How I Became - an Event Manager w/ Savina Fountain.

Welcome to the ‘How I Became’ series where Billie talks to girls across New Zealand who are killing it in their chosen career and see how they got there!

Trying to decide what you ‘want to be when you grow up’ is hard enough as it is and your careers counsellor probably won’t have all the answers you need.

HIB aims to give you a bit of insight into different career paths and what it takes to get there.

Name: Savina Fountain

Age: 40

Job title: General Manager

Current job: BIG FAN

Firstly, what drew you to event management?

I’ve always loved organising and being a details kind of person so kind of came naturally or as a bit of a fluke really..! I started off organising my band’s shows and grew from there. I love the buzz you get from watching the crowd have the best night of their lives!

What did your pathway towards starting your career look like?

Trained and worked as a live sound engineer and that was my first proper job in the industry. From there I’ve sort of been a ‘jack of all trades’ and have worked in a lot of different areas of the music and events industry from music publishing and music supervision to specialising in venue and event management.

What did you study/where/how long did it take?

Cert Live Sound and Event Production and Diploma in Music and Event Management - Both were at MAINZ (RIP!)

What’s the best thing about your job?

Watching people grow and follow their passion – whether that be our team, or the creatives that come through our doors.

What’s the hardest part?

We have so many amazing ideas as a team so finding enough hours in the day to do all the things we want to achieve!

What surprised you most about your job once you started working?

Not sure if it’s surprising but it’s SO heartwarming how many wonderful people out there believe in BIG FAN and have shown us so much aroha, support and guidance along the way.

What does an average day look like for you?

As we have only opened our doors 6 months ago, the general theme to my days is coming up with processes for how we run our operations and lots of future planning. I like regular ‘check ins’ with our lovely team to make sure everyone’s happy and if anyone needs any support or guidance from me. Our team is super capable and self-driven though so most days I’m surplus to requirements..! No day is the same but that’s what I love about this tiny but mighty industry we have here in Aotearoa.

What advice would you give to those looking to follow a similar career path?

Be kind to everyone you meet along the way - It’s how everyone really should be in their everyday life but I truly believe that this is the number one thing that will help anyone in their career. It’s all about people and the connections you make.

Do the mahi, get the treats! Work hard at everything you do, no matter how simple or mundane the task – there is always something to be learnt so use every and any opportunity.

What are the biggest challenges in your opinion to getting into event management?

It’s a hard industry to get your foot in the door without any experience, so I guess the biggest challenge is getting that opportunity to get first-hand experience and for someone to take a chance on you.

What kind of skills does your job require?

For my current role, it’s the kind of skills everyone needs for their daily life these days - time management, budgeting, financial acumen, and people skills. I’m always learning and improving on all of these skills!

What part of your job gives you the most satisfaction?

Love seeing different creatives from all walks of life meet each other and making connections in our communal spaces between studio sessions. An artist playing their first ever performance at our live music venue.

What has been an absolute highlight of your career?

As far as my career goes, there are two shows that I truly won’t forget - Prince in 2016 which turned out to be one of his last ever shows he performed and a record-breaking 3 concerts with Adele in 2017 at Mt Smart Stadium. As incredible as it was working on these amazing shows, the most heartwarming experience has been bringing through the next generation of creatives and people who work behind the scenes with our Ignite programme which launched at BIG FAN this year.

What’s an unexpected element to your job that people don’t realise you have to do?

Not sure if it’s unexpected but I do love cleaning our toilets – we’re a team that all gets stuck in and enjoy just focussing on one thing for a ‘break’ ☺

Describe your job in three words

Aroha, heartwarming, team!