Wage watchers: How much does an event/PR host earn?

What do you for a living?
Alongside my pharmaceutical studies, I’ve worked for the past two and a half years as a hostess for Agence C, a promotion and hostess agency. You receive assignment proposals by email or are called for your availability to host events and fairs and do promotion in cafes and clubs for certain drink brands. The assignments are very diverse. Sometimes I do flyering, other times I cover the guest reception at fairs like Batibouw. As time goes on and I accumulate more experience as a hostess, I also get to coordinate things at the locations. 

Do you enjoy your work?
Definitely. It doesn’t feel like working, because I’m usually working in a cool, relaxing atmosphere. Plus, it’s a very varied job. Sometimes the work consists of more serioius events like fairs, but other times you’re thrown right into the middle of nightlife. This means you get a lot of people and networking experience and learn how to deal with different clients. If the job goes well, then you get a lot of appreciation from the agency and from the client. That’s really cool. 

How many hours do you work each week?
Usually each assignment is around four hours, but that can also change. So you have to be pretty flexible. Sometimes they book you for a series of full days from morning to evening, like with Batibouw. So the number of hours worked varies every week and month. That can be practical for a student, for example during the exam period. It's your choice whether you accept the assignment or not, and then you can let them know when you will be available again.

What do you think of your salary?
I am paid by the hour: €10 an hour. To me, that seems like a normal rate for a student. But this job is much nicer! You have a lot of variation and people are enjoying themselves around you. How much you earn in a month is completely up to you. If you work 10 days at a fair, then you’ve had a good month. But it can also be that you’ve worked just two nights, and then you earn much less. So it's difficult to estimate my average wage, but I’d say that in a typical month you might earn €350 and in a good month, €1,100.

Would you change jobs to earn more money?
No, because it’s a really great job!

What do you like spending money on?
I spend most of it on basic needs, like my car insurance. But I also like to buy clothes and take dance lessons.

What do you dislike spending money on?
I couldn’t spend €100 in a night. Sure I dream of beautiful, expensive clothes and jewellery, but I remain realistic: I’m still a student.

Do you save money?
I try to save, but it’s not easy. What comes in goes out again pretty quickly. Also when I’m travelling, it’s impossible to save. Right now, I’m doing an internship, so I have to work less.

What would you do if you won the lottery?
I would definitely live alone and buy things that I can’t afford right now. And I would do a big trip too.