New In The Job

…in Auckland tourism.

What’s the appointment? From next year, Graham Rouse will be the event design and development manager for Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED).

What’s the job he’s leaving? Since 2008, Mr Rouse has been Emirates Airline’s events manager.

What does an event manager do, exactly? Manage events…

Ha ha. But what kind of events? Quite a mix. Some were to promote new features or services Emirates was introducing. Others were events that Emirates was sponsoring.

So what got him interested in the role? Being Emirates’ events manager has meant a lot of travel for Mr Rouse. Though his family live with him in Dubai, his role at Emirates does require a lot of travelling. “I can’t wait to get back home with my family,” he said. “Dubai is a really interesting place to live, but I don’t think it’s somewhere I’d ever be able to call home, no matter how long I lived here.”

And why Auckland? Isn’t the biggest event over now? He already had strong connections with Auckland’s business and community sector, after working in New Zealand between 2001 to 2008. While he said that, yes, the World Cup was now over, Mr Rouse said this was an exciting time for Auckland, due to the creation of the Super City, the approval of a major events strategy, improved infrastructure and an World Cup-fuelled appetite for major events.

Where has he worked previously? Mr Rouse has worked as a marketing manager for both ASB Bank and Tourism Auckland. He first worked for UK travel company Bridge the World as a product manager.

So how did he move from there into events? At Bridge the World, Mr Rouse started off in sales. “I was ok at it, but – I’d be the first to admit – not the most ruthless person. I’d majored in marketing, and I had a lot of interest in that side of the business.” When an opportunity came up to move into a more marketing-focused area, Mr Rouse went for it. “And that sort of launched my marketing career.”

And where did this all start? With a degree in business studies from the business school at the Bournemouth University. “Absolutely no relevance to events whatsoever.” Though he did say there were aspects – such as project management – that have had carried through. “Hands-on experience is absolutely irreplaceable. Anyone can get a degree, but not everyone can take that and perform in the workplace.”