Each week, we spotlight a StandOut individual who has made an extraordinary impact within the events industry. This week, we’re featuring Alfie Jourdan, events manager at Silverstone.

When did you realise that events were “your thing” and the career for you?

Although at the time I probably didn’t realise it, looking back I would say from around the age of 15. When I was a student at school, I remember putting together a proposal to take to the headmaster and other teachers to organise a fireworks night, with a loose budget and all! I remember going to my first festival which was Reading back in 2011 and thinking, this would be fun to organise something like this. Following that, it took a while for me to fully realise events was my thing and my career evolved naturally into it. I decided to take a gap year, which evolved into me going straight into my working career where I threw myself into every opportunity that came my way, and learnt my craft there. and I have loved it ever since!

Looking back over your career, what’s been the biggest lesson you have learned?

Respect those around you and always be willing to learn! Everyone in the events industry has their own specialist subjects that they excel in, trust them to do the job they are there to do and never think you know better than them when it is not your area of skills! Also, learn everyone’s story to help build on those connections, your book of contacts is more important than you think!

What are you working on at the moment?

At Silverstone, the events come thick and fast! As I’m writing this, we are in the run up to the British Grand Prix where it is all hands-on deck, and with it being my first Grand Prix, I am in awe at not only the scale of the event and speed which it is happening, but also the level of which everyone pushes themselves too to make it such a success. However, I am more predominately focused on out events that follow the British Grand Prix as we have a very busy second half to the year. Coming up we have MotoGP, CarFest, British Touring Car Championship, Christmas at Silverstone, and the recently announced return of the World Endurance Championship returning to Silverstone after a seven-year hiatus… that’s enough to keep me focused!

What trends in the events world are you most excited by right now?

The growing focus on the fan engagement in the experience of an event as a whole, rather than being ‘just a customer’ is something that I find really interesting. Where ticket prices are ever increasing, people are really focusing on wanting to get their money’s worth, both physically and emotionally. I am also loving the storytelling factor that is starting to grow within events, trying to grow that narrative from the first moment of a launch to fleshing out the story during a live event, to the post event comms is a really interesting idea that allows customers to feel more engaged and connected to not only the event, but also the people they experienced it with, after all there is nothing like a shared experience!

What’s your go-to “event day survival kit”?

I’d be mad if I didn’t start this with my coffee machine. For those that know me, know that my coffee machine is a staple of my desk when on an event site and that I run off of it! And maybe a kit kat chunky…

Do you have any on-site bugbears? Or What drives you mad on-site? 

In events, the hours are demanding, you sacrifice a lot, and you have to give it your all and work together as a team to get the job done and gates open in time. So, for me with that in mind, there is no time or space for egos. If you’re not willing to chip in and say yes to working together to get the task at hand complete, then that drives me mad. On a completely different note, untidy boneyards and abandoned buggies / vehicles!

Do you have any on-site rules that you live by?

Never ask someone to do something you wouldn’t be willing to do yourself! Where I can, I always try to do any job I can at least once to understand how the process works before asking anyone else to do it. Additionally, be there to greet your contractors in the morning with a smile, have those few minutes catching up with them first thing, sharing a quick laugh and joke. Plus getting out and about on-site during the day, as an event planner you should know that event better than most so it is easier to spot when something isn’t right before others, which then should give you more time to get ahead of any potential situations!

What do you do on site to keep morale high and your team motivated?

Your morale dictates the site morale. To me it is so important to ensure that no matter what you are up against (and we have all been there) that you don’t let this filter out to others on site. Get to know your contractors / colleagues and how they work, what drives them, and understand where their limits are. If you master this, it makes life a lot easier to approach someone, check in and offer that support where needed! Also, just simply being able to have a laugh in the right moment and relate to them with whatever situation they are dealing with.

What’s the next chapter in your events journey?

Having joined Silverstone at the start of this year, it has been incredible to get to learn the venue, the people and the events that they deliver! And that process is still ongoing. When I started here, I was told it would take a full year’s cycle to get that knowledge and they weren’t wrong. For me, next is getting fully rooted into the events here, and seeing how I can bring my knowledge and expertise to help better what is already here! Beyond that, who knows what the future holds, the event industry is forever rapidly changing with new opportunities that come and go all the time! Silverstone was always my goal, so now I am here I want to enjoy it whilst I can before focusing on what comes next!

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