Each week we will focus on a StandOut individual who has been extraordinary within the events industry. This week it is Nazeem Ali, marketing manager at Manchester Pride. Nazeem was nominated by Sian Bennett, a previous #EPOTW.

How did you get into the events industry? Where has your career taken you and what roles have you enjoyed?

I got the events bug running an exhibition when I was 19 and still a student. I had a branded t-shirt, a walkie-talkie and a dream! COVID got in the way of things, but as the lockdowns eased, I had the chance to run some events at the Manchester Academy venues. The most exciting one was a charity fashion show fundraising for Ukrainian Aid. For the last two years, I’ve been on the marketing team for Manchester Pride, helping to deliver one of the biggest LGBTQ+ festivals in the world.

As a marketing manager, my role is to make sure all of the amazing work that the wider team and our communities do is shouted about. This can be anything from promoting our monthly community sessions to spotlighting our grants’ recipients who run grassroots events and projects across the city region, to promoting Manchester Pride Festival and making sure everyone knows what an incredible programme it has, and how it directly benefits the LGBTQ+ community.

What is it about your job that you love doing?

Learning. I learn so much from everyone around me every day. We’re a team of people with varied lived experiences. Everyone is so talented and so committed to our shared goals. I’m reminded daily of the importance of the work I do.

What’s been the stand out moment of your career so far?

Interviewing the absolute legend Natasha Bedingfield after her Manchester Pride Festival set for our socials last year. She was so nice!

What’s been your biggest achievement? Equally, what have you done that you can now look back on and be super proud of due to its challenges

My career didn’t get off to the start I was expecting. My first proper job was when there were no events, and no one was going outside, so I was working at a university doing things like sifting through web pages to check links still worked. I wasn’t feeling inspired, I didn’t know what to do with myself or how to get into work I was passionate about. My biggest achievement is that I made it here with everything that was against me.

What key pieces of advice would you give to someone starting in events?

Don’t burn out, and don’t try to do everything on your own. Also, put yourself out there; try to say yes and worry about the logistics later. In my case, I was privileged enough to be able to do some volunteering with Manchester Pride before I started working here which told me everything I needed to know about the charity and convinced me to apply for a full-time role on the team.

Where do you see yourself heading? For example, is there an event that you would love to work on but haven’t?

I’d love to do Primavera Sound one day! They always get their marketing on point, the line-up is always spot on too and it really comes through how carefully they craft the programme to platform under-represented communities. I say all this, I’ve never actually been though – Primavera team, hit me up!

If you would like to nominate someone for #EventProf of the week, please email marketing@standoutmagazine.co.uk.