Event management is coordinating varying aspects of different types of events, including corporate meetings, conferences, conventions, exhibitions, fairs, festivals, and other special occasions. It involves many tasks such as venue selection and management, budget planning and control, resource procurement and allocation, event logistics management from staffing to setup and clean up arrangements. On top of commanding the administrative details of an event, the role of an event manager may also include marketing activities surrounding the event such as developing promotional materials like flyers or banners.
A successful event requires thorough attention to detail throughout the entire planning process. An effective event manager must possess not only knowledge in business operations but also interpersonal skills to effectively interact with suppliers, colleagues and key stakeholders involved in the event. From seating plans to decor setup – they must have sufficient expertise in being able to navigate potential problems while adhering closely to the set timeline contained within the overall plan.
Do you feel your question ‘what is event management?’ remains unanswered? It’s no surprise, event management covers various responsibilities at an event, before, during and after, and those responsibilities may vary depending on the size and type of event, and other types of event specialists that are involved.
Read on and we’ll explain what an event manager does, their skills, their role, and other types of specialists you may encounter on event teams.
What does an event manager do?
Event managers are responsible for a wide variety of tasks associated with planning and organising promotional, business, and social events. This includes taking into consideration the needs and requests of clients, creating detailed proposals, managing logistics for the event, as well as ensuring that all legal and health and safety requirements are met. Additionally, they strive to make sure everything runs smooth leading up to and on the day of the event itself.
The process of planning an event consists of many factors such as budgeting, venue selection, scheduling speakers or entertainment choices, working out logistics such as catering requirements and other personnel needs for the event. From there it is the duty of an event manager to execute these plans in order to have a successful event. They may also be required to create contracts with suppliers, manage guest lists or RSVPs and oversee any security considerations that may be necessary. In essence, their role is a mix between strategist and executor to ensure that each detail is planned sufficiently while also managing all expectations during the actual running of any events they are tasked with overseeing.
Typical skills event manager skills
Event managers are in charge of making sure that the event they have been tasked with runs smoothly, and without a doubt this is no easy feat. To be successful, they must have experience in planning, executing, and evaluating events. This means that they must have a great eye for detail; they need to be able to think on their feet and troubleshoot any issues that arise; they need to be able to manage multiple tasks at once; and most importantly, they need to effectively communicate with all members of the team involved in the event. It’s often said that the key to success for an event manager lies in their ability to think ahead.
Other types of event specialist that may be involved
- Event Production company
- Catering company
- Photographers and videographers
- Security
- Transport and logistics
- Registration and ticketing
- Event tech suppliers
- Event Marketing agency
The stages of the event management process
Pre-event planning: This includes researching and identifying the purpose of the event, setting goals and objectives, defining a target audience, choosing a suitable venue and date, creating a timeline for the event, and managing budgeting.
Design: This involves designing the layout of the event to ensure all needs are met, as well as designing any marketing materials needed for promotion .
Production: This includes tasks such as hiring staff, sourcing vendors and suppliers, setting up equipment and working out logistics.
Implementation: During this stage the event manager is responsible for overseeing the event onsite and managing any issues that may arise.
Post-event evaluation: After the event has taken place the event manager will evaluate its success , gathering feedback from attendees and stakeholders, and writing a post-event report.
The role of an event manager before an event
- Researching and analyzing the needs of the event
- Developing an event plan and timeline
- Creating a budget and managing costs
- Sourcing vendors and suppliers for goods and services
- Coordinating staff and volunteers for setup, implementation, execution, and cleanup of the event
- Marketing the event to ensure maximum attendance
The role of an event manager during an event
- Leading a team of staff and volunteers through the event plan
- Managing the budget and ensuring all costs are kept within that budget
- Monitoring activities throughout the event to ensure standards are met
- Responding promptly to any issues that may arise during the event
- Gathering feedback from attendees and stakeholders
- Ensuring the safety
The role of an event manager after an event
- Evaluating the success of the event
- Gathering feedback from attendees and stakeholders
- Collating data from the event for future reference
- Managing bills and payments to vendors and suppliers
- Writing a post-event report outlining successes, failures, and lessons learned
The video below explains the theory of event management, different types of events and the size of the UK event market. The complexity, value and risks associated with an event make hiring an event manager a necessity in most circumstances.
Why event managers are in high demand
The success of an event is largely dependent on the quality and expertise of the event manager. In order to achieve this, it is essential that they possess a variety of skills related to event planning and management. These can include effective communication and people skills, decision-making under pressure, leadership qualities, organizational skills, budgeting ability, negotiating capability and problem-solving aptitude, to name a few.
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