If there's one career you wish you hadn't chosen in 2020, it's event manager. When the entire world was thrown upside down, events and tourism were the first thing to shut down, and they will no doubt be the last to open back up. Being an event manager I am used to such a busy and wild lifestyle so the idea of taking a step back for a while was extremely daunting in the beginning. Plus, it has been easy to become disheartened during this time, especially when there is no definite end in sight! From the moment I heard the announcements though, my mind started ticking over projects that I could work on to keep me busy, and how I could think outside the box in terms of work to keep the momentum going. I knew from the start that this time had the ability to either make or break me, and that I needed to shift my mindset if I wanted to continue to progress in my career or even earn an income.
So then began my brainstorming and learning. I chose to use this time to better myself, learning skills such as video editing, YouTube, web development, and worked on social media even more than normal. I got to the point where I knew I was ready to present the idea of hosting an online event to Cosmopolitan Models, and just last week, this idea came to fruition.
Usually, the events I host with Cosmopolitan Models attract an audience of 200 or more people, so these have well and truly been on hold. But as new applications for the Miss World Australia competition were coming through, I could see the opportunity to bring something different to our fan base and keep the contestants motivated through this difficult time. While this year has been incredibly hard to say the least, the one thing we can be thankful for is the fact that we have so many resources such as the internet and social media to keep us connected and allow us to continue with our working lives as much as possible.
The successful contestants were contacted and told that things would look a bit different this year, but they had the chance to be part of something special - the first ever online event in Miss World Australia history. Contestants were told to submit a two minute video of themselves covering the judging criteria, which were then assessed by our panel online. Our sponsors had the opportunity to be involved in the form of providing exclusive prize packs, having their logo and promotional videos included within the final event, and offering discount codes and offers for viewers. The event then premiered on YouTube on the 27th of September for the contestants, their family and friends, and Miss World Australia fans to watch free!
Now, we all know how nerve racking it can be doing something for the first time, especially when there are hundreds of people relying on you! I sat by my computer in the lead up to the event going live, hands shaking with a combination of excitement and nerves, hoping that nothing would go wrong. The countdown popped up on my screen, hundreds of viewers started tuning in, and then right on 1pm it went live - my creation was live for everyone to see! I felt incredibly proud and even more excited than when I run a physical event, because I knew that this was a product of my choice to work hard rather than give up in an unprecedented time.
The results of the event were undeniably positive. The video obtained over 1,700 views within the first two days, and being that it is now listed on YouTube, these have the potential to continue growing. For our sponsors, this means that their brand is on display to a much larger audience than a single physical event, and for the contestants, it means that they have gained even more exposure for themselves to help further their career. Family and friends of the contestants were able to enjoy the show and watch their loved one compete without needing to purchase a ticket during a time that they may be feeling the financial strain, plus, if they were unavailable during the premier they can now watch the video in their own time.
2020 has been about adapting to change, and being open to doing things differently. The idea of holding an event online would not have crossed my mind in the past, but seeing the success of it now changes my outlook on things and has already inspired me to think of other ways that we can use the internet to our advantage.
If I can share one message from this post, it would be to start pushing yourself, even if it's on the weekend, even if it's during a lockdown, even if it's when you're not feeling inspired. You don't get your valuable time back, so what will you choose to do with it? As soon as you set yourself a goal and then see results, you will be so thankful that you made a positive choice.
I can't wait to be back into holding REAL events, but if you're interested in checking out my first ever online event, head to the Miss World Australia page here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SJm5mbuA7M.
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