Combining sports and music – “an amalgamation of peoples passions” – is the role of this week’s longer-than-usual episode, where Managing Director of Bournemouth 7s Festival, Craig Mathie, chats to Jack and Ellan about working in events. Craig highlights all the great things about working in events (and there are many), and shares his enthusiasm and passion for our brilliant industry.
“As far as day jobs go, I’ve got a pretty good one” Craig admits. But along with this he is on the Board of the National Outdoor Events Association, he also recently set up the South Coast Events Forum and is currently launching The Event Crowd, an event management course for the next generation of event professionals. “Events people like to be busy” he ruminates.
Knowing from a very early age that he wanted to work in events, he snubbed a career in law to study sports management and took the role of Events officer for the Student Union. But it was personal tragedy that catapulted him into the world of events. A stint in the hospitality sector, some intensive volunteering and saying “Yes” to every opportunity gave him valuable grounding and knowledge and he joined the Bournemouth 7s team ten years ago, aged just 24. Six years’ later he became Managing Director and he’s now keen to support the broader industry.
Showcasing the value of teamwork and surrounding yourself with good people, the Bournemouth 7s Festival is an experience not to be missed – if you haven’t been and you’re in the UK, the next hour may convince you to attend sometime.
