Event Management is the interdisciplinary management field and application of creating, developing and organising events and functions. As an industry, the field of Events has progressively developed over recent years taking the management of events towards a more integrated field of practice.

Taking on a greater impact in the way we organise events, the industry of Event Management now covers a range of event of all sizes. In this day and age almost every industry, society or group will organise and hold some form of events to market themselves, develop business relationships and network themselves with other groups or institutions.

Tasks of an Event Manager

In the first instance it is the obligation of the Event Manager to plan and prepare a given event. To meticulously plan out and conceive as much of the technical and logistical elements of an event in it early stages, to ensure that the rest of the planning process will work in accordance to the original request and expectations of the event.

Second the Event Manager must delegate tasks and assign responsibilities to members participating in a given event. Taking on a position of authority (leadership) to ensure a sense of common direction and focus.

Third the Event Manager should identify the target audience and implement means of promoting and selling the event to a wider audience. In essence to be able to people to turn up to an event on the day.

Fourth the Event Manager should be able to book the venue for the event and arrange any allocation requirements and caters for any one participating in the event that might require special access or needs etc. In addition, an Event Manager should on the day plan to organise any outstanding issues that might have arisen and network with all the participates of a given event at hand.

Lastly an Event Manager should be able to evaluate and measure the success of an event by assessing the desired targets with the actual outcomes.

Essential Qualities for an Event Manager

Flexibility – Due to the variable nature of planning events and all the logistical and technical sides associated with Event Management, the ability to adapt to environments and the ability to have a high degree of flexibility is an essential quality of an Event Manager.

As no two events are the same, an Event Manager must also be prepared to take in every conceivable consideration during an event and find appropriate solutions where ever possible.

People Skills – The ability to effectively communicate is paramount to the success of an Event Manager. As most events will require the aid of others it is necessary as an Event Manager to develop people skills and team working skills to ensure that a desired a event goes smoothly. In addition, the Event Manager must make use of their communication skills to sell, attract and promote an event effectively to generate the maximum exposure for a particular event.

Organisation – Key to any planning process is the ability to effectively manager and organise resources and people for an event. By effectively demonstrating good organisational skills an Event Manager will subsequently be able to understand and plan the technical and logistical sides of a given event to make sure that everything is accounted for and that no resources are wasted.

Passion – Central to how to sell or promote any event is the personal drive and passion for that particular event. It is the role of an Event Manager to generate interest and promote an event.  Without any passion or desire from the manager it will therefore, be more demanding to establish good connections and influence others to participate in the event.

Time Management -A crucial element to the actual management of an event is largely based on the ability of an Event Managers concentrated use of time management. From the build up and preparation of an event to the effective implementation of logistics can all be determined by how resourceful the event manager is with their time management.

Overall an Event Manager facilitates the dual role of planning and promoting an event, whilst simultaneously ensuring that all the logistical and technical sides of an event are met. Paramount to the ensuring the smooth operation of a given an Event at hand, an Event Manager must also evaluate all the actions that have happened and identify new issues to correct and learn from.

Ultimately for every action that went wrong in organising an event there are ten things that came out right.