Behind every successful event is a tirelessly hard-working event planner. If you are new to event planning or are just eager to find out more about the event industry, then this post will take you through the role of an event planner, including the skills required to excel in event planning.
What is an event planner?
For an event to take place there needs to be a carefully executed plan. Event planners are responsible for organising all the components of the event before your big day – we will go into more detail about the exact responsibilities below. The scale and complexity of your event plan will depend on the size of the event you are hosting, as well as the type of event, but the foundations of the job are consistent.
What does an event planner do?
It is an event planner’s responsibility to ensure that all aspects of the event are taken care of – from an idea’s conception to the big day itself.
Here are the key elements of event planning that an event planner is responsible for arranging:
1. Budget
2. Venue
3. Marketing
4. Advertising
5. Event Photography
6. Staff/ Volunteers
7. Speakers
8. Attendees
What skills do event planners require?
Creativity and innovation
You do not just want to keep recycling the same event ideas over and over; there has to be a certain degree of originality to the events that you plan. Being a naturally creative person is a great asset as an event planner so that you can develop fresh new ideas that keep your events exciting.
Works well under pressure
No matter how intricately you plan your event, you always have to be prepared for your planning not to be executed as you’d imagined when the event eventually rolls around. It is therefore essential that you have the ability to think on your feet as an event planner.
Time management
As an event planner, you are always working towards the end goal and will have a set date (the event) by which your work must be finished. All the elements that go into event planning will have their own internal deadlines, for instance, there might be a certain amount of notice you must give your event photographer, so it is crucial that you have the ability to manage your time and prioritise your tasks accordingly.
People Skills
Event planning is a highly social job, so it goes without saying that you need to have brilliant people skills. Throughout the event planning process, you will be liaising with venues, potentially talking to a catering team and an event photographer. Some of these interactions, particularly when hiring a venue, might require you to negotiate a price, so you should be able to connect well with a wide range of people. Additionally, you will have to also be dealing with your clients/superiors from many different levels and backgrounds.
Attention to Detail
Before you can even get started on organising your time, you need to organise the intricate details of your event. These details can range from arranging travel for attendees and guest speakers from various locations to choosing the perfect colour scheme.
This guide to event planning and what it takes to be a stellar event planner should set you up nicely.
However, a key step to successful event planning that we have only touched on briefly so far is booking an event photographer. Event photographers should be considered key attendees to any event.
If you are looking to hire an affordable professional event photographer as part of your event planner, then consider booking through Splento. For just £99 an hour, all the hard work you put into event planning will be preserved!
