Page 138 - Marina Krajka English Book
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Narrator:       Track 5 Listening Part 2                 When everything comes together
                                   Worksheet 2                              and an event is successful, it’s really
                                 You will hear a young woman                satisfying to see people enjoying
                                                                            themselves. That’s always far more
                               called Jenny Smythe talking about            important to me than the income I make
                               her job as an events organiser.              doing the job – though, that’s nice too,
                               For questions 1–10, complete the             of course! Being thanked for my role in
                               sentences with a word or short               making it happen motivates me to get
                               phrase. You now have 45 seconds              on with the next job.
                               to look at the questions.
                     Jenny:      Hello, my name’s Jenny Smythe, and           People often ask me how I got into
                                                                            events organising. They assume I’ll
                               I’m here to tell you about my position       have done a qualification in marketing
                               as an events organiser, which is exactly     or event management itself – tourism
                               what it sounds like – I organise events!     is what I actually studied, and it’s been
                               That can be anything from exhibitions        quite useful in some ways. You can enter
                               and conferences, which are interesting,      the field with any qualification really, as
                               though not terribly exciting, to my          long as you’ve got the right personality
                               personal favourite – festivals. I’ve also    and are prepared to work hard.
                               organised things like product launches,        So, what skills are needed for the job
                               too.                                         then? It goes without saying that you
                                 At the moment I’m organising a street      need to be organised – and being
                               fair in the town I live in, which has        flexible is helpful too – customers
                               different areas known as quarters. Each      often change their minds about what
                               one is known for the type of products        they want during the planning process.
                               it produces. In this case the fair’s in the   Above all else, I’d say you’ve got to
                               jewellery quarter, but there’s also an       be determined. Things can and do go
                               annual fair in the clothing quarter, and the   wrong when you’re planning events and
                               artist’s quarter has a yearly event, too.    you can’t just give up!
                                 This is the first time a fair will have        Let me give you an example of
                               taken place in this part of town, so         something that happened to me. It was
                               everyone’s pretty enthusiastic about it.     the morning of an event and I got a call
                               It should be fun provided that everything    to say the roof was leaking at the hall
                               goes according to plan. This will be my      we were using and it wasn’t safe for
                               first ever street fair, and I’d be excited,   visitors. This is where what’s known as a
                               too, if I wasn’t so nervous, though as       backup plan is crucial, so I was glad I’d
                               long as I plan carefully and give myself     created one in advance! In this instance,
                               enough time, everything should go well.      I managed to find an alternative venue
                                 Let me tell you more about my role.        using my contacts – something you build
                               Once I take on a job, I need to consider     up over time and which can save you
                               all the tasks that need doing and            from all kinds of unexpected happenings.
                               prioritise them. This means creating           If you’re interested in doing this job,
                               what’s known as a ‘to-do list’. It involves   either now or in the future, it’s a good
                               listing everything that needs to be done     idea to get some experience first – even
                               and setting realistic deadlines. Imagine     if you don’t make any money. What
                               having a fair and forgetting to organise     I did was work in a hotel, which was
                               tables for the stalls, for example!          great because I learned about dealing
                                 One of the first things I’ll do when I’ve   with people and sorting out problems.
                               got an event to organise is discuss          However, work in all types of customer
                               things with the client – it’s crucial to find   service roles is helpful, and that’s what
                               out what they have in mind because it’s      I’d say you should aim to do.
                               their event, not mine. Then I can start        I hope I’ve inspired some of you to join
                               to approach suppliers – the people who       this fascinating profession. Does anyone
                               will provide everything we need to make      have any questions?
                               sure an event goes smoothly – which   Narrator:  Now listen again.
                               can be everything from food to music.





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