How apprenticeships can launch your event management career

The guys who work behind the scenes of a fashion show, conference or music gig have a nerve-racking but brilliant job. It’s thrilling when you see all your hard work pay off and the event comes together.

That’s the role of an events manager. One minute they might be booking a hotel for a pop star, the next they’ll be making sure the lighting for a presentation is just perfect.

Event management is a great career path for people who are ambitious and dedicated. Events pros have second-to-none multi-tasking skills and are able to stay cool under pressure. It’s one of those jobs that require good communication skills.

You don’t need to do a degree to get a head-start in the event management field (here’s some advice on the apprenticeships vs university debate). Here we’ll take a look at events apprenticeships, including music apprenticeships. We’ll explore the skills you need and where apprenticeships in event management could take you.

'Like organising stuff? Ambitious and dedicated? Great multi-tasker and cool as a cucumber? An event management apprenticeship could be for you'

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What are events apprenticeships?

Their official title is live events and promotion apprenticeships, and they teach you everything to do with putting on an event. That covers promoting the events beforehand, right through to making sure everything runs smoothly on the big day.

Apprenticeships allow you to learn on the job. You’ll gain key skills, whilst working towards a professional qualification and earning an apprenticeship wage. (Here’s everything you need to know about apprenticeships).

There are two different types of event management apprenticeships. At the intermediate level, you could work as:

• Venue and stage crew.
• Event promotion support staff.
• Booking agents assistant.

And on the advanced level apprenticeships in event management, you could train as a:

• Music/events promotions assistant.
• Events assistant.
• Events/entertainment officer.
• Production assistant.

What are event management apprenticeships really like?

Your apprenticeship will vary depending on your employer – you could be working on anything from circus, music and theatre shows, to more corporate events like conferences and awards nights or even charity runs. Programmes usually take between 12 and 14 months.

Check out a day-in-the-life of events apprentice Alex:

To give you an idea, events apprenticeships could give you the following responsibilities:

• Use social media to promote events and learning about social media management.
• Help customers with their queries, and learn to develop customer service skills.
• Keep up to date with the latest trends in music and artists. Learn about the club and festival scene.
• Help to brainstorm ideas for events.
• Plan events logistics, meaning arranging itineraries, booking hotels and organising travel.
• Help performers with anything they might need.
• Reception duties: answer and direct phone calls.
• Act as a main point of contact for the public/audience: for example, give directions.
• Communicate with staff at the event venue, for example to organise disabled access.
• Administrative / office tasks like drafting contracts for events, ordering stationery and equipment, manage post, filing.
• Create reports on ticket sales figures.
• Manage lost property.

What do I need to apply for events apprenticeships?

Here’s a list of the skills and personal qualities needed for apprenticeships in event management:

• Enjoys teamworking.
• Confident to speak your mind and suggest ideas.
• Interest in social media.
• Know how to use your initiative.
• Has the ability to think laterally and outside the box.
• Organised and knows ways to improve time management skills.
• Excellent working with people skills, and a good phone manner.
• Hard-working and dedicated.
• Good eye for detail.
• Passion for events.
• Flexible and good at being adaptable at work.
• Able to use computer software and digital apps.

To apply for event management apprenticeships, you will usually need 5 GCSEs at grade 4 or above, including English and maths.

Where could the apprenticeship lead?

All apprenticeships will give you a professional qualification in event management, and many will lead directly to a full-time permanent job. You will have gained the technical and workplace skills and experience to have a really strong head-start in the event management sector.

It’s important to carefully check the details of the apprenticeship listing you’re interested in applying for. First read our guide on how to find an apprenticeship. Then get your search started here.

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