Our trainees give insights into their training
Hello everyone! We, Theresa, Leon, Luisa, Fyn, Lina and I, Moritz, are the trainees at Messe Düsseldorf. We started our training as event managers in the summer of 2020.
Today we would like to tell you in an interview how we came to Messe Düsseldorf, what our training is like, and how it feels to complete it in the Covid Pandemic.
The trainees of Messe Düsseldorf: The row in front sitting from left: Fyn Franke – Leon Koch – Lina Gäthke; The row in the back standing from left: Julian Winter – Jan Girten – Moritz Mühlen – Theresa Oswald – Luisa Harnau // ©Messe Düsseldorf
Theresa: You’re probably wondering how we all came to the trade fair. Our motivations were quite different. For example, I was fascinated by the wide range of the portfolio.
Lina: People from all over the world come together at a trade show. I find it exciting to get to know the different cultures.
Leon: Through an internship during school, I was already able to develop an interest in the trade show. In addition, I have known Messe Düsseldorf since I was very young because of my father, who also works here.
Luisa: Of course, we had other ideas about our training beforehand. Our job interviews took place before Covid, so unfortunately no one could have guessed what was in store for us.
Fyn: In general, we spent a lot of time in the home office. On some days we had more to do, on other days less. In addition, depending on the department, we sometimes had closer and sometimes less contact with our colleagues.
Moritz: The highlight for all of us was the first trade show we attended, the CARAVAN SALON in September 2020. Our task was to support the PROTaction Guides. This allowed us to really experience the “trade fair flair” for the first time, which was really good for us.
Lina: Due to the pandemic situation, the subsequent trade fairs in 2020 were unfortunately cancelled. Thus, the CARAVAN SALON remained our only trade fair that we were able to experience.
Theresa: We experienced the tension in the whole house. Despite everything, we were received super sweetly in all departments. From the very beginning, our colleagues tried to involve us as much as possible and introduce us to the “world of the trade fair”.
Luisa: After an extraordinary but very interesting year, we were now heading back to the annual CARAVAN SALON 2021, where we were all assigned to different stages and booths and were allowed to participate.
Leon: Afterwards, we had a lot of fun on our well-deserved compensation day, which we spent together at the amusement park Phantasialand. As we trainees all noticed right from the start, we get along very well with each other, have become a really good team and have grown together as a group.
Fyn: With new energy and a lot of positivity, we were now heading for the fall trade shows. Thanks to my intensive work in the CARAVAN SALON project team, I was able to pass on my knowledge and experience to the other trainees, as well as to play a supporting role at the upcoming trade fairs.
Moritz: Even though I was not directly assigned to the project team, I got to know a lot of new things during the A+A in October 2021. Among other things, I was able to sit on the trade show management team and support the team as a project runner.
Lina: In the project team, we are also assigned responsibility for smaller projects ourselves due to the longer time we are allowed to be here. By getting to know the various departments, service partners, exhibitors and visitor groups more intensively, we realize bit by bit every day how the various departments work together and trades interlock to get a trade fair off the ground. The “trade fair puzzle” is thus being put together piece by piece in our heads.
Theresa: To sum up, we trainees who have already completed their time in the project team had a very interesting and formative time. Of course, the crowning glory is to carry out our “own” trade show at the end. But, it’s not only the work in our own project that’s fun – by helping out with other projects, we get to know other trade fairs with your team, their very different topics, exhibitors and target groups on the visitor side to the full extent.
Leon: In the meantime, we have been able to get to know a few other departments in addition to the project. From Inhouse Service Center, Protocol, Events, Marketing and Press to Accounting, International Business, Partner & Guest, Sales & Service, Logistics or Human Resources. It’s great that we get to see so many departments during our training!
For all of us, we can say that we are approaching our final year of training, which has already started, full of energy and confidence. As I’m sure all our colleagues are, we are now looking forward to the first major trade show package since the start of the pandemic at the Düsseldorf exhibition center, which we will be able to experience and help shape in May and June with ProWein, BEAUTY, TOP HAIR, EuroCIS, wire & Tube and METAV!
