Marketing with Royal Welsh Agricultural Society: Chloe Braithwaite

Chloe Braithwaite has been getting stuck in as a Marketing Assistant on placement with the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society. Along with being busy supporting marketing and spearheading social media tasks, she has been experiencing all aspects of the business.

The annual Royal Welsh Show will celebrate its 100^th anniversary in July, leaving BSc (Hons) Agri-business student Chloe feeling very lucky to be a part of the planning ahead of the summer event.

Chloe said: “Firstly, it is a great honour to be the 3^rd placement student to work here at the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society, but being part of the organising and planning for how we will celebrate the 100^th show as a society is incredible!

“As part of a project I have been given during my placement, I have launched our #RWS100 countdown to the show on social media, which features a fact per day in the 100 day countdown to the show – quite a task but very interesting!

“There are lots of exciting aspects of the show planned to make this year extra special - but only some can be revealed. The rest you will have to come and see for yourselves!

“We are selling a limited edition Landsdown polo top, of which only 100 will be available to public, each marked with a number from 1- 100. Commemorative merchandise will be sold in the show shop with our arts competition winners’ piece creating the main theme for this. We will also have special prize cards within the livestock competitions, as well as a champions of champions, judged in the main ring on Thursday 25th.”

With ambitions of becoming an agricultural event’s organiser, Chloe has really found further direction in her career plans thanks to her time at RWAS.

Chloe said: “My placement role within the society has only fuelled my determination of reaching my goal as well as giving me a broader insight into how to really put on a show.

“The marketing role within the society has enabled me to meet lots of people who I hope will be very good contacts for the future. It’s helping with my course in many aspects, such as writing professionally, communication skills along with a full insight into the business which has opened my eyes in the way that a lot goes on behind the scenes. Not only at the show, but throughout the year and as an exhibitor at the Royal Welsh Society, there’s a lot more to it than I thought.”

Chloe is having a great time moving into a professional role – enthusiastically stating that she has enjoyed everything about her placement.

She said: “I have enjoyed meeting new people and being given lots of opportunities throughout. Staff and I have had the pleasure of meeting Sophie, Duchess of Wessex, and as controversial as it sounds, Teresa May at the Winter Fair last November. Staff listen to my ideas and some are developed and used within events, such as selfie frames and added marketing material.”

Placement year has involved huge change for Chloe, being local to Harper Adams, growing up in Shropshire.

Chloe explained: “It was challenging to adapt from university life to a working environment, however I feel I have embraced this and work hard to achieve the best I can for myself and the business. My placement has enabled me to have confidence in myself and the future both next year at university, and my working life following this.

“I am living in a small village just outside of Builth Wells with a young lady who I have also created a friendship for life with. I definitely would have found it hard living down here without the friends I have made in the village - so I am ever grateful for them making my time down here so fun. Joining the local shoot this winter made my weekends exciting, however I definitely wasn’t used to the wooded hills on the shoot compared to flat Shropshire ground.”