Saturday night's all right for DMU students!

Leicestershire CCC and De Montfort University are engaged in a unique partnership that has given students some exciting opportunities over the years.

However, one chance arose this year that has never happened in the past - the chance to work in the staging of a concert headlined by Sir Elton John!

As part of De Montfort University’s Frontrunners Internship, two 22-year-old final year students have gained an insight into event management through six-month internships.

Robert Berezowy and Alice Cuesta-Sarris have been working alongside the club’s Operations team and concert promoters Marshall Arts as the Fischer County Ground, Grace Road prepares for the biggest non-cricketing logistical experience ever seen.

Robert, an Arts & Festival Management student from Hertfordshire, explains the breadth of experience that he has developed.

He said: “I have been fortunate enough to be able to help Leicestershire CCC put on a concert for Sir Elton John, which is amazing seeing as that will be on my CV without even finishing university yet. 

“I've learnt so much already ranging from the amount of toilets needs per 100 people all the way up to discussing with the fire brigade about how much space they need to get a fire engine though. I've also been able to take the theory I've learnt in lectures and apply them to this very real situation. 

“I think that the best parts of this role are yet to come. The moment Sir Elton John walks on stage and the crowd cheer, and then when he walks off stage and the crowd start to leave, I can sit down with everyone from the club and just say 'we did it!' They are both going to be amazing feelings.” 

Alice is studying digital marketing and social media at De Montfort University and said that she has felt a big part of the planning for the gig.

She said: “I undertook a marketing placement at Volkswagen Head office. And the experience I gained in this placement year supported my application for an events coordinator role at Leicestershire County Cricket Club’s ground.

"The Elton John concert is the first musical event at the cricket ground and a great opportunity to gain experience. The team there have kept us very involved and in the first month we were already participating in meetings with the council as well as external agencies. It is an exciting role and I have particularly enjoyed working with the team to develop solutions for the upcoming event.” 

Leicestershire CCC Commercial Director Jim Overend said the club is massively benefitting from the hard work that Rob and Alice are putting in.

He said: “They are both a pleasure to work with and have been doing some vital work for us on what is an exciting event for us. The concert is huge in terms of operations and logistics and we are grateful for the support and expertise that Rob and Alice are giving us. They have got stuck into everything we have asked and we couldn’t ask any more of them.”

For more information on the DMU Frontrunners internships, please visit the website HERE

* Rob and Alice are pictured with Jim and Jack Bradley, the club's Membership & Ticketing Sales Manager. Thanks to Redpix for the photograph.