By Hanna Pechmann and Sophie Weirather (4HLKa)

The most important skills in the field of event management are practical experiences and social communication. On January 9^th and 10^th, 4HLKA and 5HLKA participated in an Erasmus+ workshop which focused precisely on these skills. Experts from Slovenia and Germany (Hamburg) provided us with valuable insights into conflict management and leadership in the cultural field.

On the first day, Damián Morán Dauchez from the International Maritime Museum Hamburg worked with us on worst-case scenarios using the example of a reading in the museum itself. He confronted us with difficult challenges. For example, all team members were absent and we had to manage the whole event on our own. It felt like solving a puzzle and prepared us for potential similar situations in our future careers. Sometimes the wording of the assignments was a little complicated and they could have been prepared better. Working on the same project for nearly eight hours was quite demanding and tiring, but nevertheless we gained useful learning outcomes in problem-solving as well as in intern and extern communication.

On the second day, Maja Drobne and Borut Jermen from the association PiNA in Slovenia offered us creative and diverse ways to become good leaders, who know how to motivate and involve their employees. They used different interactive formats, like presentations, theatre methods for bonding and team building, fictional scenarios, building Lego settings, giving pitches and more. We really appreciated Maja und Borut’s commitment and their friendly interaction with us. The main focus of this workshop lay on fictional projects the students planned in groups of three. We had the opportunity to apply our knowledge of event management gained at school and designed logos, flyers, Lego floor plans and a concept for the events. It was very entertaining and well-structured, so that through a variety of activities, the leadership topic was repeatedly built upon and referred to.

These Erasmus+ workshops were useful and well received by the students, as they provided first-hand insights into the professional life in the cultural field. Also, confident speaking and presenting was encouraged and in this open and very friendly atmosphere, we were motivated to contribute our own ideas without hesitation.