Miami Desperately Needs Event Professionals

The pandemic and its subsequent two-year shut down of events, forced many of Miami’s event professionals to find work outside of the hospitality industry. Now that in-person events are back, the call for the professionals to return to their jobs is being ignored. It appears many have settled into new careers and have left the hospitality industry for good.

Agencies are scrambling to hire new producers and are turning to hospitality colleges to encourage students to enter the field earlier to pick up the slack. This semester, FIU began a partnership with the leading global events agency, Factory360, on a new incubator initiative aimed at attracting students to event production and training them to dive into the field immediately.

As part of their program, Factory360 is embedded on the FIU Biscayne Bay campus in North Miami, Florida. It offers office hours and mentorship and internship opportunities to students, as well as workshops and a speaker series. “We are giving FIU students a real hands-on experience in event design and production while working with them to create an engaging and fun experience that the entire South Florida community will enjoy,” Factory 360’s Gabriela Neves explains.

The agency’s support in providing a new level of events education is unique in the country and presents a win-win for all. From FIU’s perspective, it is real-world expertise the university could not otherwise provide its students. From Factory 360’s perspective, it is an opportunity to help develop the next generation of events industry workers in ways that meet current needs.

"This partnership is a game changer for students who want to bring their studies to life by learning and working alongside professionals producing some of the world's most dynamic events while still in school," says Daniel Cormany, assistant professor and mega and large-scale events program lead. He and Factory360’s Gabriela Neves explain more.

Please explain the program and its benefit to Florida students.

Asst Prof. Cormany: The incubator is a concept. The concept is to create a portfolio of professional – university – student – alumni opportunities, fundamentally a notion of bringing these different demographics together so that all may incubate in each other’s presence, expertise, aspirations, and opportunities.

Ms. Neves: While students are the first and greatest beneficiaries of these efforts, we hope to elevate the collaboration and eventual level of events in the Miami area through our efforts.

Is it still an employee’s market in Florida?

Ms. Neves: It is an employee’s market across the country, but since events are just now making a strong comeback, it hasn’t yet translated into substantially higher salaries. A significant change, however, has been the percentage of internships which are offering pay versus those which were just volunteer.

Asst Prof. Cormany: Students, too, were hit by financial hardships during the pandemic, and are selecting internships with at least one eye on financial benefits. Some host firms have realized this and have moved from volunteer to paid internship offerings.

What events jobs are in most demand right now in Florida ?

Asst Prof. Cormany: It isn’t possible to specify a silo in the events world not looking for graduates. From trade show professionals to marketing activations, from convention planning to sporting events, nearly all are seeking trained prospects. This includes both full time work and gig opportunities.

When looking for jobs, what should students keep in mind?

Asst Prof. Cormany: The shifting caused by experienced event planners leaving the industry during covid has opened opportunities for quicker advancement in the field than prior to the pandemic. Therefore, it is more important than ever to get started in the events industry, even if it is not doing what a student may have envisioned as their dream job. We are recommending that they get a toe in the door, learn all they can, and watch for opportunities in their dream sector as they arise, for we anticipate considerable advancement possibilities.

What are employers looking for from students?

Ms. Neves: The older model was to hire someone with potential, then train them. While on-the-job training remains important, the newer model is to look for someone who has a solid foundation of events training so they may more immediately start contributing to the organization.

Asst Prof. Cormany: Additionally, due to the rapid growth in the use of technology in events, additional skills that were less important five years ago are coming into consideration. And, in part as an outgrowth from the pandemic, tactics in sustainability have grown in prominence.

How do you choose the companies that present at your series and what information are they offering students?

Ms. Neves: Factory 360 has significantly expanded both the in-class guest presenters, and the opportunity to connect with event professionals outside of the classroom. Much care has been used to assure that the guest speakers complement, and don’t simply replicate each other. We have sought the most accomplished, unique speakers to broaden student perspectives. To that end, speakers have represented leaders in the events and marketing worlds.

How long will the Factory 360 incubator program run at FIU?

Asst Prof. Cormany: The goal for the incubator is to evolve, always with a focus on real-world interaction. To that end, there is no end date for this effort. Each semester may involve new components, and those proving to be less productive may be dropped. For instance, slated for the fall is a documentary on event design featuring some of the country’s top event managers.

Ms. Neves: We plan to start a podcast aimed primarily at beginning events professionals, and have plans to develop a non-snarky “shark tank” type of program to allow recent graduates to pitch event ideas to venues, vendors and investors. Acceptance of our start-up efforts has been enthusiastic, both among students and those already in the events field. Our goal is to continue to serve these communities in creative and dynamic ways.

To learn more, visit Factory360.com.