How to be an events organiser

Tue 1 Dec 2020

Problem solving, creativity and a penchant for planning are just a few of the skills necessary when you are an events organiser. Perhaps you’re thinking of a career in events management but aren’t sure what to expect? Let’s take a look at some of the key skills and common tasks associated with the role.  

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An appetite for planning and organisation

The clue is in the job title: ‘events organiser’ and a successful events organiser will live by the Benjamin Franklin philosophy that ‘failing to prepare, is preparing to fail’. One of the biggest challenges within the role is that you may be in the planning stages of multiple events simultaneously or in the planning stages of a longer-term project like an annual event, whilst doing some hands-on tasks for another client. Having the ability to juggle several clients who all have different demands can never be left to chance, so making sure you know what type of organisational strategy works for you is key. Whether it’s to-do lists, custom checklists for each client or software such as Eventbrite and Cvent, make sure you have a way of measuring the performance of factors such as event revenue, attendance and ticket sales to ensure you can keep up with fluctuating priorities.

Being personable and an excellent communicator

Events are synonymous with person-to-person interaction and the profession tends to attract those who enjoy being social and interacting with others. A good events planner should be equipped with impeccable negotiating skills, be articulate but equally as importantly, possess the ability to listen. Communication will play a huge part of your work; a few examples of when you would use written and verbal communication in context are:

Written

  • Writing proposals.
  • Drafting contracts for vendors and clients.
  • Emailing segmentation to send relevant and targeted information to your clients and any prospective clients.

Verbal

  • Communicating your ideas to a client, supervisor or supplier.
  • Negotiating rates for catering, accommodation or a contract.
  • Networking at events to generate future business and interest (an events organiser’s networking head is never switched off!).

Creative and adaptable

As an events organiser, you can be sure you will stray off the beaten track at times, handling demanding clients and last-minute hiccups. With this in mind, an aptitude for problem-solving and plenty of initiative are skills for the arsenal, as you will come across scenarios where there is no clear right or wrong answer, which is where creativity comes in.

Should the caterer not turn up or the computer break down before a presentation, the events planner will need to step to come up with a resourceful way of tackling this.

Events planners are also visionaries, seeing the whole picture from the very start. If you’re looking to pursue a career in events, the idea of working with different budgets and applying your creativity to any event big or small, needs to excite you.  

Read our blog ‘Where can event management take you?’ for more information on the exciting opportunities and prospects that come with a career in events.

 

Are you passionate about a career in events management? Earning an MA in Creative Events Management from Falmouth University’s Flexible Learning programme can help kick start your career in events management. For more information, visit our course page.

 

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