I ended my Saturday with the last session, which was about event planning. From Concept to Completion was hosted by Scott Mirkin from ESM Productions. If the students sitting on the floor was any indication, this session was packed. Clearly, event planning is a competitive industry to get into. Mirkin gave us an inside glimpse to the presentation he shows potential clients. To be honest, I wish he would have gave us a better look into all the aspects that go into planning an event, instead of just showing us past events he worked on. I left this session wanting to know more about the entire event planning process.

Despite this, he told us that it does not matter the size of the event, all events have the same components. I wish he would have stated what these components were, however. He said that in event planning, someone from the staff needs to available 24/7 to ensure that all of the client’s needs are met. When I think of an event, I think of a gala or benefit of some nature. Mirkin showed us that not all events are of this extreme. An event can range from a press conference, to a training event, or internal meeting. Mirkin shared he never turns down an event, even ones that won’t yield profits. He wants his clients to have only one person in their rolodex for event planning, and that is ESM Productions.

At the end of the session, he took questions from the audience. I’m glad he did this because I found his responses to be more helpful than his actual session. He made it clear that if interns want to be more than someone who staples papers together and goes to Starbucks, they must prove that they are dependable.  He said “early is on time, on time is late, and late is unacceptable.” Every single day at your internship should be treated as a job interview. Life is defined by opportunities, even the ones we miss. If you’re given the opportunity to step up to the plate and handle a task, grab it while you can. If you won’t take the chance, someone else will. In this industry, there is always someone waiting for their chance to do your job better than you.  Do great work and show how reliable you are. Once you prove yourself, doors will start to open for you and your career.