The Power of Events unites industry to deliver new Experience of Work programme

The Power of Events is proud to announce it has secured funding through a
Purple Guide Grant to support the setup and delivery of 500 Experience of
Work opportunities.

Experience of Work is The Power of Events’ response to the growing need for
accessible, compliant and meaningful industry exposure for young people. Designed
as the next stage to the on-going successful Schools Engagement Programme, the
initiative gives young people the opportunity in peer groups to step inside real event
environments across a day’s programme and experience first-hand the breadth of
careers available.
Over the last few months, pilot Experience of Work opportunities have already been
delivered in partnership with The O2, PLASA and THE·TEAM, with a number of
additional programmes currently in the pipeline as industry support for the initiative
continues to grow.
The Purple Guide Grant funding will specifically support opportunities connected to
the outdoor events sector, helping showcase the scale, creativity and diversity of
careers available.
As part of the programme’s continued growth, four other leading industry
associations have now formally pledged places towards the initiative, including MIA,
PSA, ABPCO and PLASA, demonstrating strong industry-wide commitment to
supporting meaningful opportunities for young people across the seven core event
sectors.
Members of these associations will be able to draw down against these pledged
places to support the delivery of Experience of Work opportunities within their
organisations and regions.
Alongside the support from industry associations, a growing number of organisers,
agencies, venues and suppliers from across the UK events industry are also
committing to delivering Experience of Work opportunities directly within their own
organisations.
Importantly, the programme has been designed to remove many of the traditional
barriers businesses face when engaging with young people. The Power of
Events will provide guidance, structure and support around safeguarding, school
liaison, risk assessment processes and programme delivery, helping organisations
participate in a manageable, measurable and impactful way.

An Experience of Work Toolkit will provide a step by step guide to make it as easy as
possible for businesses of all sizes to host a day’s programme of young people in
groups ranging from 5-50.
Launching formally in September 2026, with opportunities for young people expected
to begin as early as November, the programme is being developed in collaboration
with industry partners and informed through the pilot activity across venues, build
environments, agencies, warehouses and live events.
Experiences may include behind-the-scenes tours, interactive challenges, practical
activities, exposure to live builds and meaningful interactions with industry
professionals from across multiple disciplines.
Rick Stainton, CEO at The Power of Events said, “This funding is an incredibly
important step in helping us all create meaningful, accessible and inspiring
opportunities for young people to experience our industry first-hand.
The Events sector offers such a huge range of careers, skills and pathways, many of
which young people simply do not know exist. Experience of Work is designed to
change that by opening doors, building confidence and showcasing the incredible
people and environments that make our industry so special.
We are enormously grateful for the support of the Purple Guide and the other
Partner Associations and excited to work alongside businesses across the country to
bring these opportunities to life.”
Steve Heap, Events Industry Council said, “The directors and publishers of The
Purple Guide are very pleased to be able to support the amazing work of Power of
Events through this grant,” says Steve Heap, the Purple Guide Board Chair.
“If our outdoor events industry is to survive the challenges of the 21st century, we
must encourage young people into our workforce and one way to achieve this is
through hands-on experiences on our event sites. As well as training up the next
generation of event staff, we must also recognise the right time to step aside and
make way for their ideas and enthusiasm.
“Ours is a constantly evolving industry, which is reflected in the regular
improvements and updates to The Purple Guide and it is thanks to all those that
subscribe that we are able to provide funding for this very important project.”
Businesses interested in finding out more, exploring partnership opportunities or
expressing interest in accessing the fund can
contact: sophie@thepowerofevents.org

Get Involved
Businesses interested in learning more about the Experience of Work programme,
explore partnership opportunities or expressing an interest in accessing the fund can
contact:
Sophie Beasor
Head of Operations and Engagement, The Power of Events
sophie@thepowerofevents.org