I joined the event industry with no experience, but the biggest reason I was able to persevere was because I thought, “I want to take on any challenge to help this team grow.” Being on this team gives me a sense that I can maximise my potential. They actively listen to the opinions of newcomers, creating a virtuous circle that makes me want to propose ideas. It is also good that we can communicate in both Japanese and English.
So says William Ayres from the United Kingdom who works at NOUVELLE MÉDIAS (ヌーベルメディア), an event and video company. With no prior experience, he joined the company in May 2023 and was assigned to the event management team who works with “a large IT company that everyone knows”.
Ayres’ team’s job is to realise events and live streams planned by clients. Last year, with amazingly a team of only 9 people, they managed over 1500 projects.
Despite that, NOUVELLE MÉDIAS’ overtime work averages around 10 to 20 hours. Within the event industry, which has a deep-rooted image of intense hard work, the company is at the forefront of work reforms.
What is the reality of a global team that balances ease of work and results? We had a talk with William Ayres, team leader Alba Shahin, and executive officer Eri Watanabe.
▲ From the left: William Ayres, Eri Watanabe, Alba Shahin.
Are you having any issues with job-hunting in Japan?
“Is this really a Japanese company?” - Creating “An Environment Where You Can Be Yourself” that We Learnt from Our Foreign Clients
Alba
One of our clients is a large American IT company with its Japan office located in Shibuya. They run a video-sharing platform… sorry for the roundabout explanation but I can’t say more than that!
――I’ll leave that to our readers to guess (laughs) What kind of work do you undertake for that client?
Alba
We are stationed at the client’s office and manage events held at the company’s event space. Last year, over 1500 events were held. Events vary in type and scale, from presentations of new services to seminars for employees, and even live concerts for artists.
▲ From NOUVELLE MÉDIAS Corporate Site
―― 1500! How are you involved in each event?
Alba
“We want to hold an event like this,” clients will request to us; we then will think about what kind of support they need to make it a reality, and work with different sections of the company including catering, security, and technical production to make preparations.
Even so, there are many cases when it is difficult to carry out the project exactly as it was conceived, so we often propose alternatives, like "if you change this part, it will turn out better". We are expected to be event professionals, or in other words, consultants.
William
Once the planning starts, we will proceed with preparations according to schedule. Our job is to gather the necessary information and assets from the organisers and share them with the technical production team who will be in charge of sound, video, lighting, distribution, and etc.
―― So you’re completely in charge from planning to production I see. William, you’ve only been with the company for 8 months and had no prior experience, so how did you learn to do the job?
William
Since I am inexperienced, I joined the company in the position of “Event and Service Specialist (ESS)”. This job is similar to that of the television industry’s assistant director, where you solve problems from a position close to the site.
Rather than training, it’s more like learning while on the job. When problems occur while working on an event on-site, I need to think about how to solve them. I have had fun and challenging experiences since joining the company. Of course I wasn’t left to deal with problems myself, as everyone on the team supported me.
My position changed about a month ago. Now I am an “Event Manager”. My job is to oversee and coordinate events, like those that Alba explained earlier.
―― That is to say you got promoted! Congratulations.
Eri
It is an environment where people who are good at their jobs can quickly advance their careers. A corporate culture that evaluates abilities rather than background, age or industry experience.
William
There were difficult times of course, but the biggest reason I was able to persevere was because I thought, “I want to take on any challenge to help this team grow.” It is a really comfortable place to work, and having teammates makes it all the more rewarding.
―― What a wonderful team. What about the job makes it a comfortable place to work?
William
Everyone is kind of course, but that’s not all. It feels like a place I can truly be myself. Everyone speaks English, communication is clear, and it doesn’t feel like a Japanese company.
Alba
There’s nothing to hide. My boss shares information properly and listens to my opinions.
At my previous company, I had to negotiate behind the scenes just to get ideas through, which was a bit of a hassle. However, NOUVELLE MÉDIAS gives you the opportunity to try out things you want to try, and it’s an environment where you can easily realise individual ideas. William as a newcomer made a lot of suggestions, and he had a great influence on the team as well.
William
How embarrassing! Alba always accepts good ideas, which makes me think more seriously about my work.
―― It really seems like a virtuous cycle.
Alba
How do I say this, there is a sense of transparency in communication.
William
You’d call it「風通しが良い (Kazetooshi ga yoi)」in Japanese.
Eri
I completely agree. I like that it is「風通しが良い」.
―― Amazing. A consensus from superior to subordinate.
Eri
Speaking of “Nothing to Hide”, I’d like to share the negative truth about this job. As long as you work in the event industry, you’ll inevitably have to work overtime. Depending on the event’s timing, the time you come to work and go home may vary.
William
It’s not always busy; rather there are busy periods due to multiple events happening at the same time. When I was in the field as an ESS, there were days when I would attend up to 10 events in a day.
―― I see. It’s true that the event industry has a busy image. If you were to be more specific…
Eri
The average overtime hours are 10 to 20 hours a month.
―― Oh? It’s much less than expected.
Eri
It’s quite “white” (term in Japan for company having good working conditions) for the production industry. However, it is a job where you have to work around the event and recording schedules, so it is difficult to work regular hours. Instead, we offer something similar to a flextime system, which allows employees to adjust their working hours.
Alba
Members that work well also helps. There are many people who can do the work of 1.5 people.
William
I think it is possible because of the environment where each individual can demonstrate their full potential.
We mentioned earlier that NOUVELLE MÉDIAS makes it easy to realise individual ideas. Well, I like to think about how to improve work efficiency, and have proposed various ideas to improve work methods.
Of course, not all of them were implemented, but they still seriously listened to the opinions of newcomers. It’s very comfortable to work here.
―― How did NOUVELLE MÉDIAS create this corporate culture that makes it easy for people from various backgrounds to work together?
Eri
Many of our clients are foreign companies, so we have a lot of discretion and have grown by emulating a global and diverse work style. Another important aspect is that the management ranks are proactive about reform, saying “We need to change the work environment so that foreign personnel will want to work long-term”.
―― NOUVELLE MÉDIAS was founded in 1986 and has a long history as a video and event company, but it has an international atmosphere and modern feel that doesn’t give that impression, in a good way. If you didn’t know anything, you might wonder, “Is this really a Japanese company?” The open space where this interview was held is also incredibly stylish.
Eri
Thank you. You can work not just at your desk, but also open spaces like this. In-house events such as TGIF are also held here.
Writer's Pick
We want to work with “Someone who can think, learn, communicate proactively”
―― WeXpats Agent is currently recruiting people to join William and Alba’s team. What kind of person do you want to work with?
William
I think it’s important to be proactive, especially if you’re joining the company with no experience like I did. If there’s something you don’t understand, you need to be willing to ask. For better or for worse, you will need to learn the job in a hands-on manner, so the more you think about what you should do and challenge yourself, the faster you will grow.
Alba
I think the same as Will. I want to work with someone who actively desires to learn. Since our team works in-house with the client, we need to remember and adhere to our client’s guidelines. Of course we will teach you at first, but I think it will be difficult to learn if you remain passive.
―― There are many people involved in the event industry, so if you remain oblivious to things you don’t understand, it will cause trouble for others.
Eri
That’s right, which is why communication skills are so important. In particular, you will need negotiation skills to persuade clients. Although we would like to fulfil our client’s requests as much as possible, there are inevitably cases where doing so will be too difficult. At times like this, rather than just saying “it can’t be done”, we need someone who can make a second or third proposal to persuade everyone involved.
―― Your client is a foreign company, so does that mean communication is mainly in English?
Alba
My exchanges with clients are around 50/50 English and Japanese. I use English in meetings where there are people who cannot speak Japanese, and vice versa. We change the language we use to suit our clients. Communication among team members is mainly in Japanese, but everyone can speak both languages, so we use them freely.
Eri
English and Japanese skills are both required. Having proficiency levels to smoothly negotiate and do presentations is desired.
▲ With many foreign company clients, online meetings with branch offices from their home countries or in other countries are common.
―― What else do you look for during an interview?
Eri
I look to see if they can think for themselves, and take action or make suggestions accordingly. Each member of our team has a lot of discretion and is expected to come up with ideas, so it may be difficult if you are not able to think and act independently.
Alba
Many people think that the event industry is glamorous, but in reality there is a lot of unglamorous work such as creating documents and data analysis. I’m curious to see if they’ll be willing to work hard on tasks that aren’t written in the job description in a positive manner.
―― Let's change things up a bit. A question to William, who joined the company with no experience, how rewarding do you find event work?
William
I think it’s interesting that the results of your hard work and accomplishments are visibly seen in the form of an event. After all, it makes me happy to receive warm reactions from event participants.
Even before joining this company, I had been involved in activities that relate to my current job, such as creating a radio programme at my university and running a video channel on my own for teaching Japanese. I felt a strong sense that this was something worth doing from back then, and so I took the leap into this industry.
Alba
My previous job was in a completely different industry, but when I was a student, I too was a little involved in organising seminars and conferences. If you have been involved behind the scenes in some sort of event and found it rewarding, I think you can do your best even if you join the company with no experience.
Eri
We welcome people with industry experience of course, but we are open to accepting people into positions where no experience is required as well as technical directors. We look forward to applications from candidates who want to take on the challenge.
Application Information
Language
EnglishEmployment Status
Full Time EmployeeWork Location
Shibuya, TokyoSalary (Annual)
【Event Coordinator】
4,000,000~【Event Coordinator (Assistant)】
3,000,000 ~ 3,500,000【Technical Director】
4,000,000~Working Hours
10:00 ~ 19:00 (8 actual working hours)Application Conditions (Required)
【Event Coordinator】
・Japanese Level: N1 or above
・English Level: Native
・3+ years experience in technical direction or broadcasting environment
・Basic knowledge in A/V technology, broadcasting technology, or latest technology in those areas
・Basic knowledge in streaming, encoding and platforms
・Basic knowledge in pre-production and post-production
・Basic knowledge in videography, photography and graphic design
・Experience using G-Suit / Google Workplace for work (Google Drive, Slides, Docs, Sheets, Chat, Meet, Calendar, Gmail, etc.)
・Business level English and Japanese (proficiency level that allows you to smoothly conduct meetings and email exchanges)【Event Coordinator (Assistant)】
・1+ year working experience (including part time work)
・Business level English and Japanese (ability to smoothly handle meetings and emails)
・Experience using G-Suit / Google Workplace (Google Drive, Slides, Docs, Sheets, Chat, Meet, Calendar, Gmail, etc.)【Technical Director】
・Japanese Level: Native
・English Level: Business
・2+ years experience in technical support for broadcasting or event production industry (lighting, sound, video output, systems, etc.)
・Experience in event production and system operations
・Experience in operating event equipment (e.g. mixing board, DMX lighting, video switcher, etc.)
・Knowledge of encoding and live streaming on various platforms (e.g. Wirecast, StreamYard, Youtube, etc.)
・1+ years experience working in Japan (including part time work)
※ Freelance experience acceptable.
※ Only 1 specialty field is acceptable.Application Conditions (Welcome)
【Event Coordinator】
・Experience operating event equipment (mixing board, DMX-based lighting control desks, video switcher, etc.)
・Experience in stage managing
・Experience in accounting or financial management
・Multitasking, meeting strict deadlines, attention to detail, excellent time management and planning
・Calm and flexible approach to dealing with pressure and stress of ever-changing demands and situations
・Excellent communication and negotiation skills【Event Coordinator (Assistant)】
・Experience in event planning, management, production, marketing, agency work (event coordinator, event manager, project manager, production desk, producer, director, etc.)
・Basic knowledge in production technology
・Interest in social media and video distribution platforms
・Work experience in Japan【Technical Director】
・Knowledge in audio/video codecs and protocols
・Knowledge in TCP/IP networks
・Experience in operating PTZ cameras/controllers
・Experience in Stage Director or lighting
・Excels in transmissions
・Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro, Adobe CC, Auto CAD, Keynote, Microsoft Office
・Experience using G-Suit / Google Workplace for work (Google Drive, Slides, Docs, Sheets, Chat, Meet, Calendar, Gmail, etc.)Holidays
・2 days off a week
・10 days paid leave
※ Generally holidays are calendar-based. If you have an event on a holiday, you can take compensatory holiday.
Employee Benefits
・Social Insurance
・Long-term Leave
・Dormitory
・In-house Cafeteria
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