What Skills Are Needed In Event Management?

Here is what typically happened. I was way too busy, but I took on organizing an event with two large corporates.

The subject matter was really interesting – cyber security and hacking.  But, the event had a wordy, vague title that would put anyone to sleep.  It was my job to market it, and the corporates did everything else.

They provided a 200-person space, ordered drinks and snacks, and put together these wonderful, insightful presentations.  And then, in the end – 18 people showed up. It was completely my fault. It was my own personal nightmare sitting there watching these presentations in a sea of empty chairs.

Since then I’ve realized quality content and a great event aren’t enough to drive people to attend.

How are people supposed to know it’s great before they show up?! Now I always put as much effort into the marketing, messaging, and communication as the logistics so the organizers get the audience they deserve.

My advice to other planners is if you don’t have enough time to market your event properly, rethink whether you should run it at all.

Over years as an event manager, I have realized that to create a solid plan and take on everything from choosing suppliers to establishing timelines, you’ll need great event management skills. With that in mind, here are the key event management skills needed;

1.  Organizational skills

As an event planner, to successfully run any event, I have to be able to juggle about 50 things at once. It is this multitasking prowess that is required for both smooth planning and the flawless execution of an event. Techniques such as extensive event proposals and step-by-step checklists are important for any event.

This means, keeping your team informed, adhering to timelines, budgets, and appointments as well as keeping important documents and information organized. After all, a well-executed event doesn’t happen by accident. It requires sharp organizational skills and attention to detail – right from planning to post-event analysis.

2. People skills

You need to be comfortable connecting with high-level executives, government officials, vendors, co-workers, sponsor reps, customers, supervisors, suppliers, staff, and event attendees. To successfully work with this wide range of people, you’ll need to be able to nimbly resolve conflicts, be a confident but pleasant negotiator, and maintain your sense of humor.

Remember to try and have fun with the work you do and the people you work with, and they’ll want to work with you again. You can’t do it all by yourself, so building relationships is key.

3. Flexibility

I remember an event I planned a few months ago and had a last-minute venue change. Less than 24 hours before the event there was a problem with the venue and we had to do a complete venue change. In less than 24 hours we had to find a new venue within the budget that was suitable for the event and notify every company, every guest speaker, and every actor planning to attend. It was absolute mayhem but with forward planning and a bit of luck, we turned it around.

The most important thing as an event organizer is to BE ORGANISED!! Something which was key in our being able to turn the event around was having a list of mobile numbers for out-of-hours contact; this meant we were able to efficiently update people.

4. Communication

Clear, firm, and kind communication establishes you as a leader of the team, keeps everyone on track, and ensures that the goals of the event are clear to everyone involved. It also allows you to effectively share your vision and get others excited about it, too.

Communicate in a way that is respectful to everyone and doesn’t put anyone down. Accept criticism and be open to new ideas. Everyone plays a part in the success of an event, so make sure you’re communicating with them in a clear, confident, and empowering way.

Event planners are also great listeners, which helps them understand the needs and wants of their clients.

Final Thoughts

If you have most of these event planning skills, chances are you’ll do a great job at being an event planner. If not, you can still become a successful event professional by enrolling in this event management training since most of these can be developed through determination and willingness to learn.