BEING an event organiser is listed as one of the top 10 most stressful jobs according to CareerCast.
I know what you’re thinking…it’s not like you’re a surgeon!
Many people who ask me what I do reply with, "I'd love to work in events!" It's seen as a glamorous job, where you spend your evenings in ball gowns, sipping on Moet and schmoozing with the guests.
The reality is very different…
The events team (aka ‘E-Team’) can usually be found running around frantically, trying to sort out ten issues at once, working up a sweat putting up banners and moving furniture whilst attempting to look cool, calm and collected in front of the guests.
To work in events there are a few qualities that you need to possess.
Rule number one: be a morning person! Or else the 4am alarm will hit you hard on the morning of a Business Breakfast.
Many days can be long. If we have an event the day after a breakfast, you've got to be prepared to work late and deal with the lack of sleep.
Some weeks we organise around six events, therefore working as a team and communicating well is key.
Don't get me wrong, there are some major perks to the job.
Attending such a variety of business events (and also being invited to the odd ball, launch night or concert) means you learn about such a wide range of topics, and every day is different.
Being out at events most days means you get to know the business community fairly well.
The events team at AGCC love to make all the delegates feel welcome, whether it's your first time attending or 50th!
We take pride in knowing guest’s names and companies for a slick registration process.
The food - this is a major perk of the job!
My colleagues will tell you, I am a major foodie and when there is great food available, I won't be far away.
Having good quality food is so important when you're aiming for a successful event.
You have to remember the delegates are used to attending Business Breakfasts, lunches and dinners regularly so you need to stand out in terms of quality and creativity.
You get to visit so many amazing venues.
In Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, we are so lucky to have so many beautiful and quirky venues on our doorstep.
We have great relationships with all our member venues in the North-east which means we can find the perfect location for any event and it also means that our delegates get to visit some venues which they wouldn't usually get to.
To work in events you've definitely got to be committed to the job, slightly OCD about the finer details and, when it comes to eating out, willing to eat everything and anything you get served!
As crazy as it can be, we all love what we do and the satisfaction of pulling off a successful event is definitely worth the stress!