We recently had the pleasure of speaking with Bergita, who successfully completed her internship at Celebrate Group. In this interview, she shares her experiences, challenges, and the valuable skills she gained while being part of the event organization. Bergita’s journey provides great insight into the world of event management, and through the interview, you’ll discover how the internship impacted both her professional and personal development.
Bergita had the opportunity to participate in two weddings, a two-day corporate event, a birthday celebration, and another corporate party.
We were delighted to involve an intern who had a deep interest in the field of event management, and during this period, we aimed to showcase various aspects of our company.
How did you find us and why did you choose us?
I found Celebrate Group through your website. I googled different event management agencies, but yours stood out to me, especially the style of your photos, which resonated with my own energy. If I had an agency, that’s what I would do.
I remember thinking to myself, while looking at your website, that if I ever got into that agency, it would be unbelievable. Later, I found out that both Merily and Taago, like me, are from Hiiumaa, and that we even have distant family connections. All of this made me feel like Celebrate Group was the perfect internship for me. And so it was!
What were your expectations for the internship at Celebrate Group, and did it meet them?
I wanted to gain a better understanding of professional event management and thought it would be beneficial since many activities are closely related to the field of communication (addition: Bergita studies communication at university), and I knew they would be useful in the future.
The project in which I was most involved was the Harju Coop 115 event and my prep work for it lasted the entire summer of the internship. I really enjoyed this project as it was largely related to my field: I could apply what I had learned and further develop myself. With other tasks as well, I felt that the knowledge I gained at university was helpful, especially when writing texts.
At the beginning of the internship, I had no idea what tasks would be entrusted to me, as I was new to both the company and the broader event management landscape. I am very grateful to Celebrate Group for the trust they placed in me.
What did you learn from this experience?
I grew in more ways than just academically. I realized that being at events and around other people broadens your perspective and knowledge from a completely different angle. At events, I encountered so many different people, creative individuals, and people whose company I wouldn’t normally find myself in.
In event management, “collaboration” is a key term. You definitely need excellent collaboration skills in this field. I learned to understand and work with different kinds of people.
All of my previous experiences came in handy during this internship, including my previous work in customer service and as a waitress. I would compare being present at events to customer service work in many ways, as you always have to be ready to help and take action. You never say ‘I can’t,’ but instead, you do. From this internship, I’ve adopted the mindset to offer more help and take more action. I feel tremendous growth and development within myself over these three months. I think, thanks to this internship, I am now also more helpful and attentive in my personal life. Personal development is important to me, so it feels especially good that the internship also shaped me as a person.
What was the most challenging part of this work for you?
One of the most challenging aspects of this work for me is the same as in the field of communication – when faced with a blank document and needing to start writing from scratch. At times, it was difficult to get into the flow of inspiration, and even Google couldn’t help. The thought that I might be writing something completely wrong caused anxiety. So, the whole creative process is definitely one of the hardest parts. You can force yourself to do all other tasks, but creativity doesn’t always come easily.
The Coop Harju project was very diverse and exciting, but the difficult part was that work always came back with something that needed to be corrected. I understand that’s how the process goes, as different stakeholders need to understand each other, and to achieve a near-perfect final result, changes have to be made. Nevertheless, it was sometimes frustrating, and I felt like it would never be finished. So, I also developed my perseverance.
What surprised you about the event management field? (Pos/Neg)
I didn’t really know what to expect from events. The last wedding I had attended was when I was 4 years old, and I had only been to one company party in my life. I’ve worked with people who were different from me, but in this field, I felt that it was easy to relate to others. In event management, you come across so many different parties that I noticed more people with similarities to myself—creative people. The same good gut feeling I had when looking at the website came to life here too. That was definitely a positive surprise.
Another surprising moment was seeing how many people are needed to make an event happen. It was more than I had previously imagined.
What is the most memorable moment from this summer working at Celebrate Group?
Probably because the weddings I attended this summer were the first weddings I can actually remember, what stuck with me the most was the sparkler alley. At that moment, there was such good synergy; the band was playing great music, and it was so beautiful and heartwarming to see the bride and groom dancing. That evening, we handed out sparklers to guests as a team, and I felt like, even though I was a small part in the process, without us, none of this beauty would exist.
Pictures from Bergita’s phone
Did working at an event management company meet your expectations? Was it easier/harder?
Working in event management is definitely not easy. It’s about as challenging as I expected, but it’s much more diverse. You need a broad knowledge base and a wide perspective. Different skills are required to handle different tasks. At one moment, you need to know a lot about history, then about decorations and flowers, then physics skills, and another important thing—you need to have good taste.
Until now, I didn’t really know why I was doing something or for what purpose, but here I understood why all of this has been necessary. It’s good to know a bit of everything. Previously, I’ve felt like I wanted to be the best at one thing rather than versatile in many areas. So, it’s a positive surprise that somewhere, a combination of versatility and creativity can be useful. Event management is anything but monotonous, and having diverse interests from the past definitely helps.
Do you see yourself working in this field in the future?
The short answer is yes. I feel that it aligns with many of the interests I’ve had, and it feels right to be in an environment with people who share the same interests and whose talents I respect. I feel like, by nature, I’m more of a jack-of-all-trades. I could organize communication events, lead dance classes—I’ve never really imagined myself holding just one position for my entire life.
I am highly drawn to Celebrate Group’s work because it allows for the application of creativity and the opportunity to bring ideas to life.
How would you describe this internship experience overall, and would you recommend an internship at an event management agency to others?
I would describe the internship experience as diverse, creative, and dynamic. From my perspective, I would recommend it to others, but it depends a little on the person and their goals and interests in life. I’ve already spoken positively about it to others, and I feel that this experience has given me a boost to try organizing events myself and to be open to those ideas.
If you could describe Celebrate Group in one word, what would it be?
Ambition. I haven’t felt a sense of internal career drive for a long time, but being at Celebrate Group ignited that ambition within me.
We would like to express our sincere thanks to Bergita for successfully completing her internship with our event management company. Throughout her time with us, she showed dedication, creativity, and a strong work ethic, greatly contributing to the success of our events. Her passion for learning and ability to adapt to challenges made her a valuable part of our team. We are proud of her accomplishments and wish her the best of luck in her future endeavors.
