Bachelor student Hotel and Event Management Maureen Boels is doing her internship at what she calls “the most awesome festival in the world”, Tomorrowland. “In the last few days before the festival, the crew and I are working non-stop 24 hours a day. During my internship, I am responsible for, among other things, the planning of the construction and for everything that is needed for the festival grounds, from the floors to the sets.”
The best festival in the world
Doing her internship at Tomorrowland is like a dream come true for Maureen: “I attended the festival myself a few times, but I never dreamed of being able to do my internship here. I always said I wanted to work here at some point. With the help of my network, I got to talk with the right person and the people at ID&T Belgium looked at the possibility of offering me an internship position. That is fantastic, of course. Tomorrowland is often described as the best festival in the world and I could not agree more. It is fantastic here.”
Working hard until the last moment
ID&T offered Maureen a ton of responsibilities from day one. When we talk to her, she is still hard at work on all the preparations. One of her tasks involves the planning of the construction. She is also involved in arranging everything needed to dress up the festival grounds, from the floors to the sets. “From 20 June, I will spend a full month on the festival grounds. I make sure everything is going as planned and help where needed. I am on standby from the day the campsite is opened to guests. Beforehand, I make sure to familiarise myself with the entire site and understand how the various structures work. The crew is a very close-knit team and I feel right at home here.”
Ambitions in the event sector
Maureen did not choose the Hotel and Event Management bachelor programme on a whim: “After completing my level-4 Hotel Management vocational training course at Tio, I wanted to continue my studies. I think you should do what you are passionate about – something you are willing to work hard for no matter how tough it gets. For me, that is festivals. After completing my studies, I would like to work behind the scenes of major events and festivals. That requires a lot of professional experience, though. This internship is an excellent step in the right direction.”
Accelerated studies at Tio
Maureen completed Tio’s secondary Hotel Management programme in just two years. Because she loves festivals so much, she then enrolled in the Hotel and Event Management bachelor programme. “In between, I attended the hotel management programme in Maastricht for a year, but that was not right for me. I dropped out and got a job at an organisation that rents out material to festivals. That is when I discovered that I wanted to work in the event sector. Because I lost some time during that year, I love the fact that I can complete the Hotel and Event Management bachelor programme in less time. I feel right at home here because of Tio’s flexibility and small-scale nature. I would honestly recommend it to anyone.”
Follow Maureen on LinkedIn.