I guess you could say that I’m your textbook case of going straight from school, onto uni and then rising through the organisational ranks to get where I am today.
As the self-proclaimed social organiser amongst my friends, I was destined for this industry. At the time I started studying a Bachelor of Business at university. I was lucky to discover a friend had connections with one of the largest event staging companies in Australia - Staging Connections.
So while my fellow uni friends were using their days off study for shopping and lying on the beach, I was working casually as set and display crew on Staging Connections events, three days a week as the HR assistant, manning the checkouts at Woolworths on my weekends and managing to fit in some assignments and partying.
After hearing that my studies were in marketing and international business, the marketing manager approached me to assist with the promotional side of the business. This is when I discovered how to combine my two passions - marketing and events - and had that epiphany moment of finally knowing what I wanted to do when I grew up.
And, after four years at Staging Connections, I feel like I have grown up. As my first ‘real’ job (discount being a checkout chick for five years), I’ve been on a steep learning curve that has exposed me to all facets of the events business, from marketing, to operations, to sales and production.
The scope of work and responsibilities is what I love most about my job. With only a small team to oversee marketing for seven brands across seven countries, it means everyone manages multiple functions. I’m responsible for advertising, promotional events and materials, trade show management, client and internal communications. While it can be stressful having to keep track of so many different projects and deadlines, I’m learning new skills all the time and no day is the same.
My length of time with the business is definitely an advantage in an industry that is very much about ‘who you know’. I’ve been fortunate to have met and worked with some influential people in the events industry internationally, and been mentored by inspirational managers who have given me opportunities to learn and grow.
Everything we do is done in half the time it might take in another industry. But the flip side is that when I look back on the work I’ve done at Staging Connections, from brand launches and sponsorships, to international trade shows and collateral development, my experiences are invaluable.
From the recognition and footprint that Staging Connections has in the international arena, I’m hoping that my time here will eventually see me ending up overseas. I sacrificed the ritual of an overseas trip after uni in order to progress my career at Staging Connections, so I have some time and countries to make up for.
Whether it will be marketing for corporate events, exhibitions, parties or something entirely different, only time will tell. Watch this space!
In the last 12 months I have worked with Kate she has proven to be an asset to the team. Her understanding and knowledge of the business has been invaluable. She is mature beyond her years, very open to change and ready to learn. A thinker who looks for innovative solutions she is a definite star on the rise, so for all of you reading this please don’t poach her! She will probably be my boss one day, so I hope she remembers the nice things I said about her.
- Karen Bolinger, director of marketing, Staging Connections.
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