What does it take to be an event manager?

Do you have it in you to be an Event Manager – 7 questions to ask yourself before taking the plunge!

An event manager at peace is an oxymoron! And yet, an event manager loves this oxymoron. This profession can be termed as one of the most enigmatic professions as it endows one with a unique blend of contentment and restlessness.

Glamour, celebrities, cute office with bean bags, free booze, and the coolest of stuff, bohemian lifestyle and sponsored travel around the world – Well, this is more or less the list that starts every aspiring event manager’s dreams. Back to the grind, it takes real fixity of purpose and some near-supernatural powers.

Q1: Do you see yourself handling a hectic, strenuous, demanding yet significant life?

Dealing with clients, chasing deadlines, working on erratic schedules and travelling on short notices only sounds fun. But can you really enjoy it?

Q2: How many sleepless nights can you survive?

The only time an event manager sleeps like a baby is after the event is successful and over. Other times, it is either your clients or your own obsession with a perfect event, keeping you awake.

Q3: Creativity, thy name is rarity! Are you the rare one?

Creativity isn’t as generously distributed in the world as we think it is.The most successful event managers constantly reinvent and reimagine to create something spectacularly rare, each time!

Q4: Leadership and Teamwork: Do you know how to balance?

A team, wherein everyone thinks like a leader and a team player, is quite an elixir in this industry. You have to feel responsible for a successful event, yet be seamlessly in sync with your team.

Q5: Can you smile at a client who has made your life ‘hell’?

‘Clients’, no matter how much business they are giving, they are always siphoning off double the worth of energy from you. While there can always be healthy discords, at the end of the day you have to be an epitome of great interpersonal skills.

Q6: Can you understand the mammoth ‘brief’ ( Pun-intended)?

A brief is something that haunts every event manager. Can you read a sheet of paper and unearth the real essence of the event? What a client wants is always the biggest mystery and you will have to patiently solve it!

Q7: Can you store food and water like a camel?

This question may sound absurd and an outright exaggeration, but an event has to be like your baby, so just like a mother, you might have to sacrifice even basic comfort for the best feeling ever – A Successful Event!

This is just the first set. We will soon be back with another set of questions!