How to become an events manager

What does an event manager do?

An event manager will have many different tasks and each day will be different to the last. Here are the responsibilities an event manager can expect to take on.

• Research opportunities for new clients and events
• Recruiting and managing employees working on events
• Help promote events
• Work with a budget for events and manage spending accordingly
• Carry out administrative duties
• Produce detailed proposals for events
• Research venues, suppliers, contractors and negotiate prices and hire them
• Manage and coordinate suppliers and all event logistics

• Liaise with clients to find out the exact event requirements
• Setting clear objectives and targets for events
• Plan how to meet those targets
• Organise facilities for the likes of car parking, first aid, security, the media, traffic control, and hospitality
• Oversee the removal of the event and clear the venue
• Gather feedback and data after an event
• Produce post-event evaluation to inform future events
• Coming up with new ideas for events and promotions

Required skills of an event manager

People skills

Event managers need to have empath, compassion, patience, and the ability to build relationships with others, due to the fact that they’ll be working with a wide range of people. They will also need to resolve any conflicts that arise as well as the ability to negotiate confidently and fairly.

Technical skills

They also need to be proficient on a computer, especially if they are using scheduling software as well as a computer database to store and organise client accounts. Their employers may want to host a live-streaming event through social media, so the event manager needs to be able to comfortably perform this.

Flexibility

Managing events can throw up all kinds of things due to the very fast-paced and unpredictable nature of it all. An event manager could be leasing a large team of staff one minute, before helping clean up the next. Having the flexibility to do whatever needs to be done is a very helpful trait.

Creativity

Being able to come up with innovative and new ideas when creating events can be very beneficial. They will also need to be able to apply critical thinking when doing this whilst paying very close attention to detail.

Listening skills

Stakeholders and clients will want event managers to be able to understand what they want to achieve from their event. The event manager will need to understand their needs and make sure their expectations are realistic. Your event has more chance of being a success if you actively listen to the stakeholders and consider their needs through the planning process.

Leadership

As said before, an event manager will work with many different people, from management professionals to business executives. There will be a diverse range of personalities which means leadership skills are important to directing workflow organising schedules, planning events, and delegating tasks.

Organisational skills

Being able to effectively multi-task will make an event manager’s job much easier, especially when they are running an actual event. They will need to be able to juggle several things at once, using their organisational skills in both the planning and execution stage of the event. So, being able to focus on the big picture whilst also keeping track of the small details is so important.

Industry knowledge and experience

If an event manager has industry knowledge, skills, and experience, it will put them in a good position to build a solid reputation in the industry. Of course, this will be built up over time. An event manager’s job will become much easier once this has been gained, though, as they’ll have also picked up a wide network of contacts.

Passion

As with any other career, an event manager will need love and passion for the job to be successful at it. Being passionate will boost their creativity so their events will stand out and be more memorable than those done by someone just doing their job.

Decision-making skills

Quickly making several decisions at once will show a successful event manager. It’s very important that they can make these decisions confidently, quickly, and thoughtfully. They need to be able to recognise when it’s too late to change one of their own decisions as well and have the resolve to then stick by that decision.

Communication skills

An event manager can establish themselves as an effective team leader by being a clear, approachable, and confident communicator. They will achieve the desired outcomes by communicating effectively with clients to establish goals and action plans. Active listening skills will help event managers determine the best approaches to take when it comes to planning and hosting events. It’s important they can onboard criticism whilst being open to others’ ideas.

Problem-solving skills

No matter how meticulous an event planner has planned an event, something cam always go wrong. Being able to create solutions to problems like arranging venues for clients is very important. They might need to rely on their problem-solving skills to find alternative solutions when problems arise with hosting, pricing, or audience participation.

Ability to keep calm under pressure

A stakeholder will more than likely turn to an event manager as the first point of contact for almost anything related to an event. There can be moments of stress and the worst thing an event manager can do is crack under pressure, lash out and make poor decisions. They need to stay level-headed and continue to treat everyone calmly and with respect.