Holly Jones, Event Coordinator at Telford International Centre, shares her career journey, from finding her passion for events, to gaining her dream role – and everything she has learned along the way.

What made you realise you wanted to work in the events industry?
“After I left school and went to college, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I realised college was not for me, so I looked into apprenticeships. I took various online quizzes to find roles which suited you as a person based on your answers. This prompted me to investigate the business admin, organiser and event planner roles.

“During this time, I was 16 and worked in a local hotel, as a waitress, and I particularly enjoyed hosting weddings. One of my managers at the time was only 19 and had worked her way up to become an Events Manager, which I found inspiring. With only a short age gap, I knew this was something I wanted to achieve for myself so I asked her questions about her work ethic and how she got to where she was. I took everything she said on board and tried finding ways to apply it to my working.

“A few months later, I gained an apprenticeship at Telford International Centre, as an Events Administrator, which allowed me to work with senior professionals and learn how they helped clients create brilliant and memorable events. This was a brilliant time and I gained so much knowledge about the industry and its clients.

“Two years later, I was offered a permanent full-time role at Telford International Centre as an Events Coordinator. I am now responsible for being the primary point of contact for clients, as well as overseeing the co-ordination of a number of events at the venue and I couldn’t be happier.”

What have you found hardest or most surprising about the events industry?
“What surprised me the most is how much detail and work really goes into events. As an outsider, it’s not something you think about and now when I go to concerts, other venues, weddings etc., I find myself looking at details I wouldn’t have seen before. Not only that, but the variety of events still surprises me, with no two days being the same.

“The hardest thing about events is that they can be stressful. A lot of detail goes into events and we always want to make sure the client is happy while also trying to keep internal departments happy. As the Event Manager, and everyone’s main point of contact, you must juggle so many questions being fired at you at once, with people expecting you to know everything or help with something as soon as possible.

“It can also be difficult when it comes to the health and safety rules and regulations we have in place. Trying to explain to clients the importance of risk assessments, clearing fire exits and making sure they know the procedures we follow as a venue can be hard because we occasionally find these things aren’t thought of by organisers.

What skills have you have learnt since joining Telford International Centre?
“The main things I have learnt include:
- Staying level-headed, remaining calm and professional when dealing with complex events is a vital skill I’ve worked on.
- Mastering new IT systems and software.
- Creating workbooks on the organisation, rules and regulations, health and safety, and stakeholders, which helped me further understand events, the industry and the venue.
- Problem solving, managing people and delegating tasks.
- Managing the entry points and car parks to improve the visitor experience from the moment they arrive.
- Working in different departments within the organisation in order to understand the roles other people do as well. I also feel like I can offer support if needed.

What do you love the most about your working day?
“One of the main things is being behind the scenes of events, seeing something few others have and understanding what is going on. It’s something I’ve always been interested in. I also enjoy tackling challenges or solving complex problems. There is also no better feeling than completing a successful event.

“Overall, I enjoy Telford International Centre’s workplace environment and the opportunity it gives me to work with talented and passionate people in the sector.”

What tips would you give to an Event Organiser to help them map out the best event?
1. Stay calm – the event does all come together.
2. Provide Event Coordinators with as much information as possible. We are here to help and cannot do that without knowing the facts.
3. Please read the organiser manual and the documents we send as all the information about health and safety, our team and the venue is in there.
4. Communication is key – both internally and with clients.
5. Having only one point of contact to your Event Manager is essential, any more than two can cause confusion and miscommunication.