Géraldine Schmidt

General Aviation and Air Sports show – June 1st-3rd 2007 [ 60 exhibitors – 12 000 visitors ]

Events coordinator of a 4 persons team: keeping track of assignments and deadlines

- Search for Partners : venue: airport ; logistics: booth installation and equipping ; security ; services : catering, accommodations, transports, extra activities ; communication & promotion: press, radio, TV

- Search for Sponsors (Champagne Winery, car dealers, press)

- Communications: conception of communication plan, media kit, brochure, informative documents; website updating

- Exhibitors management: prospecting, mailing, booking, assisting, informing, welcoming

>>>A multi-tasks job : heaps of work, a small team, few time. Skills required/developed: organization, coordination, stress management, project management, creativity and improvisation, dynamism, last minute/unforeseen management, being proactive, good social-promoting skills, positive attitude, fast learning

Sector: Aviation

CFCI NL = French Chamber of Commerce in the Netherlands
Development of economic and commercial relations between France and the Netherlands

- Dutch exhibitors canvassing for professional trade fairs in France (Salon du Meuble de Paris, Salon du Funéraire)
>> Exhibitors management : prospecting, mailing, assisting in application, booking, booth set-up, interpreting

- Providing services to French companies for their introduction on the Dutch market: market studies, prospects targeting, partnership research, agent recruiting

- Promoting the CFCINL on the French market by meeting companies potentially interested in the Dutch market, give them information & advice

- Networking events organization

>>> being bilingual Dutch/French but also familiar with both cultures and countries was very useful to be able to advise and give the best insight of both countries and markets.
Working in a small organization gives opportunity to do various tasks and also assist each other

Sector: Foreign Affairs - International Affairs

aMate Communications is a full-service agency specializing in public relations, investor relations, corporate relations, and marketing communications, mainly for IT industry firms. with 2 agencies one located in Boston and the other one in the Netherlands.

Daily basis:
Updating databases to find :
- speaking opportunities
- editorial calendars and journalist contacts,
- award opportunities
>> to promote our clients

Pitching journalists and setting up interviews between our clients and journalists was also part of my tasks to promote our clients and get news coverage

The Events Part:
I prepared, organized the participation/presence of :
- a Belgian (software) client on 2 trade fairs in Germany: CeBit, Drupa.
- a Dutch (high end audio) firm : High-End Society (Germany) ; Son et Images (Montreal, Canada)
>> Tasks: booth reservation/equipment, assembling the media kit, scanning/pitching of prospects/partners/journalists, inviting/arranging interviews with journalists, promoting the company, explaining the products

>>>A multi-tasks job requiring: organization, coordination, project management, creativity, improvisation, dynamism, being proactive, switching 5 languages, good social-promoting skills, understanding of technical high-end products, research, sales, individual & team work attitude, intercultural management

Sector: Public Relations and communication

Meneba Meel B.V. a grain derived products supplier.

I was in charge of three market surveys (France, UK, Germany) for a special type of product "Presco". It was basically a research of prospects and a market size analyse. Besides that I sat up a data base listing all type of products based on Meneba's cereals.
I also participated in the organization of an annual internal seminar gathering the European Commercial Managers. Which lead me to develop an "innovative project" designed to improve the internal communication and knowledge management within the company.

>> Skills developed during this job : independent work, research and analyze, management of project (suggestion, conception, organization, creativity), organization of events…

Sector: Agribusiness and agriculture

AGP (Ag Processing Inc) in Minneapolis-MN, Grain Trade Business.

I was doing research for the development of a grain traceability project. Therefore I had to contact traders of the different AGP offices in USA and Europe. This internship gave me the opportunity to discover the American way of business, to practice my English. Besides that, my other language skills were advantageous to get information from the European Market (Holland, Belgium, France).

>> Skills developed during this job : independent work - research of information (reliability of information) to include in the final report.

Sector: Agribusiness and agriculture