Rugby World Cup 2015

We did it!!!


Well, I can’t believe I am writing this…but that’s it over. The 2015 Rugby World Cup has finished, the teams have gone home and I am ready to leave the office.

This has been an incredible year, I have so many memories and have made so many new friends that it’s hard to even put into words.

A highlight for me has to be when I was asked to carry the All Blacks flag on to the pitch for the final, standing next to the team as they sang their national anthem and the red arrows flew over our heads. Right at that moment I had a good feeling that the All Blacks were going to go all the way… and they did! It was a well deserved win from the best Rugby team in the World.

Another highlight, which will probably go down as the best sporting event I will ever attend was the Scotland v Australia game. Although we were robbed I can’t begin to describe the atmosphere and the pride I felt standing with my fellow Scots singing The Flower of Scotland. It’s a day I’ll never forget.

I am so incredibly lucky to have been a part of the England 2015 team, putting on what has been hailed as the Best Rugby World Cup ever. Sure there was blood, sweat and many tears but it was all immediately worth it when Richie McCaw lifted that trophy. The endless hours in the office, manic phone calls during the pool stages and having no life outside of Rugby was tough but not as tough as having to let it all go. One team one dream was our motto and what a team it was!

I have learned so much, met the most inspiring people and have had an experience I will remember forever. As they say, all good things must come to an end and although I am devastated to leave behind some great people I have no doubt that we will all work together again somewhere in the World, hopefully putting on another event as good as the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

Dealing with the Post-Event Blues!

One of the major down sides of working in events is the dreaded post event blues. You’ve worked tirelessly for months on end, made friends for life and have experienced almost every emotion possible and then just like that it’s all over. Everything you have worked so hard for is suddenly irrelevant and people have moved on.

It’s a horrible feeling and one that unfortunately comes with most big events! You actually miss waking up in the middle of the night worrying about barriers, miss the sound of your radio being constantly in your ear and you miss seeing your friends and colleagues every day. It’s especially difficult if you’ve had a longer contract and spent the last few years of your life dedicated to making it happen, only for it to end and you have no idea what to do with yourself or your new found time.

Now if you’re extremely lucky you may have a few days of rest then have another job lined up but for a lot of event professionals, one job can finish and you have no idea what you are going to do next. It’s a horrible feeling and one which unfortunately never gets any easier!

London 2012 closing ceremony

I wish I had some magic advice to help beat the post event blues but for me it happens every time I finish a contract, even on particularly difficult events. The only recommendation I have is to try and plan ahead - make sure you can support yourself financially and try where you can to start looking for a new job before your current contract has finished, even if it just means sending an expression of interest to future events. Keep an eye out for job postings and talk to your colleagues about their future plans, it might inspire you. 

Every time you finish a great event you find yourself wondering if you’ll ever have a job as fun again, or a team as supportive again but you just have to pick yourself up and start looking for new challenges. What I would say is to make the most of your time, look for new opportunities, perhaps ones you have never even thought of before. Get up early and use your time wisely, don’t sulk all day watching daytime TV and feeling sorry for yourself! Try a new sport or hobby, catch up with friends or go travelling, keep yourself busy and productive instead of staying inside all day.

Some people on the other hand may be delighted their event is over and never want to see any of their work colleagues again, however most of the time you secretly miss the crazy event life…which is why so many people stay in the industry and do it again and again! Event life as we all know is addictive and a little case of the post event blues isn’t enough to make us give it all up.

If anyone out there has any advice to beat the post-event blues be sure to let us know, I could definitely use a few tips!

Glasgow 2014 closing fireworks