WHAT IS A NORMAL DAY AT WORK LIKE?
“The fun thing is that this is such a dynamic workplace, which means that no two days are alike.  As a business manager, I have a lot of contact with our customers and partners to get the best possible outcomes both for them and for us.  We develop the Book Fair concept throughout the year, often together with our partners, and this means that new ideas and discussions take shape, which I then help to follow up on. I enjoy that and being at a venue that keeps changing there are always many new opportunities to explore for collaboration both inside and outside the building. I do this with my team. As a group, we aim for a common goal, so being a part of the team while driving the project forwards is a big and important part of the day.

WHAT QUALITIES DO YOU NEED TO SUCCEED IN YOUR ROLE?
“I think it is essential to be open to change, outward looking, goals-oriented and to have a positive attitude. In my role, I focus a great deal on finding new forms of collaboration and solutions, so it is important to be part of the whole sales process from start to finish.  Both the industry and the venue where we work are constantly changing. You need to enjoy this and see the opportunities. It is also important to be a good team player and to be able to see who is best suited to each task. I think that a positive approach and promoting colleagues’ strengths generates the best effect.

HOW HAVE YOU DEVELOPED DURING YOUR TIME WITH THE BOOK FAIR?
“We work very closely with the other events and companies at Svenska Mässan and that means a great deal. Among other things, I have been involved in a manager supply programme that gave us an insight into different parts of the group, including how we work on communication and finance.  The workplace in itself has also contributed a great deal to my development.  When I started here we were eight people – now we are almost double. This has made for a creative environment and the way we work now crosses many boundaries. I have also built up my project management skills and received sales coaching, both in a group and individuallyand have now taken the lead in a managerial role, which feels very exciting and challenging.

Name: Tomas Belfrage

Education: Informatics Programme, Halmstad University

Works as: Sales Executive on the Book Fair

Employed in the group since: 2004

Leisure interests: football (season ticket at Blåvitt), being with the family, running and cycling as well as fixing up the house and summer house