College Connections – Belle Laide Events
BLE new digs – Image courtesy of The Design Files
It says on their website that Belle Laide Events is an end-to-end event agency who “create original, innovative and authentic events and experiences.” That may be so but there’s more to this Sydney based creative agency than meets the eye. Belle Laide has had a cracker last couple of years; winning awards, growing their client base, moving into new swanky offices and taking on larger and more complex events like the incredibly successful and award-winning TEDx Sydney. All of this while demonstrating extraordinary levels of passion for what they do and focussing on forging strong and meaningful relationships with stakeholders, clients and like-minded connections. We’re really happy to welcome them as one of our newest industry connections.
Our first contact with Belle Laide Events (BLE) came when wonderful CoEM lecturer, Billie Cox started working with the BLE team. This appointment was fortuitous as it opened a wider BLE door to College of Event Management students. Who better to know about the high quality of our students than someone who has lectured for so long at the college! We asked Billie to tell us some of the benefits of hosting and employing CoEM students…
Best thing about CoEM students is the high calibre of talent coming out of the college. Whether we’re offering volunteering roles, temporary paid roles, internships or permanent full time roles, we have no doubts that we’ll receive high calibre people who are polished, professional and entirely reliable that can be useful immediately and be given quite a bit of responsibility with whatever role they’re given. It’s a great help to know that we have that kind of talent on tap”
Students (now graduates) Michelle Ono and Rebekah Vulic started at BLE in internships. Both impressed with their natural abilities and high skill levels which happily lead to full time, permanent roles. We asked Rebekah to give us the details of her trajectory from performer to student to intern to full time Event Assistant. “I was really ready to make a career change. I’ve been a performer my whole life and I figured that eventually I’d fall into events as I wanted to expand my skill-set but still maintain a creative edge. I also love people and that ‘buzz’ you get when you’re excited about something – and events is all that to me!”
“While I was still studying, an intern position became available and I was recommended by Bonnie, the CoEM Industry Engagement Coordinator. During the internship I was fortunate enough to be a part of the Adobe Symposium Volunteer Team and following this, was offered a part-time position! I just wanted to work hard for the team. They’re a wonderful and very talented group of people who make me step up. I’m excited beyond belief about my current role.”
Like Rebekah, Michelle was also ready for a change. She had been managing an entertainment venue but wanted further progression in her career. Having already developed so many related skills she realised that event management was a logical solution and the 2 day per week Event Manager On Campus program fitted perfectly with her schedule. Early in her studies Michelle enquired about available internships. “ I approached the Industry Engagement Coordinator at the college and asked if there were any opportunities for internships specifically within an agency. She came back to me within a matter of days with details for an interview with Belle Laide Events.”
Michelle was offered a full-time role after graduating. “BLE has given me the opportunity to work on a variety of events such as stand activations at large-scale conferences, a roadshow for a finance company’s end of year client events, large cocktail parties, product launches etc.” Michelle has recently been promoted from Event Coordinator to Event Manager within BLE and continues to maintain a strong relationship with College of Event Management. Read more about Michelle’s college experiences HERE >>
CoEM grad Michelle who went on to intern then work full time with BLE
The list of amazing events and achievements for a company like Belle Laide Events just keeps growing from year to year. They recently won Event Management Company of the Year at this year’s Australian Event Awards and have an enviable and ever-growing list of A List clientele. Having built up such an impressive client list over a relatively short amount of time is testament to the quality of their offerings and we’re thrilled to have our graduates gaining employment with such a great company. Here’s hoping this kind of ‘word-of-mouth recruiting will become a lasting trend between Belle Laide and College of Event Management.
Visit Belle Laide Events website HERE >>
Photo: Jean-Jacques Halans | TEDxSydney
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