Julia Zembrod
Trainee Event Manager
At Messe Friedrichshafen for 2 years
Exhibition venue: Project Management, Office West
An announcement echoes through the entrance area with the ticket booths. The official starting signal: The fair is open. The turnstiles are unlocked, and the crowd of visitors, who had been patiently waiting, floods into the West Foyer and the adjoining halls. The first day of the fair has begun. Right in the middle is Julia, leaning against the counter of the project management office, beaming: “It’s so cool to stand here in the morning and see that it’s finally starting.” This office is something special, almost like the "headquarters" of the project management team during the event: “Everything that makes up the fair happens in the project management office,” Julia explains. “The teams usually move from our workspaces in the administration building to the fairgrounds about a week before the fair begins, so we’re closer to what’s happening on-site. That’s when you finally meet the exhibitors you’ve only been in contact with through email or over the phone in person.”
The young trainee has already supported several project teams in her two years of apprenticeship at the fair. “I was involved in Tuning World Bodensee, Interboot, Vertical Pro, European Rotors in Cologne, and Eurobike in Frankfurt,” she lists. “I’ve also had a glimpse into the communication and marketing cross-departments.” After finishing her Abitur (high school), Julia wasn’t sure of her direction, but through acquaintances, she got in touch with an employee at the fair, who told her about the work there. “That convinced me, and the decision was made,” she laughs. After completing her training as an event manager, Julia will be permanently assigned to one of the project management teams.
“I loved the variety during the training, as you don’t just learn one thing, but many different ones. It’s great to be involved in everything and to exchange ideas with the other departments,” says Julia. From acquisition to the registration pack, hall planning, exhibitor support, and organizing the supporting program, she has experienced all the stages of fair preparations. “The best part is when the hustle and bustle of the fair finally begins, and you see what you’ve worked so hard on for so long,” she says. “You draw a hall plan in a CAD program, and after months of intense preparation, you finally see it taking shape.” She also values the strong team spirit: “At Eurobike in Frankfurt, we spent a lot of time together and often ended the fair day together.”
One thing is clear: This job is far from ordinary. At Tuning World Bodensee, for instance, Julia became part of the action program as a passenger in a stunt buggy. She also helped plan the company Christmas party, the summer festival, and various trainee projects. “We definitely got to unleash our creativity as trainees. Together with the craftsmen and technicians, we decorated the old fair restaurant beautifully for the Christmas party,” says Julia excitedly. She’ll have to organize the party again as a trainee. Is there already a theme, like the Casino Night from the previous year “That’s still a secret,” she grins. We’re looking forward to it.