We caught up with David Nagles who completed a two-week work placement at Church House Westminster this week. The 19-year-old student from Westminster Kingsway College is a third-year Business Finance student.
During his work placement, David spent most of his time with Head of Marketing, Elana Kruger, and Head of Business Development, Marina Papadopoulou, learning about the sales and marketing activities of the Westminster venue. On the days when the venue was hosting events, David supported the venue’s catering team, observed the AV production technicians, and helped the porters to set up event spaces.
Why business finance?
I love the mathematical side of things. I have a natural instinct in terms of interpreting numbers. With my Colombian/Spanish heritage, English was a bit of a challenge, so instead, I opted to focus on numbers.
What are your plans after this year, which is your final year?
I am planning to study Accountancy at a university.
What were your expectations for the work placement?
To be honest, I wasn’t expecting too much, but in the two weeks here, I’ve discovered a world beyond business finance. It was amazing to see how events are planned and executed. Trust me, there’s a lot more than meets the eye. The experience has given me a real behind-the-scenes look at all the working parts and how everyone works together to make it happen. Marketing has piqued my interest and together with sales I’ve discovered how important creative thinking is.
What surprised you the most at Church House Westminster?
How friendly the team was, as a tight-knit unit, communicating effectively and working together in a fun way. I must also mention the building, which is so rich in history. It just adds an extra layer of storytelling if you host an event here. I also had a site visit at a nearby venue and it was an eye-opener to see how the event industry is so connected, which makes it easy to collaborate in that sense.
What are your impressions of the event industry?
It was surprising to see how incredibly hard they work and the pride they take in delivering events. Then again, if you think of the guests who visit here for events, I can see why. In the two weeks I was here I managed to see a number of MPs, as well as Lord Boateng and the Archbishop in the Assembly Hall.
Church House Westminster is committed to raising awareness of the event industry within its local Westminster community and offers a warm welcome to new talent who may be considering a career in hospitality. Check out our recruitment page for current job roles.
For more information please do get in touch with us via our contact form or give us a call on 020 7390 1590 to discuss your event.