Two of Guildhall’s third year undergraduate students have gained valuable work experience at this year’s MSDUK (Minority Supplier Diversity UK) conference
Date: 23/10/2014
Monique Batra, who studies Events Management, and Natalia Pareja Ruiz, an Events Management and Public Relations student, represented Iconic Event Management at the Minority Supplier Diversity UK (MSDUK) business opportunity fair. Both students made a great impression on Roger Justin, Iconic’s director, and his praise was high indeed: “They were both exceptional in manner and appearance and represented Iconic at the exhibition booth extremely well.”
Natalia is well aware that “gaining work experience is a fundamental advantage when doing a degree,” and Monique, who has an interest in corporate and business events, called the MSDUK event “the perfect volunteering opportunity.”
Natalia and Monique were briefed by Roger – who immediately connected with the students and made them feel important and at ease – the day before to prepare them for what was expected of them on the day of the event, and how they should represent the company.
Monique says it was “a great day” at MSDUK, and highlights that the knowledge gained on the events management course came to practical use. She continues: “With such an elite group of members attending from globally recognized companies such as IBM, Coca Cola, Ernest & Young to name a few, we were exposed to this environment in a most accessible way, making it a valuable learning experience. With the guidance of Roger and his expertise, I grew more and more confident throughout the day, as I got the chance to speak to representatives of a number of organisations.”
Natalia, who has also blogged about her experience, fills in: “I was constantly meeting professional people, from CEO’s of large companies to delegates coming from Italy, South Africa and America. I enjoyed networking and getting to know people within different fields because essentially events and PR is about having connections.”
Henrik Linden, senior lecturer in events management, did not hesitate to promote this work experience opportunity to the students when he was first contacted by Roger Justin. Henrik says: “For events students it is important to complement theoretical knowledge with practical experience, and a business fair such as the MSDUK conference provides a multifaceted learning environment. Also, working with an enthusiastic and experienced event director such as Roger adds great value and will spur students on.”
Roger Justin says: “It is important for students to learn how to represent themselves on behalf of an events agency and promote events services to prospective clients, which is a key lesson for any budding account manager.”
Monique says: “I would recommend any events student to take as many chances as possible, to be exposed to these types of environments, as networking and communication skills are absolute necessities in this industry.”
MSDUK is the leading membership organisation in Britain for driving inclusive procurement, and they work towards promoting ethnic minority businesses and entrepreneurial initiatives in the public and private sectors. The MSDUK conference is a biannual event that attracts more than 600 procurement professionals, business owners, exhibitors, and international delegates.
Iconic Event Management is an established events agency that delivers live experiences worldwide.
