My internship with StarEvents:
When I got to the office on Belmont Ave for my first day back in August, I had no idea what I was in for. I felt prepared from my past internships and my degree, yet I had so much to learn. My first three days were a whirlwind: it was Retro on Roscoe weekend. Never having worked a festival before, I had no idea what the terms “load in”, “logistics guys”, and “vendor placement” meant but they were being thrown around like common conversation. Thankfully, I had some very patient bosses who explained everything to me… multiple times. Sitting here now, in December, thinking back on it makes me laugh. Oh how much I have learned! Now I could rattle off definitions and examples of each of the above terms with my eyes closed.
If I could describe my time at StarEvents in one word it would be experience. I thought I had experience in events before this but I was wrong. Nothing can teach you more about the event industry like getting up at 4:30 am on a Sunday, ubering to State Street in the Loop and greeting the multiple equipment suppliers at 5 am for a festival or walking a 6 block festival three times in the hot summer sun, making sure every vendor is set and happy, and if they weren’t, fixing the problem as quickly as possible. Events are not glamorous and they usually entail many long days, have an unpredictable nature to them and can be stressful. Despite that, there is nothing more rewarding than having an event start, taking a step back and seeing that all your hard work paid off – watching that people are there and actively enjoying their experience. The onsite experience you will gain through this role is unmatched.
When we were not on site putting together an event, we were constantly busy in the office. On top of everything I learned on site and from each individual event, I also gained a multitude of knowledge from my office work. From phone calls with vendors, processing applications and the needed paperwork, running social media and monitoring two emails, I was seldom bored. My communication skills, both verbal and written, improved tenfold along with my attention to detail which I thought was strong before but now is better than ever.
For anyone considering an internship in the events industry, I encourage you to consider one with StarEvents. Not only will you get to go to amazing festivals and events all over the city of Chicago, you will also have the chance to meet amazing people, work with talented bosses who have been in this industry for years, and get so much hands-on experience.
Thank you Star, for the opportunity and special shoutout to my boss, Erin. I couldn’t have done it without you! You were an amazing mentor to me throughout the whole internship.
Signing off,
Intern Liz
