Interview with the head of the professional retraining program “Event Industry Manager” Gennady Lerner.
Gennady Lerner –
President of the Event League Union, founder of the television company Event-TV on the EVENTAKADEMIYA.RF channel
Who is an event manager
Irina Panasyan: Gennady, among the readers of the “Snova Prazdnik” website there are many of those very altruists who spend their entire lives organizing anniversaries, weddings and children’s parties for their family and their friends, but at some point they begin to understand that all this is not just a calling, but a profession.
Sometimes they even call me asking who they need to study to earn money during the holidays. I am pleased that it is from my lips that the name of the profession “event manager” is heard for the first time.
Let's start with a short and succinct definition of the activities of such a specialist. And one more thing... Is there a desire in the future to replace the English word “event” with the capacious Russian word “Event”?
Gennady Lerner: There’s no better way to say it in English – an event! In my life I am an ardent opponent of the use of borrowed words. I always advocate that words of foreign origin be replaced with native Russian ones. But in the case of the word event...
Let's try to understand and decipher the vibration inherent in each word! EVENT is a joint BEING, that is, being together somewhere at a certain point in time, that is, the opportunity to be together with someone, in other words, together and simultaneously participate in something. It turns out that the concept of “event” tends to the audience, that is, to those people for whom something is being organized.
As for the concept of “event”, in the English language there are a number of full meanings of this word directly related to the planning and management of events. That is, if we consider the energy aspect, the sound of the word “event”, in my opinion, is closer to the interpretation of professional affiliation, to the self-identification of specialists in organizing various kinds of events.
And the profession of an “event manager” lies in planning and resource management, in a combination of managerial, marketing, artistic and creative activities.
From a cultural point of view, an event is a “ceremony”, “rite”, “ritual”, “celebration”, “symbol”. Thus, an event is defined as “an event occurring within a single community that has a need or desire to celebrate the ‘features’ of its life or history.”
The management approach uses such concepts as “conscious planning”, “program”, “goals and objectives”, “organization”, etc. to characterize an event. “Event” is a special event, planned and managed, designed to achieve certain social, cultural or corporate goals and objectives, carried out by a trained group of professionals - event managers.
I.P.: Why did the question arise about training and retraining of such specialists? They are few? Or is the market filled with people who cannot be considered professionals?
G.L.: Our research allowed us to conclude that “professional” and “non-professional” event managers are characterized by different professional and personal qualities. Unlike “professionals,” “non-professionals” do not possess basic management competencies; they cannot plan an event project efficiently, ensure its management and monitor and evaluate its effectiveness.
They do not possess personal qualities that are important for an event manager, such as responsibility, resistance to stress, reactivity, focus on professional development, and the ability to build productive communication with clients and partners at all stages of preparation and implementation of an event project.
“Professionals” use strategies based on the effective use of cultural, social, economic and power capital to maintain their positions in the event field, however, due to their lack of legitimate status and existing mechanisms of influence on “non-professionals”, they cannot yet be called “dominant” » agents in the emerging field of event activity.
“Non-professionals” are not focused on increasing their cultural and power capital, and they achieve an increase in economic capital by taking a large number of orders and dumping prices. Meanwhile, the social capital available to “non-professionals” (professional connections and informal agreements) is quite stable, which ensures their current position in the field of event activity.
In connection with the increasing activity of “professionals” in the development of rules, norms, and standards for event activities (the process of cognitive and organizational institutionalization), the role of the “normative” mechanism will increase.
The process of professionalization of event activities and the formation of event managers as a professional group is not completed. Event managers will finally form a special professional group under certain conditions: if eventers, through event associations, such as, for example, the Business Union of Event Organizers “Event League,” actively defend the group’s right to a professional definition and the state is ready to respond to such initiatives .
Individual plan
I.P.: If I understand correctly, the training will consist of 5 separate modules, and you can choose your own training schedule. How exactly will this happen? Will the modules be repeated several times a year?
G.L. Absolutely right! If an applicant has expressed a desire to study only on the topic of one of the modules, he has the right to choose. Of course, I recommend going through all 5 modules sequentially, each of which is rich and enriched with exclusive cases, practical exercises and master classes from iconic figures of the Russian event industry.
I.P.: Gennady, the website “Holiday Again” is read in many cities of Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. Finding full-time training is always difficult. Are you planning to organize webinars?
G.L.: Yes, organizing distance learning is our top priority. But…
To be honest, I don't recommend it! Come and take EVERYTHING from “live communication”. Friends, of course, you can watch hockey on TV, but if you have ever been to a real hockey match...
In the end, just wait and we will come to YOU!
“Theory and practice” or “theory in practice”?
I.P.: The training program states that 90% of training consists of practice. Lectures, cases and master classes are theory, even from leading practitioners. Will your listeners participate in organizing real major events?
G.L.: Moreover, after the first module! We practice cases from the “Mission Impossible” category - the student receives a very difficult task that he needs to complete at a real event. If he copes, he will receive a “pass”! And if not... I won’t reveal all the secrets!
I.P.: Gennady, is there a chance for talented students to find a job while studying? Will you consciously introduce your students to the leaders of the event industry?
Unfortunately, Russian universities are still poorly connected with the industry and impart only theoretical knowledge to students, which quickly becomes outdated. Foreign universities are much better suited for immersion in the profession. Their hands-on approach allows you to learn from experts and gain the real-world experience you need to get hired.
In Swiss educational institutions, event management programs have existed for many years and are regularly updated. Training is 80% practical: students learn to create events from scratch and manage a real budget. Internships are offered by companies such as Red Bull, Four Seasons, Rolex, Association of Tennis Professionals World Tour and UEFA.
Glion
Recognized as the best hospitality school in the world (Worldwide Hospitality Awards), it offers specialized courses in event management.
During their studies, Glion students undergo internships and then work in companies such as Bloomberg, JP Morgan Chase, Amber Lounge and Holiday Inn. Read more about how event management is trained in our interview with Glion student Kira Velikanova.
Glion teachers are recognized industry experts. International Event Management course lecturer Mike Abson, for example, has worked for the International Ski Federation, UEFA, FIFA and Swatch.
Les Roches
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Les Roches school is no less popular and recognized, with campuses located in Switzerland, Spain, the USA and China. The university is among the top 3 hospitality institutions in Switzerland (QS World University Rankings, 2018) and annually attracts applicants from all over the world: the share of foreigners among students is 97%.
The institute operates a program in event management at the undergraduate, postgraduate and MBA levels. Students learn the art of planning, learning to supervise conferences, professional meetings, festivals and sporting events. Among the specializations:
- digital marketing;
- personnel Management;
- brand management;
- transport and logistic;
- finance and e-commerce.
Les Roches cooperates with leading hotel, restaurant chains and travel agencies. After graduation, students work at Disney, Hilton, Rosewood, Louis Vuitton and other corporations, and 33% of graduates open their own companies.
IQ Consultancy is the official representative of the Glion and Les Roches institutes in Russia, Ukraine and the Czech Republic.
Get a free consultation on event management training in Switzerland
Holidays agency "Knyazev" Opened on October 20, 2005 Sergei Knyazev’s original school for event managers. For the first time in Russia, training of specialists in organizing mass, corporate and private events, as well as PR campaigns and presentations began.
The goal of the School is to create a system of professional education in the field of event management in Russia.
Objectives of the School:
- Organize a multi-level system of courses and master classes for beginners and event business specialists;
- Organize distance education for beginners and event business specialists;
- Create an employment service at the School of Event Managers (formation of a database of applications from organizations and counter-offers from event specialists for personnel selection);
- Initiate the invitation of professional event business practitioners to give lectures and conduct practical classes with students;
- Form a team of authors to prepare textbooks and teaching aids.
Features of the School:
School teachers:
- Author of materials and methods - Sergey Knyazev;
- Heads of departments and employees of the Holiday Agency "Knyazev";
- Managers and employees of other leading event agencies;
- Heads of partner companies serving events.
The school is designed:
- for event managers who have a desire or need to improve their skills, exchange experience and become more competitive;
- for specialists responsible for conducting corporate events and PR campaigns in organizations;
- for people starting to organize their first event events, who want to learn this and join the ranks of successful event managers;
- for entrepreneurs who want to carve out their niche in the diverse event market and make considerable profits in a popular business sector.
Minimum knowledge requirements: secondary education.
Qualification (profession) awarded after graduation - event manager.
Teaching methods:
- Lectures, master classes, cases, seminars, trainings, business games, situational training on working with clients, consideration and resolution of emergency situations from the position of a manager.
- The theoretical material of the training program is illustrated with examples from the practice of real event companies
Education at the School is carried out in four main areas:
- Methods of working with clients and methods of successful sales in the event market;
- Development of creative scenarios;
- Implementation of event projects: directing, working with artists, drawing up estimates, etc.;
- Management in the event market and coordination of contractors’ activities: forming a team of specialists and organizing its work.
The first lesson is a trial lesson, if after it you decide that this training is not for you, the tuition fee will be refunded in full
Each block ends with creative workshops.
Upon completion of the course:
- A creative exam is being held in one of the restaurants or clubs in Moscow, which will be attended as examiners by famous guests, future employers - heads of event agencies and possible future clients.
- Author's Diploma is issued
- To the best students who graduated from the School with honors, Sergey Knyazev promises employment opportunities in its Holiday agency.
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Basics of event management. Master-class of professional event-management
Do you want to become a real specialist in organizing events, master the current and in-demand profession of event manager? Do you want to know how to competently organize a wedding or banquet, conference, unusual corporate party and other events? You will receive all the necessary knowledge and skills in the “Specialist” Center course “Event Management. Professional event organization."
You will study event management, learn the technology of organizing business and holiday corporate events, gain the skills and vision of project work tools with which the theory of event management can be successfully applied in practice.
You will become familiar with the basic principles of creating business events, gain an understanding of the profession, the latest technologies, event management trends, practical event design skills, including examples of real documents necessary for the implementation of projects.
During the training process, which takes place in the format of design workshops, you will gain skills in developing event projects in the field of PR, BTL, corporate culture, business events, and exhibition management. In each lesson you will solve real case-studies, and at the end of the training you will defend your own project on organizing an event.
The course is designed both for specialists whose responsibilities include organizing a wide variety of events for the company (advertising managers, event managers, HR and internal communications managers, office managers), and for agency employees who organize events commissioned by companies and manage the contractors.
