According to Kaye, the sigh of relief at the end of a show is huge. While the spectators around the catwalk are applauding the event management team lead their own round of applause. They know they’ve just pulled off another spectacular show and worked together as a team under huge pressure. It’s a fantastic feeling and you don’t get that from sitting at a computer from 9am to 5pm every day.
If you’re looking for the next challenge and the 9-5 doesn’t appeal, consider training in event management or marketing. With one of our courses we’ll drop you straight into the action through our volunteering and placements network, and we’ll support you with the training to succeed.
Have a look at
our courses here on the website to see if this is the challenge and the launch pad you’re looking for to reach those ambitious heights you’ve always wanted.
Get in touch if you want to talk through how we’ll get you
stuck into a career you feel great about.
Featured image by
used under a creative commons license.
