Event Management is effectively breaking down silos by letting people choose their career path wisely based on their talents. Very early in life, we see that some of us are in a place to handle people effectively and smoothly, while some of us are experts in doing a set of work with perfect accuracy after being taught once, while others are creative and think on their feet to give astonishing results. Event management does all this and much more.
In order to understand this a little more, let us delve deeper into the types of event management at a broader overview for young intuitive minds to explore.
Personal Events :
Special Days with Special Ones:
Time has taken over as the most essential commodity of the world right now. Be it birthday parties of children, celebrities or normal folk, people would rather make memories with their loved ones than bother with making elaborate arrangements themselves and miss out on the finer aspects of an event.
As an event manager, one needs to finely understand the client and the requirements that are implied implicitly and stated explicitly. For example : Some of the client want a classic style birthday party, some want a jazzy wedding anniversary. Hence it becomes imperative to read these requirements and go ahead to give the client exactly what they wanted in the first place and not awkward surprises that can blemish the whole event.
Weddings:
The wedding events are a rather elaborate ritual that is to be made as a day that one can remember fondly with the best of memories. That feeling of being cast as special should be present in every step of the way. Although a wedding is essentially done with two individuals, it involves the homecoming of two distinct families that are there to celebrate this auspicious event.
Here the event planners are given a free hand to rake in all the necessities for the marriage to take place smoothly, the ambience, food, hospitality, lavishness, classic vintage themes, you name it, the wedding offers a plethora of challenges and equally gives enough happiness at having pulled off hitching two souls together. Weddings gather a separate thumbnail in the types of events, since it involves a whole lot of complexity from the very beginning and it needs to have someone who can think on their feet to find quick and excellent decisions.
Corporate Events:
Product Launches & Promotions:
Event Management has diversified into various sectors of the industry, that require skills that are rather very demanding and specific. In the world of corporates, every company is wanting to build itself as a brand that stands for something much more than a product that is physically tangible but more of a philosophy that can sustain for generations.
This should come across in all of their product launches, promotions and events as such, this type of branding that the company wants comes with its share of demands and a need for quick thinking, creative ideas and executability of planning.
Meetings, Incentives Conferences and Exhibitions: MICE
Corporate companies prefer to leave the tedious planning of certain events to event management companies, this makes the entire proceeding a lot more efficient.
To elaborate, the company can as well increase its productivity in the time it stands to lose in just making arrangements
-
Meetings between clients – Where the corporates have to just arrive, conduct the meeting and close the meeting. The rest of the arrangements are made by an event management firm.
-
Conferences – Conferences involve a lot of work with planning, invitation, lodgings, food and gifting and much more, which is a rather tedious work that can be efficiently handled by experts in doing these arrangements.
-
Exhibitions – Exhibitions act as wonderful publicity for the amplification of the brand message of a company, yet this too is tedious in terms of planning of space, time and much more.
These are just a broad spectrum of possibilities that can arise where in event management is rather an essential part of the entire proceeding. Event management per say is not rocket science, this chaotic world needs a little bit of structure in the way things are done, a proper chain of command, a clear instruction set to operate from and certain aspects that are best learnt with experience.
Although event management strikes one as a subject that can be taken in the stride of things, there are a lot of aspects that a finishing school can teach one in terms of handling these event in a deft and subtle manner that comes off as a win-win situation for the client as well as the event management team.
Here are a few things that are absolutely essential in making the cut in the field of managing delicate events.
1. Every event is special
For you as a event management team, each new sanctioned project is a new assignment, but for the client this event is special. Everything that you do from the conception of the idea to its inception, creation and execution has to reflect that theme that the client wants it to be.
Whether it the classy tune of a professional product launch, or the jazzy requirement of an audio launch for a new film or the magic show at a birthday party, Jain food at a birthday party,loud music at a music festival everything needs to be just as the doctor ordered.
It is most important that this be understood by everyone in the team that is working for this project that they intend to make the event a success by making sure that their clients feel indulged and special. It is therefore important to clearly understand what the client wants, what makes them tick and how to get there.
2. It’s never a one man show
As someone who plans events it is absolutely essential to understand the requirements of the client and then find people who understand these perfectly and aid you in making that a reality. Event management is not just about one person running things, it is a rather win-win collaboration that works. It is important to find people who can be trusted to deliver on their words, committed to the task and are express the need for perfection in their work.
For example: The main show at a birthday is the cake arrangements, equally important is the one who looks after the food, beverages and service; not to be left behind is the person who is hosting the show, the MC, the quality of food, closing the stalls on time and people who can put on smiles and greet the ones coming in.
One has to remember,every piece of the puzzle is equally important in completing the jigsaw.
3. It’s not an echo but a phone
Like in every field there is a stress for communication. Without the right communication there is no way things can go on smoothly. Communication has to be two ways, between you and the client, the event management team and the other teams that one needs to collaborate with.
Another important aspect is to have conversations that do not appear to be like a boss barking off orders but as a person asking if the requirements of yours can actually be met in the stipulated time frame, how can one mitigate problems and find solutions, whom to approach for questions. Here comes handy, a clear chain of command for smooth working of the entire event.
4. Always keep a tab on the budget
The client can ask for a palace and offer only to pay in peanuts, it takes skills of negotiation to say that things are not possible with such a meagre budget. Essentially saying No without offending a person on the other end can mean the difference of losing a client and landing a project.
Also some projects come with a variable budget topping, it is best to keep professional practices in order to make sure that there are no hiccups in the later stages with regards to unethical practices. Every investment needs to be monitored and kept tabs on so that you may not overshoot the budget and end up paying for it yourself.
5. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail
There is a proverb that goes “If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail”. Event management is no exception to this rather golden rule that every event needs to be planned like a huge project and executed in steps that are small and achievable, with specific people assigned specific roles, each time given sufficient time to make things happen and most importantly always be prepared for contingencies in case things go wrong or out of place.
Planning also gives way to be able to go deeper with detailing the way things work, the creative heads can come up with ideas, themes and creations that add an element of “WOW” factor for an event. These things add to the overall image of you as an event management entity.
6. Think on one’s feet
There are various terminologies associated with this trait, the Man Friday or the Contingency planner or the Saviour. Things can go south very fast once things go out of hand, one needs to be able to be present in the situation, take charge and take decisions that can save the day.
For example: On the brink of rain, in an outdoor event one needs to plan for another space that one can occupy and keep the show running in case it rains cats and dogs and creates havoc.
Or
In an birthday party, all of a sudden the lights go puff and the only light available is candle light, make the birthday memorable with making everyone present switch on their torches and sing a unique birthday song that does make it an interesting and memorable birthday.
7. Networking Skills
If ever there was a golden rule to follow to find success in event management then networking finds its way at the top most position. One needs to know who can get your work done. This can only be achieved by the power of contact and the human connect. The world needs to know that you are there and you mean business, this can be achieved best with the word of mouth that can help you meet clients, other agencies similar to yours where you can freelance, work together and build a name for your company.
To find people who you can trust and people who trust you is a boon that every one in event management asks for.
One always should be approachable, maintain an aura of friendliness that automatically calms down a client, a professional conduct that helps one conduct the affairs right and make it easy to function with the win-win paradigm.
The above points are somethings that every event management team has to consider in every type of event that they are a part of. These form the structure upon which the entire management of event management hangs on.
Opportunities + Learning with a career in Event Management.
Do you feel that you are a natural at the ability to manage people, listen to them and make them work on a topic and make them deliver results, event management is a wonderful place for young minds to start off with. This paradigm provides equal opportunities for both men and women to explore their talents and find their true calling in making it a career option instead of exploring avenues that are not custom made for them.
As parents and as pursuers of education we are in a stage of evolution where in we understand that success and satisfaction are two things that are distinct. In cases where interest lie elsewhere, one cannot force norms on people and expect them to tow the line. Event management comes with its load of opportunities and challenges that make it a respectable way of earning one’s livelihood and yet get to express themselves freely without much hindrance.
A career in this field can be largely supplemented with a degree in the above said domain to further enhance one’s possibilities of learning and finding success rather than blindly taking it on, a formal training provides the ideal breeding ground for talent to be nurtured at specialized schools that take great pride in teaching the nuances of event management.