Rouages: “Managing the supply and setup of equipment at events”
Pascale Hugonnet-Susini is head of the logistics and events team within the logistics department. Conferences, exhibitions, ceremonies, but also vehicle loans and lost property... Find out about all her responsibilities in the "video" series Rouages produced by the University of Montpellier.
" We always have people coming and going," says Pascale Hugonnet-Susini, "whether it's managers stopping by to say hello or colleagues. We talk about our current work and then we laugh—we laugh all the time here." The logistics and events support department is located on the ground floor of Building 7, just before the coffee machines on the right at the end of the corridor. Behind the doors, everyone is busy with their tasks in a cheerful atmosphere. "There are 27 of us in this department, but the logistics department has three departments spread across several sites. In total, there are more than 60 employees," explains the logistics and events team leader.
Highlights of the year
At the top of the list of its many tasks is the monitoring and management of events. The president's New Year's address in January, open house in February, staff day in June, two-day orientation for new students at the Jardin des Plantes in September, Christmas party for children in December... Throughout the year, Pascale Hugonnet-Susini and her team work behind the scenes to make possible the large, convivial gatherings that shape everyone's sense of belonging to the University of Montpellier. "An event like the president's New Year's address, which is organized between noon and 2 p.m., means a full day of work for us in the field, setting up and dismantling the equipment," she explains.
In addition to these major events, the logistics and events support department is also involved on a daily basis in organizing conferences, exhibitions, congresses, etc. "In most cases, this involves managing the supply and set-up of equipment such as tables, chairs, grills, but also marquees, a stage, signage, etc. for UM events. We work with all departments, including HR and the accounting office for small equipment, and more regularly with the campus life and communications departments."
Vehicles and lost property
For many University staff members who are accustomed to traveling by car, Pascale Hugonnet-Susini is also the keeper of the keys to the dozen or so loaner vehicles that UM makes available to its departments. "I manage reservations and handle appointments with garages for vehicle maintenance and follow-up," explains the team leader.
To find out about her latest mission, we follow her into a small room next to the logistics and events department. "This is Ali Baba's cave," she says, opening the doors of a cupboard containing items found on campus: glasses, headphones, gloves, pouches, bags, but also clothes and even a few bicycles... "I've never found anything very unusual, except for a few forgotten items of underwear," adds Pascale Hugonnet-Susini.
From housekeeping to logistics
She joined the university 16 years ago as a maintenance worker at the IUT, and it was "the good atmosphere in logistics" that made her take the plunge and swap the cleaning trolley for a hand truck and pallet truck. While she readily admits that the job can sometimes be physically demanding and requires availability "because you may have to work late in the evening and on weekends," the team leader affirms, "it's a job I enjoy! We do a bit of everything, so we never get bored. On the other hand, you have to be diplomatic to try to keep everyone happy, but you really feel useful. " And the best reward for Pascale Hugonnet-Susini comes every year at the end of the year: "It's Christmas for the children of UM agents! It's a busy, tiring day, but seeing all these little kids running around, shouting and playing is just great!"
