Skills You Need to Be an Awesome Event Planner

For anyone who has done it, working to become it, or is considering following their dreams knows that being an event planner is an incredibly rewarding career path. An event planner isn’t often a position you ‘fall into’ it’s one you chase!

But what does it take?

Here are a few skills you need to be an awesome event planner to help you make the most of an exciting profession.

Entrepreneurship

Event planners come from a variety of backgrounds. Some have taken the college education route, others learn from mentorships and real-life experiences, and sometimes both. Whatever or however you #glowup, entrepreneurship is essential and perhaps the most important of the skills to be an event planner.

Entrepreneurship as an event planner is the capacity and willingness to organize and manage an event. What does this mean for you? This means sometimes running on 4 hours of sleep, dealing with last minute vendor cancellations, technology malfunctions, or late guest speakers… and still getting up each day kicking ass and loving it.

I want to tell you event planning is all about open bars and glitter but there is a very real element of self-motivation required. (Fear not, there is always room for glitter). Master these entrepreneurship skills to be able to crush your competitors:

• Persuasion
• Financial Management
• Relationship Building
• Stress Management
• Strategy
• Authenticity
• Sales
• Failure Management

These are important qualities of being an entrepreneur and are often required as an event planner. Sometimes you are a one-woman-show and you’ve got to be able to handle it. And trust me, you can!

Organization

My mom used to tell me “You’d lose your head if it wasn’t attached!”

She’s probably right. Only now “my head” is actually caterers, speakers, designers, marketers and more. There is no way to successfully pull off an event without strong organizational skills. In addition, as an event planner, it’s not just your tasks to keep up with, you have a team too!

Luckily there are tools like Asana, For Event Planning. Softwares like Asana help with organization and keeping myself and my team focused. As an event planner, you’re often upgrading the tools and technology you use for organization. Organized = efficient = getting shit DONE.

Communication

There will come a time amidst the planning stages of an event where you are the only one who can see the full picture. To go from vision to a reality you have to be able to communicate everything you need from your team.

Your clients brand depends on it.

Based on your managing style, communication can come in the form of a phone/video conference, email, text, Asana messaging and the thousands of other ways available to you. But there’s a difference in how you communicate with your gal pals versus your event team. Communicating like a boss requires self-awareness, focus, and finesse. Eventually, you and your team will develop a rhythm, but the beat of the drum will be entirely up to you.

Creativity

Don’t feel weird if you’re spinning around an empty venue taking mental pictures.

An awesome event planner can walk into a hotel hall and like a blank canvas visualize their client’s event. You will use brand messaging, business goals, and target audiences to create an experience. Creativity and artistry are event planner skills that separate the good from the badass.

Pococks and Powerade combined creative forces that delivered an on-brand event experience that is memorable and nothing short of creative. This was their seating arrangement to compliment the indoor volleyball.

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It’s true that some people are naturally creative. But don’t be fooled, it CAN be taught. In my online course Event Planning for Women Entrepreneurs, I’ll show you how to use your feminine flair for every event you plan.

Creating a ‘Dream Team’

In each of the skills to be an event planner, I mention your team. Here’s why you’ll want to put together a dream team. These are just some of the puzzle pieces to be put into place at every event:

• Attendee management (VIPs, audience personas)
• Venue
• Catering
• Scheduling
• Photography
• Videography
• Multimedia marketing
• Print & Website
• Security
• Budgeting
• …and so much more!

Now, I know some of the overachievers out there are sweating, but don’t. Using your developed communication skills you’ll be able to relay your vision and ensure its execution by delegating. Here are a few things to look for when putting together your dream team.

A Little Education Can go a LONG Way

As an event planner, you will never stop learning. I keep my Online Courses as updated as possible so that I can

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help you develop the skills to run your event planning business like a boss.

I’ve noticed recent graduates of my module courses wanting a more intimate 1 on 1 coaching to be able to learn from me, directly. That is why I now offer, for a limited time, a VIP Day where I share with you my secrets as a digital event strategist. I cover all the skills and technicalities you’ll need to host your next event.

The skills to be an event planner are unique and somewhat challenging, but they will never fail you. In your career or in your life– the skills to be an event planner will build your confidence, your business, and your bank account.