Introduction 

My name is Vandana Pahuja and I am the Labour Manager at Encore UAE. I have been working at Encore for seven years. I started in 2019 as a Project Coordinator and have since progressed through the roles of Labour Coordinator and Labour Supervisor to become Labour Manager. 

1. Walk us through a typical day in your role

A typical day in my role starts with resource management. I coordinate with various teams, including Heads of Department and the warehouse teams, to ensure projects are properly staffed and scheduled. I manage the schedule on our platform and make sure all resources and project requirements are covered. 

I also work closely with the warehouse teams to arrange transport and ensure we have the right people with the correct skill sets assigned to each project. Communication and organisation are key parts of my day, especially when balancing multiple projects at once. 

2. What part of your role gives you the most satisfaction?

Being part of the central Labour and Technology team makes me very proud to work at Encore. The most satisfying part of my role is seeing an event run flawlessly from start to finish. Receiving positive feedback from clients and hearing their appreciation for the team’s hard work is what makes me happiest. 

3. What inspired you to work in event production? 

What inspired me to work in event production is seeing how much work goes into creating a successful event. From the outside, events can look effortless, but behind the scenes there is so much planning, decision making, problem solving and teamwork involved. Understanding everything that happens in the background is what drew me to the industry. 

4. What are you most proud of in your career, and what milestones are you looking to achieve next? 

One of the proudest moments in my career was working on COP28, which was the biggest project I have been involved in. It required coordinating resources from Encore Canada and the EMEA region to work together and successfully deliver the event. Hearing the positive feedback and appreciation for all the hard work that went into the project made me incredibly proud. Knowing that we delivered the event successfully and to such a high standard was a huge achievement for the whole team. 

Looking ahead, the next milestone I want to achieve is moving into a larger leadership role with greater responsibility for decision making and problem solving. 

5. What advice would you give someone considering a career in event production? 

If you enjoy problem solving and are someone who loves learning, then the events industry can be very rewarding because every day brings something new. One of the best things about this industry is that you never stop learning. 

My advice would be to stay open to new experiences, be willing to adapt and take every opportunity to grow. There is so much you can achieve in this industry, so I would say: ‘’Go for it’’