Event Management: Definition,

Key Aspects and Skills

Hosting various types of events is a regular business practice

for many organizations. Event management can be challenging
as it requires a range of skills and specialized knowledge.
Learning about how event management works can help
organizations to devote proper efforts and resources to it.

In this article, we discuss event management and the skills

you'll need to be successful in the role.

What is event management?

Event management is the process of planning and hosting a
variety of public and private events for social or business
purposes. They may be large-scale or small-scale events and
can include business conventions, training seminars, industry
conferences, trade shows, ceremonies, parties, concerts,
festivals and press conferences. Event managers must follow
the clients' instructions and work within a specified budget
and predetermined schedule. To set up the events, they must
collaborate with various vendors.

The difference between event management and event planning

is that while event planning concerns itself with coming up
with workable event ideas and the activities that will take
place during the events, event management leans more
towards project management and deals with the organization
and execution of the event plans. However, the roles do
overlap often, and event managers may be involved with the
creative planning aspects of the events as well.

For established and new companies, event management can

be an essential aspect of their marketing strategy. Organizing
small-scale or large-scale events can help promote a brand
and further a business's interests. Events create opportunities
for people who attend these events to learn about the hosting
organization's products and services and may even convert
attendees into loyal customers.
Additionally, along with making their brands better known, the
events that the companies organize can provide marketing
education and training to their employees. They can foster
team-building exercises, improve relations between different
departments, and boost networking across industries. The
events may also celebrate business milestones and raise
money for various causes.

Aspects of event management

Planning, organizing and hosting an event can be a very
complex process, requiring event managers to control all the
creative, technical and logistical elements. Here are some of
the duties and actions they must undertake for successful
event management:

Coming up with a workable concept for the event

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Planning a marketing strategy

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Writing and finalizing the script for the event

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Working on the audio-visual production

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Obtaining necessary permits for hosting the event

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Getting insurance

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Selecting and booking a venue

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Designing the floor plan for booths and other

facilities

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Complying with health and safety standards

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Contacting and negotiating service rates with

various vendors

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Inviting speakers and entertainers

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Arranging transportation and accommodation for

guests

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Ordering food and drinks

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Hiring security for the event

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Creating emergency contingency plans

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Coordinating the event

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Controlling the event

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Monitoring the end of the event

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Closing the event

Skills for event managers

Event managers must have specific skills to cope with the
profession's demands. An ability to stay calm under pressure
is a must for event managers. They also need to have the
following skills:

Planning skills

While an event planner generally carries out the event

planning, an event manager may collaborate with them on
various aspects of the event. These can include determining
the event budget, developing the event schedule and selecting
the venue and activities. Planning and considering all
possibilities is crucial for the event's subsequent success.

Organizational skills

The event manager has to organize and arrange an event in its

entirety. Whether a small birthday party or a larger event, the
event manager has to be in charge of all its details and ensure
that everything happens on schedule and according to plan.
They must also plan for contingencies in case anything goes
wrong.
Related: Time Management Skills: Definition and Examples

Communication skills

The event management job involves communicating directly

with vendors or contacting them via email or phone messages,
and hiring them for specific event-related services and
negotiating the prices for these. Event managers must then
monitor and coordinate the work of different service providers.
Additionally, they must address client concerns and handle
marketing requirements. Event managers must also be able to
express themselves clearly in speech and in writing to avoid
costly errors that can arise from misunderstanding.

Related: 4 Types of Communication (With Examples)

Interpersonal skills

As event managers must coordinate and collaborate with

diverse people and teams in planning various events, they
must have excellent interpersonal skills. They must know how
to get along and work well with different personalities.
Additionally, they must know how to defuse tension-filled
situations and avert conflicts.

Multitasking skills

Organizing and managing an event requires paying attention to

many different aspects, such as lightning, stage construction,
seating arrangements and setting up booths. Event managers
must have the ability to multitask and oversee various tasks
simultaneously. They must make sure that all the aspects
coordinate well together.

Related: How To Balance a Fast-Paced Workplace

Creative and problem-solving skills

When organizing events, it is not uncommon for unexpected,

complex challenges to arise. Resolving these quickly without
affecting the event schedule is paramount for event managers.
They must also be able to discern the most urgent ones and
sort through all available options to come up with solutions
that will cause no or the least backlash. However, for such
resolutions, event managers must do away with regimented
thinking and try to be more open-minded and creative.

Negotiation skills

Along with renting event venues, event managers must hire

caterers, decorators and lighting contractors. They must make
program arrangements with speakers and entertainers or their
agents. Event managers must have sharp negotiation skills to
undertake these interactions and get the exact services they
need while remaining within the event budget. They must
understand their business's value and make judicious use of
that in their bargaining.

Technological skills

Technological skills are necessary as event managers must

use event management software to manage all event-related
data, from email marketing to event websites, registrations,
attendee surveys and venue sourcing. They can also use the
software for creating budgets, organizing tasks and scheduling
resources. Additionally, event managers use the software to
plan seating arrangements, design event floor plans and
schedule speakers and meetings. Technological knowledge is
also helpful for employing interactive mobile apps for business
networking, communication, engaging with the audience
during the event and collecting feedback.

Event management plays a significant role in a company's

ability to visualize events and follow through with their
successful execution. As these events can influence the
public perception of the company and its business, competent
event managers are in demand across industries.