Olivia Mitchell-Bent

I was privileged enough to elevate my events management experience this year by securing the role of VIP Experience Assistant with Event Horizon. Event Horizon is a global events company that produces some of the top concerts and festivals in the world. So far, I have worked on Afronation and Rolling Loud festivals in Portugal, and the experience was beyond rewarding and exhilarating. I will be working on Afronation Ghana this December.

The main skills I develop with this role are leadership and cultural awareness. Leadership, in the sense that, I manage the VIP experience for thousands of paying attendees, with just one other member in the management team. The two of us, thus, have to coordinate and work with all the other relevant teams, such as marketing and site management, to deliver a unique and worthwhile experience.

A huge part of Event Horizon's ethos is to work alongside the citizens of the countries they host events in, and to appreciate the culture as opposed to appropriate or dominate. Working closely with staff from countries such as Portugal and Ghana has taught me how diverse different countries and cultures are, and this experience is undoubtedly useful in the field of Global Governance.

For the duration of my time at the University of Manchester, I worked on events in the city, developing a passion for this and a drive to 'work up' the events ladder. I began as a promoter for nightlife events, before being promoted to an events manager for one of Liss Events' weekly events.

This job has taught me so much such as teamwork, time management and networking. However, above all, it has boosted my confidence immensely. I now feel confident networking with all types of people, whether that is older, those more experienced in the field, or those with conflicting points of view. As a manager, I have also trained team members and attended multiple debriefs after events which has consolidated my knowledge within this field.

Finally, although my love for music precedes this role, hosting nightlife and music events for over 3 years has generated an appreciation for the beauty of music and, surprisingly, its political power. It has inspired me to pursue my longstanding international development goals with, although not restricted to, a focus on music.

I worked part-time at TATTU for three years under a flexible 0-hours contract. This was primarily to fund living expenses and save for the travelling that I will be doing from January 2023. However, I learned a lot of valuable skills. TATTU is a prestigious, fine-dining restaurant where exceptional service is required. I took part in regular training sessions and workshops which taught me how to upsell, describe a dish, recommend a wine, and all other aspects of great service. I am grateful for my time at this establishment and I constantly felt challenged and encouraged to learn and progress.