On a cold and dreary May morning I set off at the rather early hour of 7am to attend the very first PA Life training day.
PA Life had chosen Emirates Stadium for the venue and I have to say, as someone who has never been a huge football fan, I was surprisingly impressed by the stadium. It’s size alone was magnificent; little did I know the best was yet to come!
The welcome from the PA Life team was nothing short of fantastic. Every single one of them greeted me with a huge welcoming smile. I felt excited to be there.
Michael’s presentation was very detailed and I think each PA would have taken something different away depending on their role and how they could apply it to their events.
Within moments of being shown into the stadium I was offered coffee and croissants, which was a perfect way to start.
The day was made up of a morning and afternoon training session, the subjects of which I had chose in advance. First up was ‘Organising, Planning and Running Events’ presented by Michael Foreman.
Michael started the session by giving each of us the opportunity to introduce ourselves and state what we would like to learn most during the morning. Our objectives were noted on a board which made it clear our requirements were important to him and he was committed to covering each point.
Michael’s three hour session was extremely informative covering everything from meeting strategy to budgeting, from venue finding to programme design. We were able to stop Michael at any point and ask questions which made for a comfortable environment and a tailored session. Michael’s presentation was very detailed and I think each PA would have taken something different away depending on their role and how they could apply it to their events.
The PA Life team should be proud of their training day. Great content, delicious cakes, lovely group of PAs and a unique venue.
The morning was broken into two parts, with an opportunity at the half way mark for more coffee and even more cake. Perfect.
Lunchtime meant more food and gave us a great opportunity to meet the large number of PAs. The food was great and the company was even better. I met some lovely ladies who had come from a wide variety of professional backgrounds.
Next up was the afternoon’s session ‘Efficient Time and Project Management’ run by the wonderful Cory Cook.
Cory created a brilliant interactive session, which felt more like an ongoing conversation between everyone in the room than a training session. Cory’s presentation was very practical and her advice was easy to apply to your working day.
A lot of PAs shared the different problems they experienced at work and it was a great to feel like I wasn’t alone in the struggles I face. We were able to offer each other advice and I took some really great pointers away with me.
The day finished with the opportunity to take a tour around the stadium. This was not something I had originally signed up for but now inside the stadium, I was very keen to tag along.
The tour was a 10 out of 10. Our tour guide was a star and was armed with all sorts of facts and figures which made it all the more entertaining.
The PA Life team should be proud of their training day. Great content, delicious cakes, lovely group of PAs and a unique venue.
If you’re a PA looking to network and pick up some useful pointers, this is the training day for you.
For more information visit: www.palife.co.uk
