Last year, I got chance to do an internship at TEDx, as a curator for TEDx at St Stephens College.

My task mainly revolved around planning the event. For example, who will be the speakers, the location of the event, arrangement for speakers etc. Trust me, managing it was a big endeavor that I will always cherish.

I read somewhere that human resource is the greatest asset. I truly realized the impact of this sentence during this internship. Optimal utilization of such a valuable resource is necessary and you can do that by collating ideas and working hard to convert them into a reality.

The first step which our team took was the recruitment of staff and volunteers who were competent enough to make sure the event is a success.

Next step was to choose a suitable place. This is such a critical component for an event’s success. Our College auditorium was the best spot.

The last step was to make a list of a bunch of speakers whom we can approach. We also had to do related tasks such as inviting the speakers, rehearsals, branding, and promotions, pre-event and post-event engagements, sponsorships, and partnerships.

Overall, the experience was awesome for my team and me. Here are a few things I learned:

1. Event Management needs one to get engaged from the core, to make it successful, to make it big. That kind of involvement is hard to manage. Somehow I managed it and I think it will help me in the long run.

2. It helped me with my academic, career and personal development.

3. It helped me in gaining new skills and increase my knowledge base. More than anything else, it helped build my confidence.

4. It taught me to be reliable, trustworthy and responsible.

5. I learned how to work in a team.

6. It developed my networking skills as I made contact with mentors and references.

The success of an event depends on each person doing their job to a high standard, at the correct time and in the right place. It requires flexibility and cross-team coordination. This is tougher than it may seem, and interning at such an event definitely opened my eyes to many things.