Hello! My name is Jenny, I’m a second-year Marketing with Psychology student and this year I took part in the Two + Two marketing event held in Manchester!

So what actually is Two + Two and is it for me?

Running on its 5th year, it’s an annual event organised to bring together marketing and creative students, giving them an opportunity to engage in a real-life pitch with support from industry mentors. With the presence of agencies such as Havas Lynx and McCann Manchester, the event is designed to give students access into the creative industry as there are plenty of employers there to give insight and recruit fresh talents.

Overall, I had a positive experience at the Two + Two event and would 100% suggest it to anybody interested in going into advertising. With so many professionals there and a pitch they will judge, it’s a great way to learn about what it’s like working in industry. The atmosphere was great, I liked how you could feel the ambition and drive in the air, plus it was held in a really cool venue! Although I will admit it was an intense day, from creating the brief with a team I had never met before, to networking with industry professionals, I found the experience exciting and insightful. At times, my team got stuck and we were lost for ideas but thankfully there were a lot of mentors going around to help, and I found bouncing ideas off each other not only helped us progress but it was interesting to hear the thought process of a creative professional. Being somewhat of an introvert, I was anxious about creating a brief from scratch to presenting it all within the space of about 5-6 hours, however, I found that actually working with my team was one of my favourite parts of the event – along with listening to the amazingly creative pitches of the other teams and the free drink at the end!

Something I will note is that because the day is so packed and busy, there may be times when you feel slightly overwhelmed. For me, I found it a bit difficult during the time for networking, so I went outside for a few minutes to catch some fresh air and take a break. Although it can be scary, especially if it is your first time attending this type of event, I would suggest using it as an opportunity to try and push yourself out of your comfort zone, since being confident in these environments is something you will have to learn to do eventually. Every professional at the event is present because they want to help guide students in the advertising space, so it’s a fantastic chance to get comfortable with it!

Here are some of my tips for attending Two + Two!

• Sleep well the night before (it’s a long day so make sure you are well-rested!)
• Bring a portable charger
• Bring snacks as the lunch provided is quite small
• Add your team and people you network with on LinkedIn
• Make sure you leave enough time to plan the execution, don’t get lost in the ideas stage
• Be open-minded and willing to learn

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