Emily joined our Yorkshire team in April 2019 as an Event Manager, take a look below to see how her first 6 months went...
Before starting at JPIMedia Events I was more than ready to start my role in a fully event focused position. Although having over 8 years experience in this department, it has always been mixed with other roles such as sales & marketing, which has definitely made me a far more well rounded character. However, my heart has always been in events and being a part of something from the beginning stages, all the way through to the end product... where you really get to see all the fruits of your labour! I was most definitely ready to be in a place where I could get up in the morning and be excited to go to work!
I knew straight from the interview process that JPI Media Events would be a company I could flourish, and expand my skills and expertise. Even from my first meeting with the Yorkshire Regional Events Manager, Lisa Bradbury, I was filled with confidence and excitement for the upcoming events we would be organising, and that this was a team I would fit well in.
My first 2 weeks were a whirlwind, and a real baptism of fire! I couldn’t believe that Lisa, and Karen and been arranging these brilliant events on their own for so long with such a heavy (but satisfying) workload, and still being able to keep their heads above water. I was immediately given my first event to manage, the Scarborough Food & Drink Festival, mainly due to my background in the F&B industry, and I was thrilled to get started, although a little daunted by the time I had to turn this around! I tried to listen and ask for as much feedback as I could to see if I could take this event to the next level and make my mark in the business!
The following month was spent calling what seemed like every food & drink trader in the Yorkshire area, and then following up again…. and again! In the two weeks leading up to the event, everything (luckily) seemed to come together; I had a fair attending plus children's entertainment, a line-up of local Scarborough bands coming to our music stage to entertain the masses as they sipped their local G&Ts, and a plethora of fantastic chefs showcasing their local dishes! To say it was a stressful & nerve wracking time would be an understatement! Even trying to create a floor plan in the most awkward shaped arena ever was an achievement. Arriving at the Open Air Theatre and all my measurements for every trailer, gazebo and marquee fitting perfectly, almost made the hours scribbling sections on pieces of paper worth it...almost! When it was time to open the gates, there was a queue of people along the side of the theatre, I couldn’t believe it, people had actually seen all the social media posts I had boosted, and the 7m banner across the city centre… who would have thought?
The weather was glorious and floods of people came to enjoy all the fine food spectacles and soak in the atmosphere, I couldn’t be happier and knew I’d made the right decision coming into the business.
After having my first event under my belt it was on to the next without hesitation and felt like I was coming into my own and learning a lot along the way. The team then got introduced to Charlotte, the newest & final member of our Yorkshire Team (very thankful I was no longer the ‘newbie’), and she hit the ground running too. I knew straight away we would get on great and work well together. We were finally a complete little team.
As I look over my first 6 months in the JPI Media Events team I think how fast it's gone and how many wonderful events I've been able to manage & assist with, and think how lucky I’ve been to land on my feet within a company that's known across the UK. It's been crazy, but well worth the madness... Here’s to another 6 months!
