Animator
Animator (feminine form: entertainer ., From the French animateur ., Female animatrice ) is the name for a professional entertainers and bellmen. Animators should radiate happiness and joie de vivre, spread a good mood and use suitable activities ( animation ) to ensure that guests or customers feel comfortable and not bored. Animators are particularly widespread in the tourism industry . However, they are also used in other areas, especially for childcare in large shopping centers, at congresses , major events or in amusement parks .
In France, an animator or animatrice is generally a person who moderates an event or a program . A conférencier , for example a revue , is also called this.
Animators in the tourism industry
In tourism, depending on the employer and target group , entertainers work as children, youth, adults, senior citizens, sports or fitness entertainers . They are primarily used in holiday areas in holiday clubs, hotel complexes and on cruise ships, where they are responsible for games, sports, fun and entertainment as well as for the design and implementation of sports tournaments, competitions, creative activities, entertainment programs, performances, dance performances and the like and are responsible for Act as a set designer , disc jockeys , etc. Their tasks are to increase the sociability, to entertain the guests and to involve single guests.
Many organizers put their animation teams together from employees of different nationalities and employ not only locals from the respective holiday area but also animators from the countries from which the holidaymakers themselves come. The common mother tongue and the common cultural background contribute to the fact that the animators are seen as reference persons (next to the on-site tour guide). The work as an animator in the tourism industry in Europe is often seasonally limited to the summer months. Holiday regions, such as the Canary Islands, offer entertainers an opportunity to work all year round. In particular, providers of club holidays offer animators various employment opportunities through the club concept with sports and entertainment programs.
conditions
Entertainers are usually employed between the ages of 17 and around 35, senior entertainers also at an older age. Prerequisites are independence, flexibility, openness, a willingness to make contacts and communicate, a talent for organization, the ability to work in a team, a certain serenity in stressful and conflict situations and the command of one or more foreign languages. Depending on the field of activity, further knowledge, skills or experience are necessary or advantageous, such as experience in dealing with children, adolescents and seniors, educational skills, authority, patience, physical fitness, mastery of sports and game rules, creativity, experience in stage or show area, etc. Good manners, a friendly demeanor and a well-groomed appearance are also expected.
Qualifications
Classic training as an animator, such as B. common in the craft industry, does not exist. The activity of the entertainer is often carried out as a sideline , but seminars and additional qualifications can be useful for a start. Tour operators like TUI therefore offer courses to train their seasonal staff. Furthermore, the acquisition of qualifications can be promoted. Examples of this would be a trainer license at license level B or the title “Instructor” for various sports.