This is a sponsored post written by Kristen Carvalho, Content and Social Media Manager at etouches, event management software.
More information about Event Manager Blog’s sponsored posts.
How often have you heard this: You’re an event planner? So you get people in a room and organize lunch right? Cue your blood starting to boil and you holding back a very loud NO!
People that are not in the events industry still have no idea what we do and are baffled by the fact that this is a complex job. This job is not cut out for everyone because you need to have about 20 skills that you master, be an organizer, a researcher and all while landing a sponsorship deal.
You need to become a pro; athletes practice and practice to get those ideal skills that will bring them to the big leagues and give them the perfect game. You need to think like an athlete. What is it that you need to do to get the skills that every event planner has? What will make you become the perfect event planner with the perfect CV and resume?
#1 – Mapping your skills
There is a certain skill set that you need to have to become an event professional. You need to find a way to transfer these skills into your resume, LinkedIn profile and your introduction of what you do to show that you are an expert in the field.
#2 – Organizing Flexibility
Are you the type of person that can adapt to any situation at a moment’s notice? When you are an event planner you need to be a project planner extraordinaire, but also know how to deal with crises.
Events are unpredictable, I think we can all agree on that point, so if you don’t have a backup plan for your backup plan you are going to fail. You need to have a solution for every problem that arises. Make sure that you print badges in case your attendees forget theirs, have a backup speaker in the case that one can’t make it last minute and know how to deal with all your attendee and exhibitor requests.
The key is to be flexible, but not too flexible. You need to be able to convince people that your idea and vision is the right way to go and that you have a plan if something happens. Don’t be a strictly yes or a strictly no person either. Stand your ground on your ideas. After all you are the pro here!
Being flexible and being organized go hand in hand. How can you be an event planner and not be organized? You need to plan and schedule every little detail. This starts by coming up with a strategy and setting goals. Decide what you want your event to accomplish. Know what the ultimate goal of your event is. That way in the end you can evaluate your results.
Don’t try to do it all yourself either, use event management tools to help with seating, registration, meeting appointments, etc. With a complete suite like etouches that integrates with best-in-class software you will be able to seamlessly send data from one place to the next. By being organized you are setting your team and event up for success.
#3 – Being a (well thought-out) Innovator
You need to find a way to foster your creativity. Nowadays if people get something right once, they are pretty reluctant to change it. “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.” Get that motto out of your head and get creative. Think outside of the box with event designs. Get creative when it comes to quick fixes like collateral that has the wrong information or a booth design that is missing a crucial piece of furniture. Have your creative juices flowing as much as you can.
Being an innovator means more than getting creative with quick fixes too, it involves being able to see the trends that are coming. Most importantly, the trends that directly relate to you and what you are doing. Just because you see the top 10 trends for event furniture doesn’t mean you have to implement all of them or any of them. Be able to have a well trained eye to see what works for you, your industry and your business. That is the true skill of an innovator. Knowing what trends work for you and not wasting your time on ones that don’t fit.
Communication = simple, efficient – If you have bad interpersonal skills then this is not the job for you. Not only do you need to know how to relate and communicate with your staff, but also with your attendees, exhibitors, sponsors, partners and I’m sure I forgot a few. You need to be able to get your point across clearly and also be opened to new ideas. Don’t get complex with your communication style.
Realize that you need to use the right communication with the right people. Your interaction and communication style will vary from event to event because of the different industries you are dealing with. You’re not going to communicate with a banking association the same way you would with a medical congress. A great event professional will know how to tailor a message to each industry in a respectful and simple way.
#4 – Becoming an Expert
You are not only an event planner; you are a community manager, marketer, consultant, technology expert, social media aficionado, and a leader. You need to learn how to become an expert in more than one field in order to be successful. Learn how to promote your event, manage your tech tools, use social media and how to produce the right content.
Social Media – Many of us know how to use Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn by now. When you are trying to create buzz for your event, those are probably your go-to social media channels. What about Pinterest, Instagram or YouTube? Do you know how to properly use them to promote your event? If your answer is no, then you need to get a crash course in the latest social media channels. Being able to use social media correctly is an asset in any job function today, but especially in event planning. If you want free publicity, then you need to know how to use your hashtag correctly, how to monitor the event chatter and how to engage with your industry influencers. Start using tools like Sprout Social to automate your posting schedule, use Social Dynamite as a micro site to post articles around session topics and use Traackr to find your influencers and get them to help with promotion!
Content – A very ambiguous term that can mean a lot of things. Right now, let’s talk about event content. Do you know how to create event content that your audience is actually going to care about? When you have a call for speakers and topics, how are you choosing who gets picked? You need to be in tuned with your audience and know what they care about to give them the best content possible. Make sure that you are giving them topics and sessions that they cannot get anywhere else.
Not to mention, you need to know how to collect this content. If you do this manually you could possibly miss a lot of great topics and speakers from human error. However, if you find a way to automate this process with tools like eSelect , you make it easier on yourself and the people submitting.
If you are not an expert of the event content that your show is producing, at least make sure you are relying on people who do. Lean on your clients for guidance on the best practices in the industry, what the content means, etc. You don’t have to know everything, just be able to understand it and not be shy to reach out to the people who know all about it.
#5 – Being a Strategist
You are not sending emails. You have a strategy, tools, analytics. You are thinking budget and ROI.
Integration is so important when it comes to understanding how to market. You can’t just send out an email and think you are done with your marketing. You need to also transfer this message into social media, your website, and print; whatever works best for your audience. Not everyone is going to see your message on that one medium. You need to make sure you can reach the widest audience possible. Become an expert at analytics, measurement and tracking your results.
#6 – Continuing Your Training
Mouse and keyboards are your best weapons – Okay, you probably won’t be an expert, but you will need to understand the tools that you use and know how to use them well. You have to integrate them. Become knowledgeable in event management software, apps, AV, and anything else that you will use during your event.
Become a tech friendly person. Talk with your colleagues, friends, partners, etc. and ask about the tech trends in your industry. Use a technology provider that you trust. Know the right words and right questions to ask and you will be okay. It shows that you at least care enough to get familiar with the industry.
You don’t have to do everything on your own anymore. There are so many tools, classes and other opportunities at your disposal. More than there ever was before! With university degrees, certifications, and user conferences you can really expand your knowledge.
Becoming a certified event planner shows the world that you are truly an expert in your field. It is a badge of honor that you can carry with you into meetings, events, etc. It can even help you make a little more many that your uncertified peers in the long run.
Look back at your experience in the industry and use it to your advantage. Have you had to deal with unruly attendees at a welcome desk who were not registered, look back at what you did so that you have a game plan for the future. Find a way to use all of your experience and time in the industry to your advantage. Don’t forget to share your experience with others as well. You always want to be able to spread your knowledge far and wide.
#7 – Conclusion
No one’s resume and experience is going to look the same. We are all separate individuals, but you need to know the basics in order to get to YOUR perfect resume (see image). When it comes to topics that you are still unsure of, you can turn to experts in the industry to help you build a self-made event guide to handle any situation. This will have you on your way to becoming a knowledgeable and well-rounded event planner that can solve any problem head on!
Which resume would you rather have? The generic one on the left? Or the detailed, specific and useful one on the right?
But most importantly, have fun with events. After all, this is the industry that you chose for a career and that you will probably spend more than half your life doing, so make it a good time. This is no easy job; it’s a lot of stress, so every once in a while we need to lighten up.
As QuickMobile stated in their recent infographic, planners have a higher than average level of job satisfaction, so we are doing something right. And more people are coming into the industry every day with it being the 9th top job of 2014. My last tip for you is to instill some personality and excitement in your career. It will help you like event planning a little more, well like it at least most of the time. ☺
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