Event Manager, Hermès
Can you explain your background?
I graduated in 2011 and moved to Dubai the following year. That's when my professional career started. I joined a company that manages the production of events, that is to say, that creates the sets, the technical plans, the sound, the light...
I had the chance to work on some very nice art projects with the Dubai government, art galleries and luxury brands. They were all very different projects.
I worked for three and a half years on event production. It was really great but very intense in terms of the pace of work.
In Dubai, you work a lot. It's different from the 35-hour week in France.
I was then recruited by a British agency whose key account was Bentley. The agency needed an Event Manager to manage this client who was opening a branch in Dubai for Bentley Middle East. As the agency was based in London, they needed someone on site. I was recruited for this assignment but I only stayed a few months because Hermès contacted me to offer me a big assignment.
Hermès was a client of my former agency. I couldn't refuse this opportunity. I have to say that Hermès events are really extraordinary.
I absolutely wanted to join the house of Hermès, a superb brand for which I had been organising events for several years.
What was the mission at Hermès?
Hermès was opening a new boutique "Hermès Mall of the Emirates". A party was specially organised for the occasion on the roof of the mall. This configuration implied technical constraints.
I took charge of this event project. Organising such an event is a lot of work.
You have to set up everything for an event that lasts four or five hours and the next morning there is nothing left in the car park, which is quite confusing!
What other projects have you worked on?
I did an event for the United Nations in relation to an emirate called Sharjah. The guest was Queen Rania of Jordan.
The theme of the event was children. We had a huge ballroom of at least 800m². It was huge! We organised a beautiful space made of pallet wood. It was a huge challenge because it's not easy to find materials.
In Dubai, there is a lot of demonstration. You have to know how to "show off". All the luxury brands have an incredible clientele in the Middle East. The locals are big consumers of brands like Cartier, Tiffany...
When brands organise events, they have to stand out from the competition and offer something extra.
When a brand launches an event at the Burj Khalifa, the others can't do it anymore. You always have to find the difference, the extra thing that surprises the public.
What course did you follow?
I loved my training at the School. I am originally from Le Havre and at the beginning I was afraid to stay in Le Havre to study but I didn't regret it. We had a great class and a good atmosphere. I have only good memories of my studies. We also had great professors and speakers.
When I left the School, I had the feeling that I had obtained a real good degree, not just a business school degree.
I had learned a lot and had the chance to do a gap year in Madrid. I spoke three languages and was able to carry out the assignments we were given at school.
I quickly went to live abroad and within a fortnight I found my first job in Dubai.
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