Learning Plan of German Erasmus Marketing and Events Trainee Erijon Shumolli in Belfast
Spain, Italy, Greece and so on. Everyone knows about these places in Europe and especially when comes to escaping the cold spring in March, if you are from the North of Germany.
But Belfast in March? Not many expect to do that, but with my Erasmus+ I am able to take this adventure and start a new chapter from a base in Northern Ireland. My Erasmus+ journey is being hosted by Watson & Co. Chartered Marketing and TrainingMatchmaker.com
My name is Erijon Shumolli, I’m currently doing my apprenticeship as an Event coordinator for Motor racing and Events at the German Automobile Association (Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobile Club (ADAC))
Through the Erasmus+ program, I get to live and work in Belfast, Northern Ireland (UK) for a three week traineeship to learn new ways of promoting, preparing and hosting events, as well as all the necessary post-event marketing and admin fulfilment tasks.
I will be completing my traineeship at Watson & Co. Chartered Marketing, a business founded by Chartered Marketer Christine Watson. An exciting opportunity that gives me the chance to dive deeper into the world of marketing, expand my professional skills, and experience a new culture and working environment outside of my home country.
The main things that I wish to learn, during my time include ways to deliver events and marketing related tasks in a best practice way to maximise the impact and return on the investments made in events. I aim to deliver good physical events as well as digital events for the benefit of attendees, sponsors and to meet the objectives of the organisers too.
Learning Objectives
Event marketing and event support
• Supporting the preparation and organisation of marketing events and workshops
• Creating quality event materials such as delegate handouts, presentations and joining instructions
• Assisting with event set up, organisation and post event feedback analysis
• Learning how event marketing supports brand visibility and customer engagement
Digital marketing and social media
• Planning and creating social media content for Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn
• Scheduling posts using Meta Business Suite
• Understanding analytics and insights across social media platforms
• Learning how social media campaigns are planned and evaluated
Content creation and visual communication
• Creating visuals and marketing graphics using graphic design platform Canva – I plan to achieve as many Canva certificates as possible via Canva Design School
• Designing branded templates, presentations and event materials
• Understanding branding elements such as colour palettes, typography and visual identity
• Learning how visual content supports brand positioning and communication
Website and blogging
• Adding event pages and other website content
• Learning basic web design structures and WordPress blogging
• Writing short blog posts and event summaries for the website to leverage the event for future benefit
Photography and video for marketing
• Capturing better quality photos and short videos during events – I plan to attend the free in person workshop, in Belfast, on photography provided by Apple Today Workshop
• Learning how visual media is used for marketing and PR content
• Using tools such as the DJI recording device and smartphones for content creation – lots of learning via DJI
Marketing strategy and communication
• Understanding how marketing supports business development and networking
• Observing how marketing projects and campaigns are planned and implemented
• Learning about brand placement and user generated content strategies
• Learning about search engine and AI optimisation including how to use Yoast Places I wish to visit when living in Northern Ireland include:- St George’s Market, a popular local market with food and music
- Belfast City Hall, an important and beautiful building
- The Cathedral Quarter, known for pubs, street art, and nightlife
- The Oval Stadium, a must for every football fans
- Botanic Gardens, a nice park to relax
- Ulster Museum, with history, art, and science exhibitions
- Lough Neagh – largest lake in the UK
- Giant’s Causeway, a natural rock formation and UNESCO site
- Dark Hedges, a famous road with trees, seen in TV shows
- Dunluce Castle, old castle ruins near the sea
- Glenariff Forest Park, good for walking and nature
- Derry/Londonderry, a historic city with old walls and murals
Learning Experience About Erasmus+
As part of the Erasmus+ Programme, I get to avail of an exciting opportunity to take part in a professional internship abroad in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Erasmus+ is an EU-funded programme that supports education, training, youth, and sport across Europe. It promotes mobility by allowing students and young professionals to gain international work experience, develop intercultural skills, and improve their employability in today’s global job market.
Through this programme, I aim to enhance my language and professional skills, experience a new work culture, and broaden my personal and professional horizons.
Placement Support – Intern Europe
My internship was arranged and supported by Intern Europe, an organisation based in Belfast. Intern Europe specialises in organising structured internships for European students and graduates.
They support Erasmus trainees throughout the process from finding a suitable host company, providing cultural orientation and local guidance, assisting with accommodation and travel arrangements as well as offering personal and professional development tools during the stay.
About me:
My name is Erijon Shumolli, I’m currently 21 years old and I come from a small town in Lower Saxony, Germany. I like cars, especially motorsport and racing, which fits perfectly with my apprenticeship at the German Automobile Association (ADAC). It’s the largest automobile association in Europe and the second largest in the world, with over 22 million members.
