5 Necessary Qualities For Successful Event Management
Michael Yi
An event manager is all about planning the perfect event, by deciding the budget, organising the location, the timing of the event, etc. Essentially, they handle every facet of the event, whether it be birthday parties, weddings, conferences, etc.
As you might have guessed, you’ll need to have certain qualities to become a successful event manager. So, without further ado, here are the top five qualities you should have as an event planner.
1. Tech savvy
Since technology has become more and more prominent in our work lives, an event manager has to keep up with new technological tools. A good event manager should have a firm grasp of social media, considering it’s often used as a way to advertise the event.
Along with that, there’s plenty of other software that can make your job much easier, which can automatically send invitations, manage venues, etc. Other programs can help keep you on track, which is a nice little segue for the next point. Consider undertaking an event management course to learn more about the software used in Event Management.
2. Organised
Organisational skills are a necessity when you’re planning all types of events, simply because you can’t plan an event if you’re not organised. Time management is key here: you obviously can’t leave things to the last minute. You have to step back and look at the big picture in order to plan the event accordingly.
Event management as a whole involves scheduling, checklists and task delegation to avoid any mishaps in the future. There are going to be a lot of times where you’ll have to manage what your team will do as well. Bottom line, the best event planners do quite a bit of multitasking and coordination to meet deadlines set by their client.
3. A people person
This is a given in most professions but is particularly relevant here. Excellent communication skills are a must here since you’ll be interacting with your client on a regular basis.
Not to mention, they’ll have to work with a bunch of other people such as vendors and event attendees to plan out a successful event. In other words, people skills are just part of the job.
While some have a natural talent for making people feel at ease, you can develop your ability to negotiate and resolve conflicts by merely exposing yourself to these situations more often. Also, keep in mind that it’s not all about talking; you have to also listen very carefully to what your client wants, and then figure out what needs to be done.
4. Passionate
One of the great things about this line of work is that you can really express your creativity. While you’ll have to do what your client tells you to, that doesn’t mean you can’t add your own flair, within the budget of course. Don’t be afraid to share your own personal opinion and ideas with your client.
Passion and love for event planning lead to a positive attitude, which, in turn, can make people feel more confident in your abilities. Along with that, a keen eye will go a long way in this field. Ensuring that every detail is perfect will help you in the long run, and prevent any small issues from culminating into something larger.
Adding little touches here and there is vastly appreciated by your client and your guest, as long as you double-check to ensure that they’re okay with your decisions. So, if you love to help out with a variety of events, then you should already have this quality!
5. Flexible
Even with all the organising in the world, plans can change. There are going to be times where you’ll have to improvise and make changes at the drop of a hat. You might even need to take on more work than usual, even doing tasks that you wouldn’t normally do, such as cleaning up.
It’s all about being an adaptable problem solver. You can’t be indecisive here either, doing so will be a waste of time. However, successful event managers aren’t rash when it comes to their decision-making. They make decisions in a calm and orderly fashion, even when under pressure.
Event planning can be a stressful job. You have to have grit if you want to succeed. You’ll be constantly bombarded with demands from your client, along with a ton of different tasks you have to do fully prepare for this event.
You have to stay committed to your vision to the very end. An event professional will successfully make their client’s dream a reality. It’s a lot of hard work, but as was mentioned before, if you’re passionate enough, you should be able to plan for a great event.
