It’s always exciting to hear what our graduates are up to and where they find themselves in the industry. In each newsletter, we’ll chat to one of our Academy Alumni for our current and future students to get some insight of the range of potential career opportunities that await them. For this issue, we spent some time with Leandri Herrewyn, an Aleit Academy alumnus who was offered a position at a|CREATE, South Africa’s leading event styling company.

What is your role at a|CREATE?

I’m currently working as one of a|CREATE’s creatives. My primary role is to liaise with clients, grasp their vision for their event, and create an electronic visual journey called a Lookbook.

After that, I bring their vision to life. I source the necessary décor, furniture, and hiring items and work alongside Letitia, our florist, to prepare for the event.

Lastly, I execute these events – working alongside our hard-working logistics team to complete all furniture, lounge styling and other event décor required for the setup.

How did you decide on this area of specialisation within the events industry?

Ever since my first year at The Academy, I knew I had a passion for creating. I enjoyed myself the most whilst completing creative tasks, so I knew I would thrive in a creatively stimulating industry. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, I did not gain much experience in the furniture and decor styling part of the industry. To ease my curiosity, I completed my final internship at a|CREATE and instantly fell in love with the fast-paced work environment, unique opportunities, and the wonderful, caring and talented team I was working with.

What is the most exciting thing you have done or experienced during your time at a|CREATE?

This is extremely difficult to pinpoint, as I have experienced many thrilling event setups at various breath-taking venues. Every setup has had challenges, but nothing is more fulfilling than seeing a client satisfied with what we created. However, being able to work closely with my fellow alumnus, Emma Field, has been the most heart-warming and unendingly exciting experience.

What are you currently busy with at|CREATE?


Besides completing stunning setups for various events, in the past few weeks, we have been preparing for upcoming events, including a destination wedding. We recently did a Khalari-styled shoot which was extremely fun as we had creative freedom to showcase some of our new and older stock. With the new stock, we also had to spend some time updating our catalogue, creating content for social media, and sharing the exciting news with our close suppliers. I’ve also been focusing on improving my skill set over the past few months – rather than only being responsible for the creative side of things; I can now also draw-up quotations.