Navigating Industries: The Return of Mass Events

(3 min reading time)

Jack, our Community Events Executive, caught up with Millie from The Fair and Matt from Ten6 Creative about working in the events industry and the return of mass events since the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Hey Millie and Matt, can you tell us a bit about your current role?

Millie - I’m a Senior Festival Production Manager. My job starts with a blank canvas which is a field. Everything you can see at the festival I’m responsible for booking - staging, tents, lighting, sounds, etc. 
It’s a bit like building a house. But instead of a house, someone will ask to put on a 10,000 capacity techno festival with four stages. 

Matt - I’m the Founder and CEO of Ten6 Creative. Our work is mostly B2B with a small number of B2C events. The events we produce are large scale with between 1500 - 15,000 attendees. Corporate events are often misjudged as boring but this isn’t the case at Ten6. 
Growing up I went to theatre school so I’ve used this passion to create fun, theatrical experiences. 

TEN6 Creative Showreel from TEN6 Creative on Vimeo.

What is special about a career in events? 

Millie - I get to create a playground for adults. These festivals we are producing are often people's highlights of their summer. It’s rewarding all your hard work coming together in one place and seeing people having the best time of their lives. People love and adore festivals. It’s a place people meet their best friends and partners.
Of course a really hard, demanding and stressful job. You're working extremely long days and there’s a good chance it's raining and everything's covered in mud. But it’s addictive. 

Matt - It’s the motivation to work with different brands, support their development and create an unforgettable experience. My work is never the same. 

What is required to succeed in the events industry?

Millie - Everything I learned about production management, I have learned on the job. Plus a day doesn’t go by that I don’t learn something new. That’s why you must have the drive to want to consistently learn. 
Aside from being organised, being able to find solutions to problems quickly is also important. Even the most organised individuals can’t plan for unforeseen issues at outdoor events.

Matt - The first questions you should ask yourself and the client is Why are we doing this? and What are you trying to achieve?.  We have to make sure they are getting a return on their investment as a serious amount of money goes into making large-scale events. 
Look beyond ‘bums on seats’ and find what the aim of the event is. 

How did Covid-19 affect your work? 

Millie - It was horrible for anyone that worked in the creative industry because everything stopped. Lots of event professionals pivoted to streaming events online but we didn’t need to do this.
We were lucky enough to have worked within our health and safety department but festival planning didn’t start until Boris Johnson gave us the green light in March 2021. This is when it went mad as was a lot later than when we would normally start planning. 

Matt - People have pivoted to virtual events and I have full respect for them. But personally, I have no interest in virtual events. At Ten6 we’ve worked very hard to find our niche and art of engaging large in-person audiences. 
There's a reason why TED talks are no longer than 18 minutes. Trying to replicate a live event online for seven hours doesn’t work as it does in person. 

What’s cutting edge in the event industry right now? 

Millie - It might not sound cutting edge, but more and more clients are asking for safe spaces at festivals. That’s not to say festivals are unsafe environments but they can be overwhelming. Especially post-covid when people might have social anxiety about being around large groups of people. Something we’re exploring is dedicated areas for women.

Matt - Most people automatically lean towards technology which is fantastic and exciting. What I find cutting edge is stripping back an event and focusing on who’s going to be speaking at an event. We spend a lot of time looking at talent and finding the relevant person to share a brand's message. 
We signed Michelle Obama for her first keynote speech after leaving the White House. Another speaker was Platon, which people might not immediately recognize. He’s a British photographer that has taken photos of the world’s biggest names sitting on the same worn old box in his studio - Obama, Clinton, Trump, Gaddafi, Putin, Mugabe. It is this talent that makes an event memorable. 

Finally, what advice would you give someone interested in a career in events? 

Millie - As I said before, everyone I have learned about production management has been on the job. I recommend gaining some experience and seeing if it’s something you’re interested in pursuing. 

The Fair is always looking for people who want to gain experience on event sites, so do get in contact if you're interested.