Good event managers need to be able to take a holistic approach to the job and apply a certain level of knowledge and skill across all of the following:
- Project management
- Budgeting and break-even analysis
- Time management
- Dealing with media (print, electronic publishing, broadcast, social media)
- Business planning
- HR management
- Marketing
- Managing contingencies
- Networking
- Ethics
- Law
The International Institute of Event Management states that there are five essential attributes for a great event manager. These are :
- Good organisational skills - An event manager is like a director of a stage show. They need to choreograph all the elements that make an event successful. Good organisational skills are important for managing people, vendors, schedules and anything else required in the organisation of the event.
- Attention to detail – Great event managers need to take time to consider the essential elements of an event and focus on the minute details to ensure that the event works well for their customers or clients.
- As with most things in life, with events, it is often a case of Murphy’s Law – what can go wrong, will go wrong. So temperament is an essential factor in good event management. Good event managers will know that they need the ability to stay calm under pressure, be reasonable and helpful and know what to do to ensure that things do not go wrong that often.
- Event management is all about people, so good people skills are also important. It is essential for the good event manager to have the skills to develop, understand and maintain relationships with their clients, staff, customers, vendors and so on.
- And finally, an essential attribute is leadership. The good event manager must be able to lead and manage people effectively. They need to be able to motivate and encourage them to do the best they can.
Read more on Event Management with our
Event Management ebook or why not study
Event Management with ACS Distance Education?