careernav.

General Description

This is an ideal career for logical thinkers. An event manager plans, organises, directs and manages events of all different dimensions and scale. Events can be business related, fund raising, family, sporting or social.

Career Advice - Event Manager Career

You could be responsible for the overall management of weddings, conferences, rock concerts, a golf tournament, telethon or a convention. You are responsible for the production of events, from the initial planning, through to completion solving problems along the way.

As an event manager, some key decisions you make are; determining the cost and necessary labour resources; organising facilities and insurance; coordinating venue management, including caterers, contractors, and equipment hire; monitoring the production schedule, and liaising with marketing and staff. Event management can be an intense job and you will need strong organisational and management skills, as well as the ability to cope well under pressure, be able to get others to willingly work for you and meet deadlines.

What you do every day?

During a standard working day, your tasks will be broad and varied, depending on the event you are currently managing, its size and budget. Possible tasks include researching markets to determine opportunities for events; liaising with clients to identify their event requirements and objectives; producing detailed proposals and plans for events, including information like schedules, venues, suppliers, legal considerations, staff, and budgets. Once your proposal is approved, you secure bookings, and make arrangements regarding insurance, legalities, and health and safety. You then organise caterers, stand designers, contractors and equipment, as well as car parking, traffic control, security, first aid, and hospitality.

In terms of the event itself, you may need to book speakers or special guests, organise room or event space layout, develop the program, confirm staffing requirements, and work closely with marketing and PR representatives to promote the event. It is also in your hands to organise the production of tickets, posters, and other promotional material. On the day of the event, you coordinate suppliers, take questions from clients, and supervise to ensure that everything runs smoothly.

After an event, you supervise the removal of supplies and equipment and the cleaning of the venue. You also complete a post-event evaluation.

Personality that best fits this occupation

Event managers need to excel at business, administration, and have a strong ability for project and people management, along with strong written and oral communication skills. The position is highly stressful, so you will need to have a well-developed sense of managerial responsibility, with an aptitude for problem solving and time management. You must be a decision maker who thinks in a logical manner and be able to handle many tasks at the one time.

You must have strong communication skills, since the job involves working to your client’s expectations and objectives, as well as dealing with a range of suppliers, colleagues, contractors, marketers, PR representatives, and so on.

You also need to be able to remain calm under pressure, and have qualities such as organisation, observation, judgment, confidence, an eye for detail, and the ability to work with others.

Best thing about this career

Event managers are responsible for the outcome of an event. You are in a position of responsibility, and fulfil an important managerial role, without which the event would not be organised. Although it is hard work, you are rewarded with a sense of satisfaction when all of the bits and pieces you’ve organised come together to form a successful, smooth running event. The job is diverse, with a range of events to manage and different aspects to consider for each specific situation. With all of the things to organise, and various events to manage, you’ll never get bored!

Worst thing about this career

You work in busy, high pressure and stressful conditions. The event management process can be demanding and hectic, with many hiccoughs and glitches in need of attention before the planning can continue. As the person in charge, responsibility rests on your shoulders to find solutions to tricky problems in short periods of time. Events are difficult to manage, because when guests are involved, and invitations are going out, the deadline is absolutely set in concrete. It has to be ready – and perfect – end of story. Overtime is common to ensure that deadlines are met, and that goods and services are booked before someone else snaps them up.