Tomorrow's Talent: Max Klein, Diabetes UK

How did it feel when you found out you were one of the winners of Tomorrow’s Talent?

It was lovely to find out that I had been selected as one of the winners and it was actually a bit of a shock as the nomination was carried out by a member of my team, so I had no idea that I’d even been nominated! That for me made it feel even more special and I’m so happy to be winning the award, but also to support The Meetings Show in encouraging other young event professionals to develop within the industry.

What first attracted you to working in events?

My first experience of working in events was during my time at college. I was studying a business diploma and we had an events module where we were required to hold a fundraising event for a local charity, for which we carried out a raffle, had local musicians perform and a dinner. I had been assigned the lead role for this and it was a total lightbulb moment for me of realising that this was my calling and that from that, I knew that I wanted to work within the events industry. I then started to volunteer at local events to gain further experience and went on to study Event Management at University and have never looked back!

What do you love most about your job?

What I love most about my job and about the industry in general, is getting to see your work in motion. There’s nothing more fulfilling than seeing all your hard work pay off on-site at the event of which you don’t get with many other job types. There’s such a feel-good feeling when you see your attendees happy and smiling and enjoying themselves to know that a lot of that is down to you and all your work! 

If you could change one thing about the events industry, what would it be?

If I could change one thing about the industry, it’d be to develop the awareness to those outside the industry of what us event professionals actually do. I feel as though so many people don’t understand the industry – and the hard work that goes with it – so often presume that all we do is organise parties.

What are you most looking forward to about The Meetings Show this year?

The Meetings Show is always a highlight for me. It’s such an amazing place to network with others within the industry, but also the best place for supplier hunting and learning opportunities.

What are your ambitions for the next five years?

I’m really looking forward to seeing what happens over the next 5 years and I’m keen to see where my current role at Diabetes UK takes me. I’d be interested to work on international events in the future, but who knows where I’ll be!

Do you have any advice or top tips for people just starting out in events?

My advice for those who are just starting out in the industry is to do all you can to lend a hand, or volunteer at different events to get a rounded insight into different event types and the associated roles. This will also provide you with great experience to move into a variety of different event roles and being on-site at events is great fun anyway! I learned so much from my time volunteering too and continue to volunteer at events even with a full-time job when I can.