Podcast focuses on building a career in the events industry

Senior events professionals have shared their experiences of building and developing careers in the events industry in two podcast episodes aimed at inspiring and informing the sector.

Manchester Central, one of the UK’s leading events venues, hosts a regular podcast – Central Chat – which is now in its third season.

In the latest episode, Lucy Pittaway, Senior Lecturer in Events Management at Manchester Metropolitan University and Rebecca Levett, Event Manager and Host at Routes – the home of the world’s leading aviation network development conferences and events, speak about each step of the process – including education and training and developing skill sets once progressing in a role. It is aimed at both helping young people thinking of starting a career in events management or young professionals currently studying and/or looking for their first career step; with a second episode focusing on senior leaders within the industry also in the pipeline.

Samantha Pike-Devlin, host of Central Chat, said: “Within our discussions, we explore lots of topics which we hope will be informative and supportive for both aspiring and current events professionals across the country. It also serves as a way of highlighting the positives of a long-term career in this exciting industry and reframing perceptions following the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Rebecca and Lucy shared their honest views with us and we are really pleased they could spend time sharing their thoughts and experiences.”

The Central Chat podcast is aimed at supporting event industry professionals and also highlights leading voices across the Manchester business landscape who work alongside the Manchester Central team to host renowned events. Listeners can hear insights and viewpoints from a wealth of professionals, as well as discussion points about collaboration, upcoming trends and how to overcome challenges in the profession.

Talking about the evolution of events and the chance to learn new skills, Lucy said: “The industry keeps on moving and now we even have events like the new ABBA concert where people are turning up to watch holograms. It’s always going to be one of those industries where we’ll never completely catch-up. There’s always going to be new jobs evolving.”

Lucy also urged new entrants or current students to “immerse themselves” in events, adding that this helps in many ways, including: “to be a better leader, giving a better knowledge about sustainability and a broader understanding of contemporary issues that are happening globally. Hopefully this will mean you can advance quicker through the industry.”

Manchester Central offers placement years to Manchester Metropolitan University students. Rebecca completed this herself and reflected on her learnings during the podcast, adding: “The placement year at Manchester Central was so important, and I really think it’s the pinnacle of where my career is today.

“Being able to work across so many different events was amazing and I learned so much. The different styles the event managers had, the way they dealt with things, all the queries that would arise, the planning and the delivery that would go into all the aspects of an event. When I went back to university after the placement year, I felt more determined and focused and was able to apply what I was learning and make a more informed decision about what I wanted to do in my career.”

Central Chat is available to listen to on centralchat.buzzsprout.com or on Spotify, Apple, and all other podcast providers.