Caitlynn Slaymaker

Responsibilities

Some of my internship responsibilities were being the point of contact for rental clients on the day of their event, assisting with the planning and implementation of both public events and private rentals, vendor coordination, time management skills, and communication skills. Along with these skills, I am expected to do set up and tear down for events or check the event staff work to ensure the set up was done according to the clients requests.

Accomplishments

The most significant accomplishment I had during my internship experience was having one of the most successful Garden Art Fairs ever put on at Reiman Gardens. From an hour into the event, you could see the excitement from the full-time staff because they already knew how successful this event was going to be. Garden Art Fair was one of the very first events I started working on with one of my supervisors. I believe all of the organization and preparation that my boss and I did before this event led to the event going smoothly and successfully!

Learning experience

One of the greatest lessons I learned from my experience as an intern is always to be flexible and thinking ahead of any issues that could arise. Events do not always go on schedule, technical difficulties exist, weather can create problems, and due to this, being flexible can immensely help when issues arise. One weekend we had an outdoor ceremony, and rain was in the forecast. At the last second, the couple decided to move the wedding inside. Due to the event staff and I's flexibility, we were ready for this, and we had a plan in place before the couple decided to move the wedding. If we weren't flexible and thinking ahead, we would have been in a race with time to get ceremony chairs put up.

What advice would you give?

One piece of advice I have for future students in my major is to be confident. In events, clients need to be able to trust their planner. When you have confidence, it allows the client to trust you and your ideas fully. Confidence can come through with your employer as well. When you voice your opinions confidently, your employer is more likely to listen to you and trust you truly.