Event management students help launch Cannes Film Festival in France

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The dream of walking the red carpet was made a reality recently for 14 CMU students at the Cannes Film Festival.

The event management students worked behind the scenes for two weeks to help launch the May 8 festival in Cannes, France. They held temporary positions in the areas of public relations, hospitality and facility management. The students returned on May 24.

Lori Tuma, an adviser and instructor in the Recreation, Parks and Leisure program, chose the students to participate and gain international field experience during the festival.

“We worked at the Louisville film festival previously and that was a success,” Tuma said. “So I tried to think of an event on a larger scale, something more explosive.”

Tuma said she had nothing to lose and wanted to get involved with one of biggest and most diverse events she could.

Tuma started by contacting the American Pavilion, the business center for Americans at the festival.

Fifteen spots designated for students working at the event were left open for CMU event students. Initially, 144 students applied, 33 were interviewed and 14 were selected to go on the trip.

“Since event planning is one of the fastest growing careers, we wanted to create a special niche there,” Tuma said.

The students were assigned to their work areas according to their major. PR majors were assigned to work in PR jobs, and hospitality majors were assigned to work at venues and set them up.

“I was assigned to a PR company for the movie ‘Tree of Life,’” said Clarkston senior Kaity Jerolamon. “I would set up press conferences and make phone calls. The best part was to see the entire festival come to life.”

Because Tuma researches social media and tries to incorporate as much possible, she wanted students to blog about their experience.

In order to do so quickly and efficiently, Tuma went to the Faculty Center for Innovative Teaching to help fund the money for 15 new Apple iPads for the students to rent.

“It was so helpful,” she said. “I wanted the students to use their iPads to tell their own story about their time in France.”

Jerolamon said using the iPads was better than carrying a heavy laptop around and helped to get the word out about the project.

When the students were not working they could enjoy movies and walking around France, Jerolamon said.

“We got red carpet tickets to ‘Sleeping Beauty,’” she said. “As we were walking, Faye Dunaway was right behind us.”

As host of the United Arab Emirates Pavilion, alumna Tara Clark said she coordinated press coverages, interviews and screenings.

She said just being there was very beneficial for her career.

“I noticed that because it was such a large event it makes smaller events I work at much easier,” the Rockford resident said. “It makes any problem I may have with event easier to handle and fix.”

Tuma hopes the opportunity is there to create a strong relationship with the American Pavilion.

She said members of the pavilion were pleased with the caliber of customer service the students provided and how professional they were.

“It was amazing to sit back and watch my lectures come to life,” Tuma said.