Ashley McGovern

Responsibilities

At Iowa State's Memorial Union Student Engagement Office, I serve as the Activities Director for WinterFest, an annual event held on the first Friday of December to celebrate the winter season. Through this role, I assist in planning and implementing several WinterFest activities, including ice skating and chair massages, establish and maintain relationships with different vendors and campus partners, reserve all the necessary rooms and spaces for our event, as well as for meetings we have, supervise the event volunteers, and complete the event authorization process. Additionally, I assist with the financial aspects of our event, including collaborating with the treasurer to stay within budget for our activities and initiating sponsorship leads and interactions with various businesses, specifically those in the Ames area.

Accomplishments

One of my greatest accomplishments during my internship experience was successfully securing and establishing vendor relationships with the ice arena and the event coordinator for Massage by Design, our vendor for chair massages. Ice skating and chair massages are two of the most popular activities at WinterFest, consistently drawing a large crowd and being enjoyed by many attendees. Therefore, it was crucial to build strong vendor relationships and communicate effectively with them to secure these activities and ensure they take place at our event. For that reason, this is one of my most significant accomplishments, as securing two of the most popular activities for WinterFest will not only contribute to a successful event but also attract and retain a large audience and ensure a positive experience for all our guests.

Learning experience

One of the most valuable lessons I've learned from this experience is the importance of effective communication with vendors. Through this role, I've had to communicate extensively with vendors to inquire about their availability, costs, and other important details, as we rely heavily on outside vendors for our event activities. Therefore, it is essential to communicate clearly and assertively while maintaining a formal tone to build relationships with vendors, gather all the necessary information, and overall get them interested in participating in our event. Additionally, I've learned the importance of prioritizing needs and wants for our event, as we have a specific budget to adhere to, which means not every idea we have can be implemented. Therefore, it is essential to prioritize activities to ensure that we provide the best and most enjoyable activities for everyone involved, while also being cost-efficient.

What advice would you give?

One piece of advice I have for future students is learning to be flexible and willing to adapt when necessary. Often, within the event industry, various issues can arise during the event itself, such as last-minute cancellations or technology failures. Therefore, it is essential to be flexible, as you must be willing to adjust different elements of the event to accommodate and address the problem, ensuring the issue is resolved and doesn't negatively impact the event or the guest experience. Additionally, it is important to build upon your communication skills and learn how to communicate clearly, assertively, and formally because within the event industry, you will be communicating with many different groups of people, such as vendors and team members, and communicating effectively ensures everyone is on the same page, allowing for a smooth event.