Are you trying to figure out how to make your life as an event manager easier? Read this article to learn about the event management skills you need.
Event management ain’t easy folks.
It’s hard work, high-intensity, and high-stress.
In fact, it was recently listed as the 6th most stressful job you can do. According to the same source, only firefighters, military personnel, military generals, airline pilots, and police officers have it worse!
That fact speaks volumes of the rigors of this role. It’s clearly no walk in the park.
To succeed in the industry, you need to have particular qualities and skills at your disposal. But what particular event manager skills separate the best from the worst in this profession?
What skills do you need to excel where others struggle? Allow us to enlighten you!
Read on to discover the 7 skills that every top-level event manager needs to master.
1. Quality Organisational Abilities
It goes without saying that event managers must be well-organized.
After all, in any event, time is usually of the essence and there are a million things happening at once. It’s a non-stop battle to solve problems (more on this later) and find solutions.
Disorganized people don’t last long in this game.
Preparation is the key to success. Managers must have thought long and hard about the event. They must plan for trouble, put well-honed systems in place, and run a tight ship all-round.
Don’t, and it’s a recipe for mismanaged time, escalating stress levels, and, ultimately, a poor-quality event.
2. Strong Communicators
Communication is another fundamental skill for all event managers to work on.
Imagine trying to conduct a team of people without being a strong communicator. It would be a one-way ticket to mismanagement and hurt feelings.
Being a strong communicator means giving clear and accurate instructions; it’s about being firm and fair; friendly and efficient. Poor communication does the opposite. People who receive mixed messages fail to understand their tasks and make mistakes in the process.
Delegate tasks fairly, explain them confidently, and answer questions clearly.
3. Great at Listening
Listening goes hand in hand with communication.
To communicate with someone in an effective way, you first must listen to their needs. It’s no good barking orders and issuing commands without listening to what needs doing.
After all, problems must be understood before they can be resolved; it’s far harder to truly understand somebody’s issue without listening to them.
More importantly, though, listening will enable you to lead more effectively.
People who feel heard will feel valued and work harder as a result. You demonstrate that you care and that you’re there to help. By contrast, taking an impatient and dismissive approach will cause friction in the team.
4. Good with People
All of this speaks to the need for high-quality people skills.
Being good with people is arguably the most important skill on this list. Events rely upon strong relationships; the entire purpose is bringing people together around a common interest or goal.
In the same way, the management of a smooth-running event demands interpersonal skills.
It’ll help you inspire team members to work together, connect with everyone from vendors to executives, and keep people smiling in a high-stress environment. People skills get work done efficiently and in a positive way.
They’re the difference between a cohesive, hard-working team and a despondent, unmotivated one.
Need a helping hand sourcing content and speakers for upcoming events? Abstract management software might be just the ticket.
5. Able to Solve Problems
As we noted earlier, event management demands high-level problem-solving abilities.
Why?
Because most events, regardless of how diligently they’ve been planned, will run into a wide array of issues! In fact, the title of ‘event manager’ could easily be changed to ‘professional problem-solver’.
All sorts of things can go wrong. Important people might run late, equipment might be faulty, the venue might be too small, and so on.
The ability to problem-solve is closely linked to effective time management. Indeed, events are happening to a deadline, which means problems must be resolved in a timely fashion.
Furthermore, every skill we’ve mentioned so far comes into play too. Solving problems is far easier with strong communication, listening, organizational, and people skills already under your belt.
You’ll be able to look at the issue and work with your team to find and implement a solution.
6. Work Well Under Pressure
Events, as we mentioned in the intro, are often stressful affairs.
Indeed, combine the potential for problems with the need for a well-received event and you’ve got a one-way ticket to pressure!
The ability to remain calm, think on your feet, and maintain your poise is key.
As soon as you buckle under the strain, everything becomes more difficult. In an agitated state, it’s far harder to listen, communicate, and direct people as required. Like a student sitting an exam, the clock’s ticking, and the need for answers mounts.
Accordingly, the best event managers thrive in these intense environments. Like a surgeon in theatre, they’ll respond to problems as they occur, remain calm, and think clearly throughout.
7. Flexible to Change
Part of staying calm in this way is being flexible.
We know by now that almost every event experiences hiccups! As these issues arise, the event manager must be able to adapt and respond as required.
Faced with trouble, the last thing you want to do is remain rigid. Imagine a bee flying and banging itself against a glass window in its bid to get outside. Rather than searching for the opening, it continues with its original approach in vain.
Don’t be like the bee. When a hiccup arises, event managers must find an effective workaround if they’re to achieve their goal.
Stop, assess the situation, alter course and navigate around the obstacle.
Master These Event Manager Skills!
Event management is a rewarding role, but it’s far from stress-free.
In fact, it’s one of the most trying jobs of the lot.
If you’re to succeed in the industry, then there’s a host of skills to master along the way. Hopefully, this post has highlighted the key event management skills to grapple with. Good luck!
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