Train your eye
Whether you’re organizing a friend’s birthday party, a school reunion, a business conference or a high society wedding, as a successful event planner you’ll need to know what works and what doesn’t. An appetite for trying something different is essential. As the event manager, it’s your job to come up with unique and innovative ideas that will produce amazing events time after time. A keen eye can go a long way to help you stand out.
Understand your clients
As an exceptional event manager, you have to listen to your clients’ needs. Sometimes, you’ll even need to anticipate what your client wants before they even know them themselves!
If you’re planning corporate events, this is especially important. You must take the time to get to know the business so you can produce an event that’s right for your client’s sector. You could be organizing end of year parties, corporate training days, trade shows client presentations, product launches or awards ceremonies. To do this successfully, you have to understand what drives the company and their expectations. You may also be organizing social events, which present a different kind of challenge.
Get ready for major planning and marketing
The world of an event manager never stands still. Whilst attending one event you’re likely to be taking calls and answering emails for others. You’ve got to be on top of things and plan ahead. Each event should be broken down into sections, such as venue, catering, decorations, entertainment and so on. You’ll also need to consider certifications, insurance, booking fees, tastings, guest lists and even promotion.
Then the event will need to be marketed – online and offline. A charity event will need advertising, a product launch may need press, a ball will need ticket sales, an awards ceremony will need PR. Whilst you may not be doing all the marketing you will certainly need to liaise with promotional staff to ensure the event is advertised successfully. A levelled head and well-organised lists will help you a great deal.
Dare to be different
To be the best event manager you need to be prepared to offer something really special to your clients. Your ideas need to be unique so clients choose you as their event manager over the competition. Be brave and stand out from the crowd. When putting together an event proposal take a step back and ask yourself what the client is expecting and how you can take it up a level.
