This week I had the lucky opportunity of getting to experience a day in the life of an event planner. My own planning experience goes back to my days as a Residential Advisor in college. However, planning ice cream socials and team-building activities doesn’t prepare you for the work of planning a conference or meetings with an audience of hundreds.
To gain insight into the life of an event planner, I worked behind-the-scenes at the GLEQ Awards Ceremony. Along the way I picked up a few useful tips for the first-time event planner.
The life of an event planner
1. A 6am wake up call is no joke.
Even as a volunteer, you want to arrive as early as possible. It might seem like you have plenty of time to get ready, but once you realize you forgot something in the car or encounter something unexpected with the set-up, you’ll be glad for those few extra minutes.
2. Prep is important.
While working registration, we had to painstakingly thread shoelaces through each name badge. If we had done this in advance, it would have saved a lot of time and kept lines short. Before the events, try to find tasks like these to complete.
3. Eat beforehand and save a plate for yourself!
You’re already running around, so why do it while hungry? I made the mistake of thinking that since breakfast was included in the session, I didn’t need to eat beforehand. While I was busily checking in, all I could think about was food and how I wished I had grabbed something to eat beforehand. I’d also recommend setting aside a plate of food if you can, so you can still eat after the buffet is put away.
4. Anticipate questions you might get asked.
Before registration begins, there’s usually a bit of time to ask the event staff questions. Take advantage of this! Of course you’ll want to ask about Wi-Fi and the location of the nearest restrooms, but don’t forget to inquire about other events going on in the same venue to direct people who show up at the wrong location. Everyone expects you to have the answer to everything, such is the life of an event planner.
5. Most of the planning happens before the day of the event.
This is a no-brainer for experienced planners. Much of what happens during an event you simply have to react to and figure out what to do. Before the event is when you deal with the nitty gritty: promoting your event, acquiring sponsorship, finding speakers, and more.
Event planners get the best view!6. You get to see people at their most stressed out points and be there for them.
I think this might be one of the coolest parts about the life of a planner. Maybe it’s a first-time speaker asking if you can see their sweat stains or panicking when their slides aren’t working. Tell them that it doesn’t matter and they’re going to rock anyway. One lady came to the registration desk, asking if we had any safety pins because one of her buttons came off. We didn’t, but told her it wasn’t even noticeable. I later saw her accept multiple awards, full of confidence as she rocked her missing button.
For the seasoned event professionals out there, you’re probably thinking “duh!” at most of my observations. To which I say, I bet you have a lot of great advice that seems like common sense to you. Please share what the life of an event planner is like in the comments!