Meet Mollie Baihn, conference and events executive at Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour.

How long have you been in the events industry?

I started working in the events industry in 2017 during my first year at university and have consistently looked for different events to work on since then to increase my knowledge base.

Where did you start your career?

My first roles in the events industry were volunteer positions at large events such as Australian Fashion Week and Oz Comic Con.

These positions were great as they allowed me to better understand the functions and responsibilities of each role when planning and executing events, particularly those of a large scale with multiple stakeholders.

What does your role involve, and what projects are you working on?

We are next door to ICC Sydney, and I primarily work and assist with managing corporate, residential conferences as well as large incentive-based groups.

Most recently, I worked on a large-scale event that ran for a week with 26 individual events occurring during this time.

What is the best thing about your job?

The people you meet and the everyday change of pace. No day is the same and there is always someone around to share those new experiences with.

What advice would you give to someone entering the events industry?

I would tell anyone entering the events field that you should always ask questions and observe what is going on around you, even if it is not your role.

While it can be overwhelming at times, the knowledge and experience you gain by simply observing how those around you in the same or other roles approach their tasks and overcome obstacles is a great way to prepare yourself for any surprises.

It can set you up for success no matter the role you are working in.

Have you had any major event disasters?

In late 2023, as we were moving into the peak of summer, we experienced a power outage in Darling Harbour while operating an event in our Magnifique Ballroom. This led to a short period where we were without electricity mid-event.

Thankfully, the hotel was able to bring our essential services back online quickly, however the audiovisual services took longer to come online again.

The event organisers were incredibly understanding of the situation, and with their assistance, as well as the hard work of our operations and culinary team, we provided a short catering break while we troubleshot the issues.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learnt during your career?

Attention to detail is key. The smallest details are always the easiest for an event planner and client to miss, particularly for large-scale events. These can often lead to an awkward conversation on event day.

Going through all the details provided and ensuring you have discussed them with the client is crucial to ensuring everyone is on the same page ahead of time, and it avoids any nasty surprises.

Where is your ultimate bucket list event destination?

Singapore or Tokyo.