UK

United Kingdom · Events Experiential Marketing · Entry Level (0-2 years)

Events Assistant

Here is the whole job, in plain words. What it is, a real day, what you decide, how you're judged, how people get here and where they go next. Then the part no course gives you: twelve AI tutors who learn your work.

  • Experience bandEntry Level (0-2 years)
  • Direct reportsNo direct reports
  • Reports toEvents Administrator
  • UK framework levelUsually someone starting out, or keeping a process running

Also advertised as Junior Events Coordinator · Event Support Administrator · Events Administrative Assistant

Built on an analysis of 43,079 real UK job descriptions · grounded in qualifications employers recognise

Start with a free Future Fluency check, tuned to Events Assistant

Ten quick questions, one per Future Fluency, asked against this role rather than a generic one. About five minutes, and no card.

Start the check, free

1What this role really is

This role is all about getting stuck in and providing essential support to our Events team. You'll be the backbone for making sure all the little details—the ones that actually make an event run smoothly—are handled. Think of it as the foundational layer; without you, the whole thing gets wobbly. You'll be helping out with everything from managing attendee lists to making sure we've got enough pens for registration. It's a fantastic spot to learn how a busy events department really ticks, day-to-day.

2What you'd actually use

The tools this job runs on, and how well you'd need to know each one.

Cvent (or similar Event Management Platform)Basic

Entering new attendee registrations, updating existing records, running pre-built reports for attendee lists, finding event agendas.

Asana (or Monday.com/Trello)Intermediate

Updating task statuses, checking off completed items from checklists, attaching relevant files to tasks, commenting on progress.

Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)Intermediate

Creating basic documents and presentations, using simple formulas and formatting in Excel for tracking lists or budgets, managing email with Outlook.

Slack or MS TeamsIntermediate

Participating in team channels, responding to direct messages, finding shared documents, sharing quick updates with colleagues.

Zoom Events/Webinar (or similar Virtual Event Platform)Basic

Helping to set up basic webinar sessions (e.g., scheduling, sending invites), managing attendee Q&A during live sessions, launching polls.

3What you get to decide, and how that grows

Power in a job isn't your title. It's what you're allowed to decide. Here's how it grows as you move up.

The choiceComing inWhere you are nowThe step above
Attendee Registration ChangesExecute changes based on clear instructions from manager. Escalate any complex requests (e.g., refunds, transfers) immediately.Independently process routine changes. Propose solutions for common issues. Escalate only novel or high-impact scenarios.Define and refine policies for attendee changes. Handle all complex scenarios. Authorise exceptions within guidelines.
Vendor Communication (routine)Draft emails and make calls based on templates/scripts, with manager review. Escalate any issues or non-standard requests.Independently communicate with vendors for routine tasks (e.g., confirming deliveries, checking order status). Propose new basic vendors.Negotiate terms for small vendors. Manage ongoing vendor relationships. Recommend preferred vendors for specific services.
Event Supply OrdersPlace orders for pre-approved items from approved suppliers, following budget limits. Escalate if an item is over budget or not on the approved list.Determine quantities for standard supplies based on event size. Source new suppliers for minor items (e.g., specific pens) within a small budget (£200).Manage the overall event supply budget (£5K-£10K). Approve new suppliers. Negotiate bulk discounts.
On-Site Problem Solving (minor)Identify the problem (e.g., missing sign, low coffee). Inform manager and follow their instructions. Do not attempt to solve independently unless explicitly told to.Independently solve routine on-site issues (e.g., direct attendees, find a spare chair). Escalate anything impacting the event flow or requiring budget.Lead on-site issue resolution for a specific area (e.g., registration, F&B). Make quick decisions to keep things moving, escalating only major crises.

4How you'll be judged

The scoreboard, honestly: the hard targets, how often each one is actually looked at, and the quiet human signals that never make it onto a dashboard.

Attendee Data Accuracy
The percentage of attendee records (names, companies, dietary requirements) entered or updated without errors.
Target · 99.5% accuracy rate

If you process 500 registrations for an event, we'd expect no more than 2-3 minor errors. Catching that a delegate's company name is misspelled before their badge is printed counts as a win.

Response Time for Basic Enquiries
How quickly you respond to routine attendee questions (e.g., 'Where's the venue?', 'Can I update my dietary needs?').
Target · Within 4 business hours for email, immediately for phone calls

An attendee emails asking about parking at 9 AM; you've sent them the link to the venue's parking info by 1 PM. Simple, but crucial for a good attendee experience.

Task Completion Rate & Timeliness
The percentage of assigned administrative tasks (e.g., printing badges, ordering supplies, updating schedules) completed by their deadline.
Target · 95% on-time completion

If you're asked to print 200 name badges by Thursday 4 PM, they're not just printed, but also alphabetised and ready to go by 3:45 PM. That's the kind of reliability we need.

Invoice & Expense Processing Accuracy
The rate at which basic vendor invoices and team expense reports are correctly entered into our finance system or tracked on spreadsheets, without needing corrections.
Target · 98% accuracy on initial entry

You've entered 50 catering invoices this month, and only one had a minor typo in the amount that Finance caught. That's a solid result for an entry-level role.

Adherence to Event Playbooks & Checklists
How consistently you follow established processes and use the templates provided for various event tasks.
  • Your supervisor rarely needs to remind you of a step in a routine process. Your work outputs (e.g., registration forms, supply lists) consistently match the approved templates. You proactively ask for clarification if a process isn't clear, rather than guessing.
Proactive Support & Organisation
Your ability to anticipate basic needs and keep event materials and information well-organised for the team.
  • You've already restocked the printer paper for badges before being asked. Event folders on the shared drive are tidy and up-to-date. You spot a potential clash in the schedule and flag it to your manager before it becomes an issue. People can easily find what they need because you've organised it logically.
Learning & Adaptability
How quickly you pick up new tools or processes and adapt to changes in event plans.
  • You're comfortable with new software after a quick walkthrough. You don't make the same mistake twice. When an event detail changes, you update all relevant documents without needing constant reminders. You actively ask questions to deepen your understanding of 'why' we do things a certain way.

5Would you like it

The honest version. What people enjoy, and what grinds them down.

What people enjoy
Being the Team's Rock

You get a real kick out of being the person everyone relies on for the administrative bits, knowing that your accurate work frees up others to do their more complex jobs. You enjoy being the 'keeper of the details'.

You feel a sense of satisfaction when the Event Manager says, 'Thanks for getting those badges sorted so perfectly, it saved me loads of time!'

Learning the Ropes

You're genuinely curious about how large-scale events come together, and you see every task, no matter how small, as a piece of the bigger puzzle. You're eager to absorb knowledge from more experienced colleagues.

You'll often ask 'Why do we do it this way?' or 'What happens next with this?' because you want to understand the full workflow, not just your part.

Seeing Your Work Come to Life

There's a real buzz for you in seeing an event go from a spreadsheet to a buzzing, successful reality. You enjoy the tangible outcome of your efforts, even if it's just a perfectly organised registration desk.

When you walk into a venue on event day and see the signage you helped coordinate, or the registration desk you prepped, you feel a sense of pride in contributing to the overall experience.

What frustrates people
  • The Post-Event Expense Report Chase: Spending days after an event hunting down receipts from busy colleagues so you can close out budgets.
  • Being the 'Fixer' for Everything: Your job title says 'assistant', but on-site, you're often the designated person for finding lost property, fixing a dodgy printer, or locating a missing speaker.
  • Registration Data Hell: Manually cleaning messy CSV files for hours to correct typos, merge duplicates, and standardise company names before badge printing.
  • Repetitive Tasks: A good chunk of the job involves tasks that are similar across events, like updating attendee lists or preparing event kits. It's essential, but not always thrilling.
What this role does not give you
  • High-level strategic planning or budget ownership (not yet, anyway).
  • Autonomy to make significant decisions without guidance.
  • A quiet, predictable, 'set-it-and-forget-it' workflow.
  • Direct management of a team or large projects.

6Who you work with

Your meticulous work ensures that the foundational elements of our events are solid. This means attendee data is correct, essential supplies are on hand, and basic communications go out on time. Essentially, you're preventing small administrative glitches from becoming bigger, more visible problems that could impact our brand's reputation and attendee satisfaction. You're the first line of defence against chaos, making sure the team can deliver memorable experiences.

Inside the business
  • Events Administrators and Managers (your immediate team)
  • Marketing team (for event promotion materials)
  • Finance team (for basic invoice processing and expense tracking)
  • Sales team (for attendee lists and VIP support requests)
Outside the business
  • Event attendees (for registration queries)
  • Basic vendor contacts (e.g., couriers, print shops)
  • Venue administrative staff (for simple coordination)

7What you need before you start

Not a wish list. The things you would be expected to already have.

  • A foundational understanding of office administrative procedures.
  • Experience using common office software (e.g., Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook).
  • A proven ability to follow instructions accurately and meticulously.
  • Strong organisational skills, even if it's just for your personal tasks or studies.
  • A genuine interest in the events industry and a desire to learn how it all works.

8What to practise next

Where the job is going, and what to do about it starting this week.

Advanced Event Management Platform Use (e.g., Cvent)

Once you're comfortable with basic data entry, the next step is to understand more of the platform's capabilities. This will allow you to take on more complex tasks and eventually build out event elements yourself.

Building Basic Registration Forms · Email Campaign Setup · Basic Reporting & Analytics

  • This week: Ask your manager for access to a sandbox or test environment in Cvent (or our main event platform).
  • This month: Work through the platform's basic online tutorials for building a simple registration page or sending a test email.
  • Month 2: Shadow an Events Administrator as they build out an event in the platform, asking questions about each step.
  • Month 3: Volunteer to build a small, internal test event from scratch, with guidance from your manager.

Quick win: Spend 30 minutes each week exploring different menus and features within our event management platform. You'll be surprised what you find.

9Staying current once you are in

What people here do to keep up
  • Online courses in event planning basics (e.g., through Eventbrite Academy or LinkedIn Learning).
  • Attending industry webinars or virtual conferences to get a feel for the events world.
  • Shadowing more experienced colleagues to see how they manage tasks and interact with vendors.
  • Joining industry groups or forums (online or local) to network and learn from peers.

10How the AI economy is changing work like this

Before we ask anything of you, here's what we can already say about AI and work of this kind:

The new skill this role is being asked for: Basic AI Prompting & Tool Use

Honestly, AI is already here and it's getting better at handling repetitive tasks. Those who learn to use it effectively will be far more productive. It's not about being an AI developer, it's about knowing how to ask the right questions and use the tools available.

We'll only ever tell you what we can actually back up. No hype, no scare tactics.

Your PlanIllustration

Built for Events Assistant

2 units that map to this job, from the qualifications that cover it.

  1. Organise and coordinate eventsCity and Guilds of London Institute · covers 2 of 10 standardsLevel 3
  2. Support the organisation of creative or cultural events or exhibitionsPearson EDI · covers 2 of 10 standardsLevel 2
These are the real units behind this job, in the order they rank for it. Nothing here is marked done, because this plan has not been started by anyone yet. Yours would fill in as you go.

The rising capability

Zavmo analysis

What's rising in its place

This is where the work is heading, and the higher pay with it. Get fluent here and the shift stops being a threat and starts being your edge.

Basic AI Prompting & Tool Use

Honestly, AI is already here and it's getting better at handling repetitive tasks. Those who learn to use it effectively will be far more productive. It's not about being an AI developer, it's about knowing how to ask the right questions and use the tools available.

  • Clear Prompting
  • Output Validation
  • Ethical Use

What you’ll use

Skills this role draws on

Technical

  • Event Logistics Fundamentals
  • Data Entry & Management
  • Vendor Support & Coordination
  • Document Preparation

The pathway

How you actually get there, here

How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.

  1. 1

    Office Administrator / Receptionist

    1-2 years

    Skills to master

    • Organisation, scheduling, basic communication, managing multiple requests, attention to detail in documentation.

    You're ready to move on when

    • You're the go-to person for keeping the office running smoothly.
    • You consistently manage multiple priorities without dropping the ball.
    • You've taken initiative to improve administrative processes.
    • You've shown an interest in helping with any internal events.
  2. 2

    Customer Service Representative

    1-2 years

    Skills to master

    • Problem-solving under pressure, clear communication (written and verbal), managing customer expectations, data entry accuracy.

    You're ready to move on when

    • You're excellent at de-escalating tricky customer situations.
    • You can clearly explain complex information to diverse audiences.
    • You've consistently met or exceeded customer satisfaction targets.
    • You enjoy helping people and finding solutions to their problems.
  3. 3

    Recent Graduate (Any Discipline)

    0-1 year (post-graduation)

    Skills to master

    • Academic research, project work (even if academic), time management, basic software proficiency, willingness to learn on the job.

    You're ready to move on when

    • You've successfully managed academic projects with deadlines.
    • You've demonstrated strong organisational skills through studies or part-time work.
    • You're eager to apply your academic skills in a practical, fast-paced environment.
    • You've participated in or volunteered for university events.

11Where this role leads

The long view:Ultimately, your career path is yours to shape. We'll support you with learning and development opportunities, mentorship, and clear pathways. Show us your dedication, your knack for getting things done, and your passion for events, and the possibilities are wide open.

Pay & demand

Typical pay £32,163 a year Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 (provisional), under the Open Government Licence v3.0

The figure is the median for full-time employees in the ONS occupation this job title codes to (Events managers and organisers), from the April 2025 survey — about six months old when published, as ASHE always is. It is that occupation's middle, not this role's. Half earn more.

The ten Future Fluencies

Zavmo analysis

The credential is what you can do today. These are what keep you valuable.

A qualification proves you can do the job as it's defined today. These ten are what decide whether you're still the obvious person for it in five years. They're the capabilities employers are now writing into senior roles faster than people are learning them. Zavmo weaves them through whatever you study, so you come out with both: the credential and the fluency.

The highlighted ones are the Fluencies your role leans on hardest, from how Events Assistant is actually changing. In about two minutes, the free confidence check asks where you stand on each of the ten. That's the whole check, and it's what makes the plan yours rather than generic.

Where it leads

Roles this leads to

Also named as a next step, with no page in the catalogue yet:

  • Marketing Assistant (Cross-functional move)

12The team that's yours

No two people are taught the same way. This is one-to-one, not one-to-many.

Zavmo is a hyper-personalised AI learning platform. Twelve virtual tutors, each with a different way of teaching, and one orchestration agent that picks the right one for the moment. So every single lesson is shaped around you, your role, and the way you learn. Not a course everyone sits through. A conversation built for you, and no one else.

…and nine more, matched to you after your first chat. Meet all twelve

Start free and meet yours

13What it feels like

A conversation, not a course

Because your tutor knows your role, your projects and your last session, learning sounds like this. And it's different for every single person:

Organise and coordinate eventsLevel 3

Applied to your work in Events Assistant

By completing this unit, learners will be able to organise and coordinate activities before, during, and after an event, understanding the role of an event organiser and the importance of effective planning.

How the thinking builds
  1. Remember
  2. Understand
  3. Apply
  4. Analyse
  5. Evaluate
  6. Create
An illustration of a Zavmo lesson, built from this role’s own route. The unit, its objective and every criterion above are the awarding body’s own words, not an example.

One to one, not one to many

No two people run this the same way

A course is written once and handed to everyone. This is assembled around you, and keeps changing as it learns you. Five things it reads, and what each one changes.

  1. Your actual work Every lesson is taught against a live piece of your own work, not a worked example from a textbook.
  2. What you already know The first conversation finds your starting point, so you skip what you can already do and spend the time on what you cannot.
  3. The conditions you learn under Not a learning-styles quiz. The evidence does not support those. The dimensions the research does back, read once and used to shape the plan.
  4. How far you got last time It picks up mid-thought. The tutor knows what you said, what you struggled with, and what it asked you to try.
  5. Which tutor suits the moment Twelve of them, each for a different kind of thinking. The one who walks you through a first idea is not the one who stress-tests it.

See how you learn, free. Eight questions, no sign-up. A directional taster; the diagnostic inside Zavmo goes deeper and keeps adapting.

DemonstrateIllustration

Evidenced on your work in Events Assistant

You do not finish by watching something. You finish by showing it on the work you already do, against the measures this job is judged on.

  • Attendee Data AccuracyThe percentage of attendee records (names, companies, dietary requirements) entered or updated without errors.If you process 500 registrations for an event, we'd expect no more than 2-3 minor errors. Catching that a delegate's company name is misspelled before their badge is printed counts as a win.99.5% accuracy rate
  • Response Time for Basic EnquiriesHow quickly you respond to routine attendee questions (e.g., 'Where's the venue?', 'Can I update my dietary needs?').An attendee emails asking about parking at 9 AM; you've sent them the link to the venue's parking info by 1 PM. Simple, but crucial for a good attendee experience.Within 4 business hours for email, immediately for phone calls
  • Task Completion Rate & TimelinessThe percentage of assigned administrative tasks (e.g., printing badges, ordering supplies, updating schedules) completed by their deadline.If you're asked to print 200 name badges by Thursday 4 PM, they're not just printed, but also alphabetised and ready to go by 3:45 PM. That's the kind of reliability we need.95% on-time completion
  • Invoice & Expense Processing AccuracyThe rate at which basic vendor invoices and team expense reports are correctly entered into our finance system or tracked on spreadsheets, without needing corrections.You've entered 50 catering invoices this month, and only one had a minor typo in the amount that Finance caught. That's a solid result for an entry-level role.98% accuracy on initial entry
These are this job's own measures, with its own targets. Nothing is marked evidenced, because nobody has started this yet. Yours would fill in from the work you bring.

Your passport

This isn't a certificate you file away. It's a passport to the life you're designing.

Every credit you earn and every fluency you build adds up: evidence where it counts, carried with you. Zavmo keeps the map: where you are, where you're heading, and the next step, at your pace, around your life. From Events Assistant to Events Administrator (Level 002), and whatever you decide comes after.

Level 2 · in progressAI Fluency→ Events Administrator (Level 002)→ your design
Where this takes you

Ultimately, your career path is yours to shape. We'll support you with learning and development opportunities, mentorship, and clear pathways. Show us your dedication, your knack for getting things done, and your passion for events, and the possibilities are wide open.

See Your Progress GrowIllustration
Events Assistant
  • Event Logistics Fundamentals
  • Data Entry & Management
  • Vendor Support & Coordination
  • Document Preparation
This is your Mind Palace on learn.zavmo.ai. Every skill above comes from this role's own record, not an example borrowed from another job. A node lights up when you evidence it, and what you build stays yours between jobs. That is the part a course cannot do.

14The detail, folded away

Everything else the record holds

The career branches in full, how AI is already showing up in the day-to-day, and the questions people ask about this job. Here when you want them, out of the way while you decide.

Where it leads next, rung by rung

Where it leads

The career path, and where it branches

Events Assistant is a start, not a ceiling. Each step below asks for new skills and hands back more autonomy.

  1. Events Administrator (Level 002)

    2-3 years

    You'll move from supporting specific tasks to owning entire workstreams within an event, like managing all registration or coordinating all speaker logistics.

    • Building event registration sites from templates (Cvent).
    • Managing basic email campaigns for attendees.
    • Performing budget vs. actual analysis for specific event components (Excel).
    • Creating targeted attendee lists using CRM filters (Salesforce/HubSpot).

  2. Marketing Assistant (Cross-functional move)

    2-4 years

    You'd apply your organisational and communication skills to support broader marketing campaigns, potentially assisting with content creation, social media scheduling, or campaign reporting.

    • Scheduling social media posts (Hootsuite/Buffer).
    • Updating website content (CMS like WordPress).
    • Running basic marketing campaign reports (Google Analytics/CRM).
    • Coordinating marketing collateral production.
Working with AI on the job

Working with AI

Where AI is starting to help

Let's be real, a lot of event admin can be a bit repetitive. But what if you could offload some of those tasks to a smart assistant? We're talking about using AI to take the grunt work out of your day, freeing you up for more interesting, hands-on event support.

In our Events team, we're actively exploring and using AI tools to make our lives easier. This isn't about replacing people; it's about giving you superpowers to get through the tedious stuff faster. You'll be encouraged to experiment with these tools, and frankly, those who embrace them will be the ones who truly shine.

Invoice & Receipt Automation

Imagine scanning a stack of catering invoices or expense receipts and having an AI tool automatically extract the key info, categorise it, and even flag anything that looks a bit off. No more manual data entry nightmares after a big event. It'll even help you track basic budget lines.

Smart Communication Drafter

Ever get stuck writing the same 'Know Before You Go' email or a basic 'Your Registration is Confirmed' message? Use AI to generate first drafts of these repetitive communications. You'll just need to tweak them to make sure they sound like us, saving you loads of time on routine emails.

Automated Document Summariser

Got a long vendor contract or a detailed BEO to review, but you only need the key points for your manager? Feed it into an AI tool. It'll pull out the essential clauses, deadlines, and costs, giving you a quick summary without having to read every single word. Great for learning the ropes too!

Basic Research Assistant

Need to find three potential venues in Birmingham for a small workshop next spring, or a list of local print shops that do same-day banners? An AI assistant can quickly generate a qualified shortlist based on your prompts, saving you hours of manual searching and vetting. You'll still need to call them, of course!

Common questions

Common questions

How do you become an Events Assistant?

Common routes in include Office Administrator / Receptionist (1-2 years), Customer Service Representative (1-2 years) and Recent Graduate (Any Discipline) (0-1 year (post-graduation)). Times vary with prior experience.

Where can an Events Assistant progress to?

This role can lead on to Events Administrator (Level 002) (2-3 years) and Marketing Assistant (Cross-functional move) (2-4 years), depending on the skills you build.

What level is an Events Assistant in the UK?

This role aligns to RQF Level 2 on the UK framework, a guide to the depth of qualification it maps to, not a hard entry bar.

What new skills matter most for an Events Assistant?

Increasingly, Basic AI Prompting & Tool Use. These are the areas where the higher-paid, future-proof work is heading.

The honest bit

You’ve started things before

Most of them were built for a room full of people who aren’t you. A cohort moves on whether or not your week allowed it, and by the third week the thing you’re behind on becomes the reason you stop opening it.

There’s no cohort here, and no timetable to fall behind. Before anything starts, Zavmo asks when you’re sharpest and how long you can realistically sit down for, then builds the sessions around those answers. A bad fortnight changes your pace. It doesn’t put you behind.

And you only pay once you start learning. Searching and planning are free, and you can cancel any time — so the cost of finding out is an afternoon, not a year.

What it costs

Less than one coaching session. Every month.

A single career-coaching hour costs more than a month of this, and it ends when the hour does. Zavmo doesn't. It's £70 a month, about £2.30 a day, for a companion that knows an Events Assistant, works on the job you actually do, and keeps going at your pace rather than a timetable's.

  • Searching and planning stay free. You only pay when you start learning.
  • Your credits are yours. Regulated, and they don't vanish when a subscription ends.
  • Cancel any time and billing stops. No notice period, no minimum term.

Your path, personalised

You have the map. Walking it is the part we do together.

This route runs to 10 national skill standards. That is a real journey.

Zavmo shapes a learning experience as unique as you are. It fits how you learn, your pace and the work you already do. Every step stays benchmarked to recognised national standards. That’s the plan for becoming an Events Assistant: personal to you, and it still counts. The first steps are free.

Independent research finds well-designed intelligent tutoring performs nearly as well as one-to-one human tutoring: VanLehn (2011), Educational Psychologist.

A private tutor in the UK averages £35–40 an hour . Zavmo is £70/month.

A real plan on learn.zavmo.ai: Ofqual-regulated units, credits, and a three-month run at your own pace.
Start free No commitment. See your first steps free.

15Where to go from here

Other roles at Level 2

Same depth of qualification, different job. Useful if the work appeals but this particular role does not.

Other roles in Events Experiential Marketing

Stay in the field you know and move sideways rather than up.

If you leave this industry

The skills you gain in Events Administration Support are highly transferable. You could move into broader administrative roles, project coordination, marketing operations, or even account management within a creative agency. Your strong organisational skills and ability to manage details are valuable everywhere.

Not sure this is the right direction?

Work out what you actually want from work first, then come back and see which roles fit it. Takes about ten minutes.

This role profile is © 2026Growth Engineering Technologies Ltd. Built from UK occupational standards and regulated qualification data, and written for Zavmo.

You're not behind. You're right on time. The shift is only just beginning. Your role won't look the same in two years. Be the one who leads the change, not the one it happens to. Build my plan, free Here's the first ten minutes: a 2-minute confidence check → your personalised roadmap → meet the tutors matched to you. No card, cancel any time. No card. Build your plan, see your roadmap and meet the twelve tutors matched to you. All free. When you're ready to start learning, it's £70 a month, billed monthly. Cancel any time and billing stops.