Being given a chance, being trusted to learn and seeing young talent take on the challenges of our industry head on is hugely rewarding.

Our latest recruit is driven by the dynamic working environment and the opportunities to shape guest experiences positively.

When Bournemouth University student Romy van der Veen joined us this week, we naturally loved chatting with her about her story so far and her expectations from her 1-year placement with Activate. We’re sharing here our dialogue as this is what we call true ‘green shoots’.

Q1.    At what point in your life did you know you wanted to study event management at uni? 

I actually looked around Universities looking to do a Business Management course; however, I was always drawn to the Events courses and would go to the lectures to get an idea of this sector. My head turned very quickly as I was very interested in the creative side of business, and from then on, I knew Event Management was what I wanted to go into.

Q2.     What do you imagine event life to be like? And what aspects of event life appeal to you most?

What I enjoy about the events industry is how broad it is. There are so many sectors to go into such as corporate, private, tourism, festivals etc. I have always imagined events to be very active, both physically and in terms of communications, having a very close relationship with the client. I think what appeals to me most is the satisfaction post event. Knowing all the hard work you have put in and having fulfilled the clients’ desires. In the future, I would be very keen to do events that involve travel, as this is something I have always aspired to do and would love to accomplish once I leave uni.

Q3.    As a digital native, what updates and innovation would you like to bring to the industry? What is your current perception of the industry?

Currently, I think the industry is rapidly innovating, especially due to COVID, there has been a rapid movement to virtual events, giving the ability to create anything of desire. I think in the future, there will be a drive in AR and VR technology, to immerse the attendees in the experience either from home or strengthen the experience at the event. I think this will be a push towards a more sustainable future, where events can use the technology to place people anywhere they want in the world, from their homes.

Q4.     Tell us a little about your background and your name? (there must a story there!)

I am half Dutch, and half Flemish. I was born in Belgium, however, I moved here with my family when I was 5 years old. I still speak Flemish at home with my family and go to Belgium often to visit family. I think it’s great speaking two languages, it is a very useful skill to have.

Q5.     Being bold and dreaming big, what are the top 3 things you wish to achieve within your 1 year at Activate?

• Firstly, I would really like to achieve seeing an event I have helped create. As mentioned before, I know a lot of hard work goes into events and being able to see what you have created must be so fulfilling, especially seeing the client and attendees enjoying the creativeness of the event. I know the past year has been difficult with attending events, but one of my favourite aspects about events is how active it can be.
• Over the next year, I would like to visit sites and hopefully any in-person events that are happening to really get a feel of the logistics behind an event.
• Finally, it would be great to see what I can achieve by myself.



Q6.     And finally, why Activate? 

I wanted to start off in corporate events as I feel it is a good foundation to have in the industry, especially as I’m not certain which sector I’d like to go into. I found it very difficult to find a placement due to COVID.

I came across the Activate website and was instantly drawn to the company. I was very intrigued by the virtual events the company had created. To me it showed the company was advancing very quickly in technology and finding innovative ways to create events that I hadn’t seen before.

Welcome on board, Romy! We’ll have a great ride!

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