The event planning profession is unique in that it takes a blend of people, business and program management skills to succeed. Here’s a list of top five attributes that makes the difference between a good and a great event manager.
Organizational skills
Events are much like a great stage performance, and the event manager the show director. Choreographing various elements that make an event successful is imperative to the success of any event. Great organizational skills are the basic underpinnings of successfully managing people, schedules, vendors and everything else.
Attention to detail
Not everyone can have a ‘Steve Jobs-like’ maniacal attention to detail to everything. However, excellent event managers take the time to consider the most important elements of an event and focus their efforts on every minute detail for the things that matter most to their customers.
Temperament
Murphy ’s Law states that if anything can go wrong, it most likely will. Experienced event managers know that there are rarely any events where something doesn’t go ‘wrong’. They also know that their ability to stay calm under pressure and be the voice of reason is an attribute that makes them great leaders.
People Skills
When it comes down to it, events are all about people. The ability to connect, understand and build lasting relationships is a skill that every event manager must build and improve upon, no matter how experienced and successful they are.
Leadership
Ever noticed how birds flying in the air in unison as "one mind", gracefully and in perfect timing as they weave across the skies? Leading and managing people is something like this. The passion and the ability to take charge of the flow of things make all the difference at the end of it all.
