Nov 19

2020 Placement Opportunity Available With Cuckoo Events & Safe Events

We are on the lookout for someone to join us on placement here beginning n early 2020. We have a lot of events on next year that will provide superb opportunities for a student to experience events from planning to delivery.

[TIP] Read this blog post to the end, or jump straight to the end now. There's a key instruction down there you'll want to notice. We're telling you too much by saying attention to detail is important to us so we will judge you by whether you can follow the simple instruction at the end of this post about how to apply.

We've had some great placement students in here over the last few years.

We've always been keen to ONLY offer placements when we know we will be busy enough to provide good opportunities for placement students to join us and experience event planning through to delivery. That approach has worked well for us as well as for Vanessa and Rachel, our most recent placement Team members as well as the others before them.

You won't be just photocopying, laminating and making tea and coffee. We all do all of that in here.

This placement will run from February to August or so. We can be flexible for the right candidate and will work around whenever you need it to be within that type of window.

What you will be doing

You will be working in a support role across a range of events, with us actively looking to give you exposure to as much as possible during your time here with us.

In the past, placement students here have run their own events from start to finish for us. If you're up for that and if we feel you're ready, then you'll be doing the same when you're here. The best way to learn is by doing.

While you're running your own event in here, you'll have the full support and backing of the full-time Team. You won't be left high and dry with more responsibility than you want or are ready for. We all dip into one another's projects and help and advise as necessary and you will have the same available to you.

Specifically. . .

Our office is based in Dublin 8, in the Liberties. The Liberties Festival is something we've worked on for the past couple of years and one we really enjoy working on. We will be working on it again in 2020. Working closely with the client, we work on everything from programming the Festival through to the delivery of all of the events. You will likely be working on this event for 2020 and it will provide you with an insight into all key areas of event planning and management. This is a great opportunity.

We will be working on Dublin Pride again in 2020, which is one we've worked on since 2015. It's a massive event and a huge challenge in all sorts of ways. There are changes every year and we expect 2020 to be no different. You will be working in a supportive role on Dublin Pride to help us with all elements of planning and delivery.

What you'll get

If you are successful in securing a placement here with us you will:

Be paid. We don't expect you to work for free. You won't be on a salary but we will be paying expenses.
Have opportunities to fill paid roles on a variety of events. We do this so that you're getting the opportunity to (a) make some more money and (b) work on a variety of events during your time here with us.
Get to work in a fun office. We don't work in a corporate environment in here. We enjoy what we do and it's obvious in how we do it.
Get to work alongside some experienced and dedicated event professionals.
Get to plan and manage events from conception through to delivery - as long as you're up for it and we feel you're capable.
Get to work on a range of challenging events.
Potentially get exposure to some international events and clients.
Possibly be able to continue working with us part-time once you've returned to college. Most of our previous placement students went on to continue to work with us on a part-time basis.
Maybe get to attend some public training courses we run from time to time. You'll be involved in and attend any of the industry events we run, such as Talking Shop events, training etc.
Get to contribute to some industry initiatives. We like to get involved in projects that benefit the industry as a whole. We see you being involved in those during your time here.

There may be more opportunities etc. once you're here but not everything is confirmed yet re new events etc.

Who we want

We have a fairly good sense of the type of person that fits in well here and enjoys working with us. We know what we are like and we know the type of person who fits in well here with us.

You should be interested in variety. We work on ALL sorts of events and we allocate resources as necessary. It's likely you'll be working on some events you enjoy more than others. That's how it goes.
You should be interested in being operational on events. We are office-based when we're planning but one of the things that sets us apart from others is that we are both strategic (planning) and operational (on the ground).
You should KNOW events are for you. We're not here to help you figure it out. We're here to give you opportunities to get stuck in and enjoy working on events.
You should be interested in what happens BEFORE the event day. A lot of the work we do is in the planning of events. We can spend a year planning an event that lasts one or two days. That's how the industry works. You need to be interested in that part of the process too.
You should be happy to speak up. We want you to be confident in yourself. You're learning - we all are - but we want you to know what you know and be happy to learn the rest. Your opinion is as valid and your idea is possibly better than ours so don't be afraid to pitch it in.
You should be comfortable with confidentiality. A lot off what we do involves being privy to confidential information. You will have to sign Non-Disclosure Agreements and similar. This is part of how it all works.
You should be happy getting stuck in. Some days that means helping us pack Vulnerable Person Wristbands and going to the post office with them. Other days it will mean putting deployment cards together for an upcoming event. Still other days you might be with us in a Statutory Agency Meeting for a large-scale event.

There are a few things that might make you stand out specifically. They include:

Full, clean driver's licence.
Graphic design skills. Adobe Illustrator / InDesign etc.
CAD skills.
Interest in the safety side of events.

If any of the 4no. points above apply to you be SURE they're clear in your application.

We often think we know who we want and we've been regularly surprised. Some of our best Team members would not have looked like that on paper. Do yourself justice and if you think you're a good fit, convince us.

What we do

Below is a snapshot of what we have worked on in 2019.

We expect 2020 to be quite similar, with hopefully a few new pieces of work too.

Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann
Dublin Pride
Government of Ireland Village, National Ploughing Championships
Wild Lights at Dublin Zoo
Top Flight / TodayFM Ski Trip, Austria
Flavours of Fingal
National Day of Commemoration
Ballinasloe Fair & Festival
National Play Day
Mother Block Party
Women's Mini Marathon
NDC @ the National Ploughing Championships
Malahide Festival
Christmas Market at Dublin Castle
Visit of US President, Donald Trump
Finglas Fright Night
Liberties Festival
Ceremony of Remembrance
Numerous private events
Events in Saudi Arabia

On some events, we plan and manage them from start to finish. ON others we are specifically involved on the planning and safety side of things, working alongside key delivery partners for a client. We're comfortable either way and we will need you to be also.

Who we are

Cuckoo Events has been in business over 7 years now.In 2017 we introduced a new brand within Cuckoo called Safe Events, under which we conduct our large-scale event planning, management and safety work. So, while we specialise in Crowd and Event Safety, there is a wide range of events on which we work as Cuckoo, where we look after the programming and content etc. too.

The majority of our work is currently done under the Safe Events brand.

You can find out more about us on www.cuckoo.ie and www.safeevents.ie

We're far from your typical event management company or corporate environment. We enjoy ourselves at work but we get the work done. If you're looking for a traditional office environment then we're not for you.

If you're looking to take get some real-world experience in events with some of the most dedicated event professionals around then we may be a good option for you.

A little advice

Take a look around our websites over at Cuckoo Events and Safe Events. Look at the kind of work we do and see does it excite you.

Do yourself justice. If we're the right fit for you, then show us. We get unsolicited approaches for work every day of the week and when we advertise something we get a LOT of applications. You need to stand out.

CVs and cover letters are standard. If that's the path you choose then have a read of this article we put together a while back.

We're very picky. We trust our instincts. If we don't think you're right for us that doesn't mean you won't have a superb career in this industry. We've had people who didn't suit us that have gone on to work with high-profile event management companies here in which they fit much better than they would have with us.

The details

The role will be normally based at our HQ on Francis Street in Dublin, 9 to 5 each day.

The deadline for expressions of interest for this is 5pm on 6th December 2019.

Please include 2020 Placement Opportunity in the subject line of your email or on the envelope etc. This is VITAL.

You can send whatever you want in support of your application to mark@safeevents.ie or to the office at 79 Francis Street, Dublin 8, D08 E9F4.

We will be looking to bring people in to meet with us the week commencing 9th December then and hopefully offering the placement to the right person.

It'd be a nice Christmas present for the right person.

Good luck!