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How to get a job in events and marketing in Ibiza

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One of the most frequently asked questions we hear is ‘how did you get your job in Ibiza?’ or ‘how did you get your job in events?’ so we gave you the opportunity to ask us questions personally, and we have the answers.

Read our outside-the-box careers advice from the Gemma Charters, Director of Brand & Events, who looks after the planning, promotion, production, PR and sales for all your favourite O Beach Ibiza events.

What is the best way to start in events management? & how did you get into events and this role?

To give you the journey of how I got in to events, I started from the very bottom. I always loved music so during my student days I would work in bars that had DJs playing house music. I worked on the VIP bars at music festivals including Global Gathering and I used to hand out flyers for Gatecrasher when I was at University in Sheffield – albeit mainly in the rain! I loved every minute and more importantly it all gave me my first insight into the events industry I work in now.

I got jobs working for boat parties and club nights in Ibiza after starting out as a PR/ticket seller on the streets back in 2004. From there I worked my way up to becoming an event manager by offering to go above and beyond in my role. If there was a job that needed to be done I would offer to do it, not only to show my passion and dedication to the job but also to take it upon myself to learn everything I needed to know about events and the industry.

Sometimes you’d find me literally hanging off ladders putting up heavy décor (clearly I was not very health and safety savvy back then), other times you’d find me staying up until 7am counting tickets and tills and then there were the times I’d be managing the guestlist in the snow when I could barely tick names off because my hands were so cold. I loved it all though, because it meant I was working in legendary clubs such as The Cross in London and that I was learning every single aspect of the job to give me a wide knowledge of what the industry entails.

There was, of course, the other amazing side like seeing your events coming together and working on themes before seeing them come to life. I was also introduced to other sides of the business such as brand management which is something I’m so passionate about and is a huge part of my current job now.

So in answer to the questions, look at the types of events industry you want to get in to, see how you can get your foot in the door and from there do everything you can to learn and show passion in the events and you will stand out and make progress.

I have loads of events experience but would love to know how you get into working on events in Ibiza? & how did you get the job you have today, I work in corporate events but your job is my dream?


Your skills will be fully transferable so you just have to take a leap of faith to jump into another industry.

Find out who the hirers are in the desired companies you’d like to work for, find out if they’re hiring and then go out of your way to make yourself known to them. If you get the opportunity to have an interview make sure you have done all of your research about the venue, the types of events they hold and have a good think about how your skills are transferrable so you are confident you can fulfil the job description.

How do we get into events like O Beach with no experience?

Get experience. Whatever that is, you need to show that you are dedicated to learning about those types of events. For me when hiring it isn’t all about having masses and masses of experience but I do need to see that you have made steps to gain knowledge and understanding of this type of work. I know it’s not an easy business to crack in to but your passion will shine through on your CV and if you’ve gone out of your way to show that you are determined you won’t be overlooked.

If you admire a company maybe look at getting in the door via an entry level role, expressing your interest in growing with the business and show that by demonstrating a willingness to learn. Above all passion for the events and the brand is the most important thing as without that in this industry you won’t survive.

What sort of plan would I need to venture out to work with event companies like O Beach?

We always do a big recruitment drive every year for our ever-expanding team so you need to keep an eye on our recruitment page or we usually announce information regarding our recruitment process on our social media pages. For events positions in general Linkedin is a great platform to keep informed about event jobs that are on offer or brands that are recruiting. It’s also great to use as a platform  to connect as you can follow industry leaders or employees of businesses you are interested in as well as interact with employers on a career driven level which other channels don’t really cater for.

What experience did you have before O Beach, did this help you get your job there?

I had around 8 years experience working in events before I was approached for the job at O Beach including nightclubs in Ibiza and London, working for the brand Ministry of Sound as well as running UK and international event tours. I also worked with the owners of O Beach on one of their previous projects but I definitely think it was my previous career experience that made me stand out for the role.

Do you need qualifications?

This was taken at 2018 Dreamland Pool Party Rehearsals

 

I went to university and completed my degree but I didn’t study anything within the events field. Actually when I first came out of university I went in to a PR role which I decided wasn’t for me, although funnily enough the Brand Management side of my position at O Beach now means I oversee the PR and marketing. So I’ve done a full circle on that.

Was it hard to build a profile for people to hire you?

My profile was mainly built on hard work so I can guess you can say hard in some respect.

Although this industry is very big it can also be very small so it’s important to build good relationships with people. Weirdly I am not the most confident when it comes to networking (probably why I didn’t enjoy my first job in PR) but a number of jobs have come my way through being referred by others in the industry so it is important to know that if you put in the hard work, it won’t go unnoticed and it will be to your benefit in the future. It’s sometimes the case of ‘what you know’ AND ‘who you know.’

I would really like to start a career in Ibiza but i’m only 18, what are the first steps?

I think the first step is deciding what it is that you would like to do in your career and then see how you can build that career in Ibiza. There are many careers here on the island that you can embark on but it’s deciding what you would like to do that’s the first step.

When does the planning and organising for the season commence?

Planning is a continuous process but for the next season’s shows for instance, which would start in May, we would usually start putting the planning in to action in August/September of the previous year. Having said that, mood boards can be around for a couple of years before we finally have the eureka moment of what we want to do with them. There is a long, detailed planning process of taking the events and themes from the mood board stage through to the design process and final production of show pieces, music implementation, choreography, rehearsals and delivery. 

O Beach Ibiza is a big machine and the cogs are turned by an incredible team on all levels and departments and everyone really does put their whole passion into creating special moments for people. We spend a lot of time in our lives working and it’s even better if you can choose a career that inspires you and you enjoy.

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