As Sinatra sang “And now, the end is near . . .” so it’s time for me to walk off into the sunset, away from the word of work. I do find myself looking back and, apart from all the obvious thanks and goodbyes to the people I have worked with over the years, I have given a lot of thought as to what I have achieved and the things that I am proudest of. Some of the events that we’ve run and the challenges that we’ve faced have been enjoyable and rewarding, but there is one aspect of my time at Millbrook that stands head & shoulders above the rest, and that is the young talent that I have had the immense honour to help to develop.
During my 20 years at Millbrook, I have had the privilege of driving forward our Undergraduate Placement and Graduate Recruitment scheme and I think it is only now (when I am walking away from it) that I realise just how passionately I feel about this. I have lost count of the number of Industrial Lectures I have delivered (as well as the number of students I have put to sleep as I talked!) and Placement events that I have attended, trying to drive young talent towards Millbrook for us to nurture. Our Undergrad Assessment Centres have always been one of my highlights of the working year and I am sure I will feel a little pang in February next year, when I know that the next one will be taking place.
To date, we have put 33 students through our placement process, with them subsequently completing their final year at university. Wherever possible we have brought them back into the business as Graduate Event Managers, or when this wasn’t possible, watching them being released “into the wild”.
The importance of education shouldn’t be underestimated and whilst our first choice, whenever we recruit for Event Managers, will be our previous undergrads, we will always specify an Event Management degree (with a placement year!) in the job description and will prioritise those applicants who have one. I have taken part in many “Education vs Experience” debates over the years and I firmly believe that anyone considering a career in our industry, should go down the degree route. The Events industry is exciting, fun and diverse, with a huge variety of roles, that can suit almost any personality type, ranging from the geeky, techie world of AV or registration systems, right through to the creative areas that make our events look and feel so amazing. Following the degree path, with an industrial placement is, I think, the best way find out how and where your future path lies in Events, as it will expose you to people, whose passion and expertise can guide you, and experiences that will help shape your understanding of the career paths available.
Over 50 Event Management undergraduates and graduates have passed through Millbrook during my time here and I have understood that Millbrook is just be another stop on their career path. It has been and will continue to be a source of immense pride to watch their development within our industry and I take great satisfaction from the fact that we were able to help these incredible people achieve success. I know that I have had the pleasure of working with some incredibly talented individuals, and on the basis that “cream always rises”, I am sure that they would have achieved great things, without Millbrook on their CV, but I am sure that it helped. Many of them have gone on to work for our clients and suppliers, leveraging that contacts that they made whilst here.
So, I do think that I have actually left a tangible legacy (who knew?) and I hope that those who have benefitted from their time at Millbrook, are as passionate as I am about industry and education partnering to help shape the future.
Lou Hindley, Commercial Director for CHS comments;
“Everyone at CHS congratulates Kevin Leaver from UTAC Millbrook on his well-earned retirement this Friday, ending an extraordinary career in the events industry.
Few leave a legacy that impacts the entire industry, shaping leading brands and occupying key leadership roles, but Kevin is one of those pioneers. His dedication to nurturing the next generation of industry leaders through the UTAC Millbrook Graduate program and his lectures on Events Management at universities across the UK has been truly remarkable.”
Before he takes a well-deserved rest, I want to thank him for being an incredible client, confidant, industry guide, and friend. Thank you, Kevin, and best wishes for your next chapter.
Kevin has been humble about his legacy. It took some convincing to share his story, but seeing the impressive list of careers he launched, I knew I had to hear his perspective on legacy and wanted to share this with you.”