What We Wish Corporates Knew About Event Management
Take it from an event industry veteran, if anyone ever tells you that event planning is a glamorous affair, they have no idea what the job actually entails. While I love helping brands plan and implement events that are a resounding success, it’s very rarely a walk in the park. In fact, at the best of times, it’s incredibly trying, fraught with stress and involves a to-do list a mile long. After chatting with a few colleagues, I decided that it was time we spoke frankly about event management and the things that make our jobs that much harder to do. I hope, that by educating industry outsiders the entire event management experience – both yours and ours – can be that much more enjoyable.
The next time you work with an event management company, bear the following in mind to help all parties to get the most out of the process:
Event management requires patient professionalism. A lot of it.
On an average day, my team and I are bombarded with many (many) requests in the form of emails, calls, WhatsApp, and the like. This, in between liaising with vendors, guests and service providers. We have to put up with equally stressed-out clients and do damage control when something goes awry. We know that the only way out, is through, which is why even if we seem calm on the outside, we’re desperately moving proverbial Heaven and Earth behind the scenes. As much as this stresses us out, we value professionalism above all things, which is why even when we may feel like crying, we’ll never take our own frustrations out on any of our clients. As such, we’d like to appeal to you to do the same.
Event managers are meticulous multitaskers (emphasis on the multi)
As I mentioned above, the day in the life of an event manager is not for the faint of heart. As we juggle this myriad of tasks, we also have to field demands that are quite frankly, ridiculous. The thing is, we wish you were our one and only client. Unfortunately, my project managers have multiple projects on the go at any one time – each with their own stresses that beg attention right this minute. If it were humanly possible, we’d devote ourselves entirely to your project. Unfortunately, we’d also go out of business if we let everything else slide. Before you spew out the expletives, remember that (just like you) we’re doing everything that is humanly possible.
We don’t have superpowers
Unfortunately, we’re not event management magicians. We can’t stretch an already exhausted budget, nor can we fly in seven hundred rare doves at a moment’s notice (or at all). We can’t obtain a permit once guests have already started arriving, and we cannot source an equally talented keynote speaker an hour before the event is set to kickoff when your initial speaker’s flight is delayed. Nor can we change an invite for the eighth time (because your decision makers have only now decided to get involved and want to see the copy), nor can we respond to your 20th email of the day (one email with all 20 questions would have sufficed). We really, really wish we could, but pulling off any of the above is strictly the domain of Marvel Superheroes.
We want to see your event succeed.
Despite the stress, the long hours and the demanding nature of the job, we’re committed to helping you to orchestrate an event that’s nothing less than world-class. As such, your patience and understanding are hugely valued.
Contact us to find out more about event management and how we can assist with your upcoming event.
