How to be an events manager

Whether you’re putting together an exhibition, a music festival, a conference, or a school fête, events management skills are an advantage in every kind of business. If you’re looking for a career in the industry, or simply want to produce a one-off event, this evening course will provide you with a versatile toolkit that can be applied to a wide variety of events.

During the course, Guardian events manager Kelsey Padjen will teach you how to assemble and manage a team and plan to the last detail, as well as how to cope with the inevitable surprises on the day without losing your cool. Using exercises and case studies to bring the job to life, the course also covers the realities of working in the events industry – from the long hours, to the unmatchable satisfaction of seeing an event you’ve organised run without a hitch.

Course content

• How to break into the industry: the wide range of opportunities and different paths to take
• Strategic planning: creating a critical path, choosing and managing your team, and drafting contingency plans
• Predicting the unpredictable: common SNAFUs and how to deal with them
• The right attitude: working with celebrities and sponsors, plus how to keep your cool and build your confidence
• The boring incredibly important stuff: health and safety, risk assessments, insurance and public liability
• The realities of working in events management: the hours, the tasks that will fill your time, how to love it and how to stand out
• Q&A and group discussion

This course is for you if...

• You want to move into the events industry but have no experience, or don’t know what to expect
• You want to organise an event as part of your job, to benefit a charity or for your own enjoyment – and want to know how to do it properly

Tutor profile

Kelsey Padjen is an events manager at the Guardian. She has over eight years of experience working in the events industry – including producing fashion events and sponsored events for the Canadian Pride festivals and a major MasterCard campaign launch. After working with the Globe and Mail newspaper on book and product launches, Kelsey moved to London where she is currently operations manager of Guardian Masterclasses.

Full course and returns information on the Masterclasses website