From organizing study fairs in the United Kingdom to welcoming thousands of new students to Groningen, ever since I finished university my career has been about creating meaningful connections through events. 

Hi there! My name is Samantha, I work as an event manager for two teams at the University of Groningen. Each team has its own focus, allowing me to organize both student-focused events as well as corporate gatherings. I joined the university in late 2014 as a member of the Marketing & Recruitment team. Fun fact: I first met my future UG colleagues while organizing study abroad fairs in the UK!

Over the past decade, my role has evolved from attending events and recruiting students to organizing internal events. The first event I took full responsibility for was the international Welcoming Ceremony, held twice a year to greet incoming new international students. It’s an event that remains dear to my heart. As an event manager, my job involves much more than simply organizing an event. It’s about anticipating everything that makes an event run smoothly—from floor plans and signage to catering, disabled access, and backup plans for bad weather. Every detail matters.

I followed quite a straight path from my studies to my career. After earning my Master’s degree in International Events Management and interning with a large company in London, I knew event planning was the right field for me. Five years ago, however, I began questioning whether working solely for the university was my ultimate career goal. 

The answer was no. 

My interest in the wedding industry was sparked when I volunteered for a wedding fair during my time at university in Leeds. Being an event planner at heart, the link to wedding planning was made quite quickly. The precision and care required to plan someone’s wedding (as most couples only do it once!) resonated with my skill set. Still, I hesitated to take the leap as I’m not really a risk taker and was worried about potential failure. Through participating in Younglink Grow (an initiative by Noorderlink helping young professionals with their professional dilemmas) and working with an assigned mentor I realized that, with the right preparation, starting my own business alongside my university job was possible. So I took the plunge. 

Five years and about 25 weddings later, I can confidently say there’s always room to explore, grow and discover what excites you. I’m incredibly grateful to have found a way to combine two jobs I very much enjoy: organizing events at the university and running my own wedding planning business. I’ve participated in UG courses like ‘aan de slag met je talent’ and have recently taken a soft skills assessment; these have helped me confirm I’m (still) on the right path. Professional interests and goals can evolve, and I think it’s important to stay open to new opportunities. Most recently I’ve been involved in setting up a Corporate Events Team pilot project with 3 other colleagues, aimed at centralizing corporate events and lifting the events to a higher level. I’m excited to see where this initiative leads! 

Over the past 12 years in my professional life I’ve organized well over 70 events, and whether it’s managing university events or planning weddings I’ve learned that curiosity, communication and adaptability are key. There’s always room to grow, take on new challenges and create something extraordinary. 

This blog will be passed on to Bas Teunissen.