Events talent crisis? The solution is clear

Why investing in entry-level candidates is key to alleviating the events talent crisis

Over the course of the pandemic, the decline of the events industry forced a lot of people to make difficult career decisions. Many people shifted to different industries in search of stability during unprecedented circumstances, and while this was a crucial decision for the livelihoods of many, it has since created a talent gap in the market that is becoming difficult to solve as live events start back up.

As restrictions ease across England and the live events market is beginning to accelerate, a trend we’re noticing is a gap of mid-level talent with 2-4 years’ experience to take on executive level roles. Graduates who left university were unable to acquire hands-on events experience beyond their degree programmes, many of whom had their final years delivered virtually and couldn’t gain the expected level of event management experience. For candidates who did not go to university, apprenticeships and internships dried up and there were no further resources to break into the industry. As a result, there is now a surplus of entry-level talent with little work experience and a huge shortage of mid-level talent with both live and virtual events experience which ultimately is what our clients are currently in need of.

With the events professionals that stayed in the industry throughout the pandemic being in very high demand, this has resulted in the market becoming very candidate-driven. We’re seeing wage inflation due to this increased demand, and candidates are only moving for roles that are a step up from where they currently are or for significant pay rises. There is very little horizontal movement between companies which creates further gaps and a much more competitive environment. While this has played an important part in getting many organisations to re-evaluate the benefits and culture they offer to retain staff, it also means that without those progression opportunities, candidates will inevitably continue to look elsewhere.

So, what is the solution? Entry-level candidates who have the enthusiasm and ambition to learn and grow within the events industry deserve an opportunity to gain the skills they need, and training and development from organisations is an essential investment into rebalancing the events talent pool and revitalising the industry. This will open doors both for candidates to round out their skillsets and for companies to gain fresh perspectives into their business. The Business Visits and Events Partnership (BVEP) have confirmed they are restarting their events apprenticeship scheme, which is an excellent step towards providing more opportunities for candidates that did not attend university, but more companies need to get involved in order to offer these roles on an impactful scale. Training up new talent will create clear-cut progression opportunities that will begin to rebalance organisational structures and solidify cultures that prioritise development, which will improve staff retention in the long run.

It isn’t a problem that can be solved overnight, but facilitating access for new talent to the events industry regardless of background is a great first step to easing the current skill shortage and creating a stronger, diverse talent pool for the future. Of course, educating entry-level candidates on what the events industry has to offer and the progression opportunities within it takes time and effort. The high volume of output required to engage with this huge pool of talent will require a specialist like Springboard Success Recruitment. The value of our expertise in the industry is priceless and we are best known for our in-depth knowledge of the market and advising clients on how to secure talent. Over the coming months we will be publishing content explaining each function of the events industry that we recruit for, salary surveys and guides, CV advice, interview tips and much more.

Welcome : Springboard Success : Events Recruitment Agency (springboardsuccessrecruitment.com)

Author - Keira Forster