Working in the events industry can seem to many like a perfect place to start a career, with exciting experiences popping up all over the UK, a wide selection of different roles and an ever-changing landscape. Call us biased, but with over 21 years’ industry experience, we’re convinced that it’s a fantastic place to grow, learn and challenge yourself.
However, with the rise of artificial intelligence, virtual reality and a changing consumer landscape, some people might wonder whether the events industry still offers a viable career path. So, we thought we’d offer a little insight into the subject for you today…
A brief overview of the Events industry
The UK events sector alone was valued at an estimated £42.3 billion in 2016. Sustaining the equivalent of around 530,000 full-time jobs it has only continued to grow since then. Gallowglass employs on average 600 people, and this expands as our workloads continue to increase! The industry’s vibrant nature and eclectic breadth make it an attractive option for employment, particularly with the opportunities for career progression. Therefore, it’s no surprise that so many people are drawn to get involved! Whether these events are small, more intimate occasions, festivals, innovative conferences or sporting events watched by the world, the scope of the industry is undeniably vast, meaning that the scope of jobs is also great.
One of the aspects of the industry that is less widely discussed, is the long hours and hard work that underpin a career in events. At times it can be a very high-pressure environment for those at all levels, and hours can also often be unpredictable as problems arise. This is very typical of Gallowglass event crew jobs, requiring a can-do attitude and a hard-working nature. However, it is equally as rewarding for the crews, chiefs and business as a whole when a job is successfully completed for hundreds or thousands of visitors’ enjoyment.
Working in an event crew job in London or one of the many other regions we cover, also provides fantastic experience for those looking to progress within the industry, particularly for students with the flexible working hour contracts. Take a look at our recent interviews on the blog to find out a little more about how our team’s experience with Gallowglass has equipped them for the future!
Experiential Consumption
Despite consumers becoming more tech-savvy and obsessed with the world of digital, reports have been showing for a number of years that experiential consumption is still vitally important, particularly to millennials. A concert, festival or theatre performance may be available to view through a screen or even a VR headset, but the experience will never match up to that of real life! That’s why increasing amounts of disposable income are being spent on real-life, live experiences, rather than on material things.
You may have seen on Twitter that one of the most common #MillennialProblems is that they can't afford to buy a house; reasons for this have included the economic climate and the millennial obsession with avocados and lattes. However, with the rise of experiential consumption, part of the reason for this is that this demographic thrives on experiences rather than physical belongings, and therefore are not prioritising traditional milestones such as buying a house as much as other factors such as experiencing the world and ‘living their best life’.
For this reason, amongst many others, we’re confident that events will remain a big part of our culture for many, many years to come. New technologies can certainly create exciting experiences but will not stop people travelling from far and wide for human experiences in a plethora of events!
Jobs in Events
As previously mentioned, there is a wide range of roles involved in putting on each and every event. From the creators to the marketeers, the florists to the advertising agencies, the people building the stages to the planners, those setting up the lighting, ensuring health and safety, security and everything else. The jobs that need to be filled to ensure that each experience lives up to expectations are vast. This shows how beneficial events are to the economy purely from an employment perspective and have certainly contributed to the unemployment rate dropping to its lowest rate since 1975 of 4.2% this year.
We certainly think that the events industry is a viable career path, with opportunities for progression widely available and exciting innovations keeping things interesting. It’s a burgeoning industry, which is a brilliant place to begin your career and we can’t wait to see what the future holds!
Do you think the events industry is a viable career path today? We’d love to hear your personal thoughts via our social media channels!
You may also be interested in:
Why Career Progression is so Important
