I have just completed my third year at Edinburgh Napier University studying Business Management, and as part of my course, opted to do a 6-month work-based placement. My intentions were to gain experience in a new sector and increase my skillset to enhance my future in the working world.

Getting started
Since starting my placement with Integrity in February 2020, I’ve gained a range of new skills and felt an increase in my personal confidence. It was a nerve-wracking progression. In the first week I felt overwhelmed by a lot of new information and a completely new environment, but within a very short time these nerves disappeared. The team couldn’t have been more welcoming and I was always made to feel comfortable because ‘no question is a stupid question’.

What did I do?
My daily duties mostly included email liaison with clients and delegates, researching potential conference venues and suitable accommodation, and searching for innovative ways to develop the services Integrity currently offer. I also regularly took workload off individuals on different projects, which allowed me great insight on all the work that goes on behind the scenes before an event can go ahead.

Working remotely
With the ongoing impacts of Coronavirus, it’s been quite a strange experience and the workload changed with the uncertainty of future planning. It’s clear that the way events happen in future will be different, so this has been a very useful experience for me at an important time for the industry.

The shift to remote working has been easy. From home, I continued to carry out work passed my way and kept in contact with the team through Microsoft Teams for weekly work-related meetings and social gatherings, including the virtual happy hour on a Friday evening!

A great introduction to working in events
During my time with the company, I’ve gained both confidence and corporate experience I can now use to enhance my final year of university and my future in the business world. Lindsey and Kate have invited me to support on site when live events return, so I am looking forward to that opportunity! I would like to thank the team for making me feel so welcome and included from the offset and would highly recommend doing a placement at Integrity International Events.