Not only does The Duck Store have brick and mortar locations and a website, but we also pop up at events around campus. To learn more about how The Duck Store makes it to events, we spoke with Chris Davis, the events manager and events team coach Kimberly Wimbley.
Chris
Tell us about your role with the events team.
I’m the events manager at The Duck Store, and a lot of what we do in events involves merchandising stands at events such as University of Oregon sporting events, concerts, and more! I’m in charge of overseeing things when we sell product at these events.
What does a typical day working a football game look like?
We arrive and start getting the stand set up. Set up works similarly to how you would restock a retail store. We start selling product before the game to the tailgate crowd, and then we continue to sell throughout the game to fans coming through the area. It’s lots of fun to experience the excitement and crowds of Autzen Stadium on a game day while working. When the game is over we tear down the stands and get everything all cleaned up and ready for the next game. The weeks between games are mainly spent restocking and making sure everything is prepared.
What do you enjoy most about working events?
My favorite thing about working events is the people! Everyone is always excited to be there and wants to talk to you. I’m also just as excited to be there as a former duck myself.
What is your favorite annual event(s) to work?
I like a lot of events but I think football really takes the cake. It's the big one, the thing that everyone looks forward to. It's a lot of excitement in a short period of time so one day you’re having a ton of fun and the next it's over and you can relax again.
What type of person do you think a job with the events team would be right for?
They need to be customer service oriented and a real people person. Its not something you can fake. You have to be able to move fast and work hard, and enjoy the experience. Our team loves working together because they have fun with each other, they have fun with the customers, and they can make a really long day go by in the blink of an eye.
What do you think students who work for the events team will take with them from this experience to their future endeavors?
You gain a variety of experiences and skills when you work with events. You learn all about being a cashier and how to do customer service, you learn how to stock, and also problem solving and how to network. I get messages from previous employees all the time who tell me that they loved this job in college and look back on their time doing it very fondly, so I think no matter what you’re gaining something great from being a part of our team.
Kim
Tell us about yourself and your role with the events team.
I am an incoming fourth year student at UO majoring in psychology and Arabic, with a minor in black studies. I work as a coach on the events team, which means I work right under Chris and mainly help her stay organized. It's pretty fun! I like interacting with all the different customers who come in.
What does a typical day working a football game look like?
It really depends. Things are different for midday games vs night games but either way I spend some pretty long hours working on those days. It's a lot of fun though because of my coworkers. Everyone brings their own quirks and it's very fulfilling getting to work together to make sure our customers are getting the spirit gear they’re looking for.
What do you enjoy most about working events?
During football season I really like to make chalk drawings at the stands! I do a drawing of the duck vs the mascot of the team that we’re playing. That’s the highlight for me. I love when I see people walking by and taking photos with my drawings. It's nice to be able to give people more than they’re expecting. Our team is always going above and beyond to add something more.
How do you balance being a member of the events team with your school schedule?
I try to get my work done throughout the week during the days so that I’m available at night/ on the weekends to work events. It’s nice because events fall during times I wouldn’t have class so there aren’t any major conflicts. Other than that I just try to plan in advance and communicate with my professors about deadlines.
What are some of the benefits of this role?
I think that the community you gain from being a part of this team is the biggest benefit. I’ve met so many people through this job that I would not otherwise meet in my classes or on a day to day basis. You also get to experience events such as concerts for free which is a pretty great bonus!
Interested in joining the team? Check our jobs page for open positions with the events department.