Aspiring events professionals gain hands-on experience at Event Week Live | News

March 2025

Aspiring events professionals gain hands-on experience at Event Week Live 2025

By Sean Madden

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Five University College Birmingham students grasped National Careers Week and English Tourism Week with both hands and took part in Event Week Live at the Birmingham NEC.

Future events professionals from the Department of Travel and Tourism were given the chance to delve behind the scenes at the world-famous Crufts exhibition, and were given exciting updates on the upcoming Birmingham Invictus Games.

Over the course of the week students engaged with a number of sessions designed to give them a taste of what to expect from a career in the events industry, and were able to spend time with the rigging team, seeing first-hand how stages and sets are put together.

They also took advantage of the opportunity to learn about a variety of roles available in the events industry by gaining back-of-house access at the NEC, Resorts World, and the ICC.

After a welcome from Ian Taylor, Managing Director of Events at the NEC Group, attendees heard from guest speakers including Rick Stainton of creative agency Smyle Group, who led a discussion on the power of events, and Helen Helliwell, CEO of the Invictus Games due to take place in Birmingham in 2027. There was also the opportunity to network with companies, and students from different universities across the Midlands.

Later in the week technical experts from the events industry led discussions on everything from venue management to sales and supply chains, and students took part in a Q&A session with Event Week Live alumni.

Michelle Baldwin, Head of Events at the NEC praised the group for their enthusiasm: "Watching their progress and seeing such amazing individuals develop throughout the week has been fantastic. Thank you all for working with us and helping to make the event such a success."

Events Management student Raphaela Lee attended throughout the week and found the experience rewarding: “It has opened my eyes to the work that goes in behind the scenes at a large-scale exhibitions and events set-up,” she said.

“I enjoyed the tours of the ICC and NEC, and certainly seeing the rehearsals for Crufts – it was great to watch the dogs in action!”

The event closed with a networking lunch which included talks from specialist events companies such as Easyfairs, NCC, Hydrock, and the Association of Events Venues, and gave students from universities and colleges across the region the chance to meet and share experiences.

As the week concluded, Raphaela highlighted the confidence, skills, and industry insights she had gained: “I'd recommend this to future students as it really builds your understanding of the industry - especially when learning about the wide variety of roles available, and from experienced professionals,” she said.

“It was a really enriching and helped all of us to better grasp an idea of what a career in events entails. I also found it really useful as an international student, as it gives you a great opportunity learn about how the industry works in a different country, while sharing your own fresh and new perspectives.”

Find out more about our events management and tourism courses.

"This experience has truly broadened my understanding of what goes on behind the scenes at large-scale events. Learning directly from rigging, marking, and electrics teams was incredibly insightful, and the opportunity to meet professionals from across the sector has been invaluable."

Raphaela Lee Events Management BA (Hons) student