The Power of Events has launched its Experience of Work programme, with around half of its target of 1,500 first-year opportunities already pledged by industry associations.
The initiative will give groups of young people from local schools structured half-day or full-day experiences inside venues, agencies, production companies and other events businesses, helping them discover the careers available across the sector.
micebook attended the launch, where The Power of Events CEO Rick Stainton explained how the programme builds on its Schools Engagement Programme by taking students beyond the classroom and into the industry.
“This is stage two, getting inside the events industry, a half day or a full day, where they really get it and put it into perspective,” he said.
The emphasis is on giving young people meaningful exposure to working environments, meet teams, explore departments and take part in practical activities alongside their peers.
“The opportunity is for those young people to see a variety of roles, variety of departments in any setup, and just see the variety of transferable skills and the massive range of career opportunities,” said Stainton.
“Not that many roles in this event industry have the word ‘event’ in it. They could be catering manager, or logistical manager, or talent manager, or sound technician.”
He stressed that the programme should help students recognise opportunities suited to different interests and personalities, extending beyond the most visible roles in event delivery.
Visits could include a venue tour, time with an agency team, a production warehouse visit or access to an event build. Each experience will be shaped around the host business, its environment and available resources. To help businesses take part, The Power of Events has developed a toolkit covering planning, activities, safeguarding, health and safety, accessibility and insurance, alongside support with school matching and coordination.
“We’ve done months and months of work, so that the toolkit enables you to do it at your own pace with support from our team,” said Stainton.
The process helps hosts decide which roles and skills to showcase, what students can interact with, and the age range and group size they can accommodate.
“With our support, the team, we match you up with schools. We do all that for you as well,” he added.
The programme has been shaped through pilots with The O2, PLASA, THE•TEAM and QEII Centre, testing the approach across different working environments.
At PLASA’s Leeds build-day pilot, students explored technical and production roles and took part in a “Run the Event” challenge. THE•TEAM hosted a visit spanning its warehouse and offices, while QEII Centre used practical department activities to show how teams collaborate to deliver an event.
Stainton said feedback from hosts, schools and young people would continue to inform the programme as it develops.
“There’s a constant learning evolution of this programme,” he said. “We’ve been learning on this, and it will evolve and develop.”
Inclusion is also a priority, with experiences adaptable for young people with special educational needs and disabilities and those in alternative education. The aim is to help students from a wider range of backgrounds see how their abilities could translate into careers across the industry.
Around half of the first-year ambition has already been pledged through associations including PLASA, PSA, AEV, mia, ABPCO, HAE and the Purple Guide. The Power of Events is now inviting businesses across the sector to host experiences during 2027.
The launch event also included an update on its Schools Engagement Programme, which Stainton said has reached more than 145,000 young people in its first two years and now operates across nine regions.