7 Must-Have Skills for Successful Event Planners

Whether you want to start your own event planning business or you plan to get a job as an event planner, it’s critical to ensure that you’re a good fit for the role. In other words, there are some skills every good event planner needs to possess and checking if you have them is a must. But what are the must-have skills for successful event planners? Read on to find out.

People skills

Being an event planner is all about meeting and dealing with people. And the better you are at communication, the more likely you are to get hired. Ask yourself how good you are at striking a chord with people you've just met and whether there's something you can change to build more lasting relationships. Moreover, being an event planner includes working alongside others and getting along with them is the key. If you want to succeed, it's important to know how to make a point to your team members in a friendly manner.

Flexibility

Working with so many people requires you to know how to adjust to changes in a timely fashion. More of then not, things won't go exactly as you've planned and if you can't make changes on the go, event planning might not be the right job for you. What separates the best event planners from the average ones is that they possess the ability to create wonderful experiences despite all the inconsistencies. The key here is to know what you want to achieve with every event and be able to make quick adjustments in order to get there.

Eye for detail

Event planning industry is very detail-oriented and if you don't have an eye for it, succeeding isn't going to be easy. Not only do you have to pay attention to details when it comes to decoration, music and catering but you also have to coordinate with other parties involved and still make sure all the details are in place. This skill also includes paying attention to details when it comes to money. Identifying even the tiniest expenditures is critical as you'll usually be given a budget that you shouldn't exceed.

Networking

The more clients you land, the better you're going to do. Similarly, the more people you know, the better your events are going to be. Therefore, as an event planner, you need to know how to network and connect with the right people. The good news is, with platforms such as LinkedIn staying connected with them shouldn't be hard. Also, you need to identify local companies you can rely on when planning events. For example, knowing some of the best experts in catering from Sydney is a must if you want your Sydney-based event to be a success.

Time management

Event planners always have their hands full and quite often, there won't be enough time to get everything done. That's why one of the key skills you need to possess is time management. You have to be ready to multitask at all time and only take breaks when you know you afford them. Bear in mind that being an event planner also includes managing your team's time as well. You need them to be as efficient as possible and letting them organize their own time is usually a bad idea.

Enthusiasm

It's safe to say event planning is extremely demanding. This often leaves everyone involved in the project feel drained and stressed. However, if you want to have a successful career as an event planner, you need to be the energizer that'll get everyone going. With that said, it's obvious that being an event planner requires you to be enthusiastic and not give up easily. In other words, it's very important that you're able to create an extraordinary experience for your guests no matter how demanding the project is.

Tech-savvy

In this day and age, there's no industry that doesn't require you to know how to use technology. Gadgets like a smartphone or smartwatch can make it so much easier for you to organize and make your events memorable. Moreover, if you plan to start your own event planning business, you need to know how to use programs like Microsoft Excel in order to better organize your data. You also need a website and social media pages for your business if you want to land as many clients as possible, and knowing how to manage these yourself can help you save a lot.

Final thoughts

Becoming an event planner is, without a doubt, a great idea. However, not every person is right for the job and only if you think you have all the skills mentioned above, should you pursue a career in the event planning industry. Keep improving your skills and there will be nothing stopping you from succeeding.