Event management is a busy but rewarding career. Helping someone to organise an event, which could be small or the size of a conference, and seeing it through to a successful conclusion is what makes event management a calling for some people. So, if you’re considering devoting your life’s work to guaranteeing the satisfaction of customer’s event needs then here is what you need:
People enter the world of event management from all backgrounds and even though you can do courses at college or university, you don’t have to. What really counts is strong experience in the areas of public relations, tourism, travel or booking entertainment for venues. Volunteering at events and exhibitions is a great way of gaining hands-on knowledge of what is involved in this industry. Travel and hospitality experience is also useful. For Conference Management Companies Dublin, visit http://davisevents.ie/
Personal qualities that are beneficial for this role include good organisational skills, an ability to multi-task, strong communication and people skills, problem-solving, working under pressure, attention to detail, marketing skills and budgetary planning.
An event manager is responsible for overseeing an entire event from the initial planning stages to helping things go smoothly on the actual day. You’ll meet with clients to discuss their needs and find innovative and creative ways to make the event unique. Budgets will need to be agreed and a timetable for planning will also need to be discussed with the client. That is just the first stage. Next is the research and negotiating stage.
You’ll have the task of finding the right venue and getting the best deals with suppliers for the event. The venue, catering, entertainment and any additional equipment will need to be finalised and booked, remaining within the budget and agreed timetable. Public events will also need marketing and publicity. The final stage is the event day itself.
Working long hours, you’ll need to be there hours before it starts and you’ll be there after it ends too. You could be supervising the catering, checking the hired security, ensuring that health and safety requirements have been met and insurance regulations are covered. As you can see, an event management professional has a lot of balls to keep in the air so a cool head and plenty of preparedness is essential.
During planning stages, the working hours are likely to be normal office working hours but in the lead up to events, you will be expected to work unsociable hours. Outdoor events could also mean working out in the pouring rain quite often! If your events are some distance from where you live, there could also be the possibility of travel and overnight stays in various locations. There is wide scope for progression and one day you could become a manager of an events company. Many people have set up their own private event management business or offer their services on a freelance basis meaning you have the freedom to be your own boss.
Similar professions include charity fundraisers, conference management, hotel manager, events technician, public relations and exhibition designer.
