1. Who are you & what do you do at Encore?

Hello, I’m Isabel, and I’ve been working at Encore as a Technical Events Manager or TEM for short since September 2024. I’m responsible for the technical planning and execution of events.

2. What drew you to this role? 

I actually found my way into the event industry through rock concerts. Of course, my favourite bands were important, but what really fascinated me were the lighting of the shows. After finishing high school, I quickly realised that university wasn’t for me. I wanted to do something hands-on. The employment agency was steering me more toward event management, but I knew I didn’t want to sit at a desk all day. So I stood my ground and started my apprenticeship as an event technology specialist in a theatre. After that, I gained several years of professional experience before joining Encore in 2024.

3. What do you enjoy the most about your role?

What I especially value about my role is the opportunity to guide clients from the very first idea all the way to the final result, while also bringing in my own creativity. I handle the technical planning of the event and then experience together with my team how a vision that previously existed only in my head becomes something real. A client recently said to us, “It’s like magic,” and that’s exactly what it feels like. And this “magic” is never created alone. I may lead the team, but the final result only becomes what it is through everyone working together.

4. What challenge have you overcome and what helped you?

One of the biggest challenges for me was actually the role itself. I moved into this position with a lot of responsibility quite quickly (more because of the situation than through long-term planning) without ever having done something like it before. Thanks to the support of my colleagues, though, I wasn’t just “thrown in at the deep end.” Instead, I was guided and trained step by step. I like to sum it up with one example: I used to fill out my own timesheets and today, I’m the one signing them.

5. What advice can you give to someone considering a career in the events industry?

My advice to women, trans, and non-binary people who want to work in the event industry: don’t let anyone push you around.  It’s not always easy, and the path can definitely be rocky. But if I managed it, you can too. And even if at first you feel like you’re lacking confidence or assertiveness that will come. Really. A little more with every experience.