Kirsty Dunn

Name: Kirsty Dunn

Employer: NEC Group

Area of work: Conferences and events

University: University of Central England

Subject: Design, media and management

I started at the NEC a few months after graduation on a year’s placement scheme, which I found through a recruitment agency. My placement year involved experiencing a variety of departments, including exhibition sales, operations and planning, and the media department. I got a job in planning for the hospitality suites two thirds of the way into the year and over time moved on to doing exhibitions and events.

My job

My main function is to maintain and oversee the information flow between the NEC and organisers of events – before, during and after their exhibitions. This could mean being in contact with them up to a year before an event. I make sure that everything runs smoothly on site, from checking that the required services are there to ensuring the correct health and safety procedures are followed – for example, checking gangways are the correct width and stands are built correctly. I balance this with keeping the organisers happy. A great deal of pre-planning is required as well as walking around the exhibition when it is taking place.

Best and worst

What I love about my job is that it is so varied – I’ll be in the office one week and on site the next. I sometimes have to work weekends during busy periods but that’s just the nature of my job.