Nicola Colligan: Account Manager experience and education

December, 2022

When did you know you wanted to work in the event industry? And what has your career looked like to date? 

I had no plans originally.  I had a family member who worked in the industry and during the summer holidays; one year, she asked me to help her with a few bits in the office, like building welcome packs and data management (when we used to get registrations by fax….FAX!). I stayed there, gradually taking on more tasks before they took me on as an employee in the event department. 

I took a sidestep into travel once which helped me to grow the skills I still use today.  Otherwise, I have followed events through different sectors including charities, education, and now agency. 

Did you go to university?

I studied Event Management (BSc) at Loughborough College. It worked really well for me as I had two days a week of lectures, and this meant I could still work in the industry the other three days a week. 

What has your career looked like at Emota so far? 

It has been one of progression, and this is exactly the reason I was interested in working for Ashfield Event Experiences (now Emota). I had seen AEE in an industry magazine as one of the top 10 agencies in the UK to work for. I investigated further and applied for a role and it was the career and development opportunities that helped me with the decision to join. 

I started as a Project Executive in August 2014 – I worked primarily on delegate management at a variety of events.  From there I grew in confidence and started to take on bigger tasks, which led me to my promotion to Project Manager, overseeing the logistical running of many events for four years.  

I have always enjoyed the training and personal development aspect of any role. Here at Emota, I have been part of the team that trains new starters; I love helping and mentoring peers. 

I have since progressed to an Account Manager where I now have a team and feel I can really support people’s development.  

This role is so varied and presents different opportunities and challenges. I am responsible for a client account, and we work in partnership to ensure their objectives are met. I have oversight of the events the team manages which has involved traveling on-site to see the hard work of the team all come together.  

The variety at Emota has kept me going – no year is the same! 

What are your three top tips for individuals looking to start in events?

• Bring the energy – you can bring a lot of experience to a team and continuously learn, but a positive attitude and enthusiasm for the job will make it so much more fun

• Be open to learning – you can learn so much from the people around you. We have years of great experience at Emota. Listening and absorbing information from my peers has been so critical over the years

• Get a comfortable pair of shoes (or two) – we spend a lot of time on our feet and get a lot of steps in at the events we run! 

Interested in a career in events? Visit our Careers page and get in touch.