Rosie Ham has an extensive career as an events organiser running creative experiences around the world and now lectures at The Event Academy, the leading event training provider. We sat down to chat to Rosie and get her expert view on the events industry ahead of next week’s Blitz Connection event.

*Can you sum up why you love live events in five words?

Inspiring teams, bringing people together. 

*What was your most ambitious event to date and why?

It’s hard to choose just one but the memorable times for me have been when the whole experience comes together –the audience reacting emotionally to what we have created, the client delighted and coming back next year, and a dynamic team including suppliers delivering to a super high standard. 

*How do you deem an event a success? 

Success of the event for me in the corporate world comes back to meeting the objectives set during the planning.  Delivering seamless logistics is really an expectation these days (sometimes in very challenging circumstances!) so it’s about creating experiences where not only the audience leaves delighted, but the client truly sees a direct impact. 

 *What challenges do you think event professionals face today?

With my training and mentoring hat on, the challenge around competing for jobs has to be tough for those wanting to move into events.  There are lots of jobs and opportunities out there so making yourself stand out is really key; a nice looking CV is not enough anymore, you need to be nurturing your network, attending events to be inspired by our industry and be open to different opportunities.  

 *At the Event Academy, you are training the future of our industry. What are the essential skills needed to be a successful event professional in 2019? 

For me it’s a combination of aptitude and attitude.  We teach in a very practical way with the aim that students become ‘work ready’.  But it’s the soft skills that are extremely important – a strong work ethic, the ability to problem solve, commercial understanding, and a deep passion for events.  After that it’s about leadership skills – for promotion you need more than being a superlative event manager, you need to inspire others and be an innovator.

*Finally, for anyone new to the industry, what would be your biggest piece of advice? 

Jump at opportunities that may not be exactly what you want – including volunteering, but work hard with a smile – you will soon get a reputation and success will follow!   

Rosie will be taking part in the Creative Connections: Telling your brand story panel discussion at Blitz Connection on Tuesday 7 May at The Brewery, London. For more information visit https://blitzges.com/connection.

Adam Parry
Author: Adam Parry

Adam is the co-founder and editor of www.eventindustrynews.com Adam, a technology evangelist also organises Event Tech Live, Europe’s only show dedicated to event technology and the Event Technology Awards. Both events take place in November, London.