Event Planning Tips, Your Event Career
4 of the Most Common Issues You’ll Face as an Event Planner
Event planning is a challenging and dynamic career. Only the most organized and hardworking people thrive in the industry. The beautiful events that attract us to this career path do not always happen without a hitch. Not all that glitters is gold! If you are interested in becoming an event planner, you should take into account the types of challenges you’re likely to experience.
Continue reading to learn about the most common issues that you will face as an event planner!
Day-of Disasters
Even if you’ve poured over every last detail in your plans, disasters can still happen. Whether it’s during a wedding, a corporate event, or a party, expect the unexpected! There is not much you can do to prevent certain types of disasters. Sometimes, things just don’t go according to plan and it’s up to you, the planner, to decide the best route forward.
You could be faced with any number of disasters during your event. Maybe a bridesmaid has spilled a colorful cocktail on the bride’s dress, or the guest speaker’s flight is delayed. You must be prepared to cope with any situation.
To be a successful event planner you must be adaptable and learn to roll with the punches. Your clients hired you because of your skills and ability to look after the potentially disaster-causing details they may overlook! Your training and experience are assets here, and the best you can do is to have backup plans and a well-stocked emergency kit.
With the right tools, you will be able to handle anything that comes your way. Trust the process, and know that disasters can sometimes lead to positive, creative outcomes!
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Related articles:
- Top Wedding Disasters and How to Plan for Them
- Stocking Your Event Planner Emergency Kit
- The Professional Wedding Planner’s Survival Guide
(Mis)communication
Event planners work on behalf of the organization or client(s) hosting the affair. This means that you, as their planner, are responsible for bringing their vision to life! Your clients may not be good at communicating their vision. This can be challenging as it means you have to dig deeper and make assumptions about the clients’ vision.
Beyond communicating with your clients, you also must work as a liaison. Part of your job is hiring suitable vendors. Ensuring the event goes according to plan means always communicating with vendors according to your clients’ best interests. If you don’t have experience or training, you will encounter a lot of new lingo during this process. Some of the jargon isn’t that easy to figure out, either! Study up and do your research so you don’t end up making promises you can’t keep!
To avoid disappointing your clients you need to make sure you have excellent communication skills. Even when you feel like they aren’t giving you much to go off of, try your best to understand their vision. Be sure to communicate clear expectations to everyone involved. This is one of the biggest challenges that event planners face. After all, how can a florist know you wanted edgy arrangements when you only said that your clients wanted darkly colored bouquets?
Budget Blowups
As an event planner, budget issues are the least fun to deal with. Event planning would be easy if there was an unlimited budget! But we know this is rarely the case. In reality, your clients will have a maximum amount they are willing to spend, and sometimes expectations that don’t match. No one likes to hear “no.” You have to be creative in order to plan amazing events under tight budgets!
It can be hard to explain to clients that they may not be able to get what they want within their price range. You probably have some great ideas if only they could stretch their budget! Unfortunately, the limit is usually immovable. It can be frustrating when clients have unrealistic expectations for you in terms of making their budget work.
The best you can do is explain the situation without offending your client. You’re the expert and sometimes that means breaking bad news! Although this is a challenge in the event industry it’s also an opportunity for a creative challenge!
Using your creativity to brainstorm alternatives can be rewarding for yourself and your clients. They will be pleased that you’re working hard to make their budget work! This can also translate into referrals, which is especially beneficial if you are starting your own event planning business!
Lousy Weather
Outdoor events can be amazing, but sometimes nature doesn’t behave. Never bank on a sunny day! This can be a challenge for event planners in terms of managing the mood and accommodating the shelter-seeking crowd.
Luckily there are ways to prepare for bad weather. It sounds simple, but clients can easily become wrapped up in the excitement that outdoor events have to offer. A good event planner will have a backup plan in case the day doesn’t go according to plan. Guests will be grateful that you had spare ponchos and a designated room to move the soirée.
Ensuring everyone is comfortable is just the start of handling unexpected weather. Managing the mood is how event planners are truly tested. Don’t let a little rain dampen the mood! Make sure you have activities scheduled to keep people excited. Using music, bright decorations, and food and drink can help lift spirits. Whatever your plan, make sure you carry it out with a smile on your face!
What are some of your best tips for dealing with event planning challenges? Let us know with a comment!
