Tag: event management

10 Things Mentally Strong Event Planners Don’t Do

Have you ever wondered what makes a good event planner?  Is it good time management or creativity?  Or maybe the ability to multi-task?   Why do some event planners accomplish their goals while others don’t? It may surprise you to know that talent and intelligence doesn’t play nearly as big a role as you might think.  In fact, research studies have found that intelligence only accounts for 30% of overall professional achievement – and that’s only at the extreme upper end.

What makes a bigger impact than talent and intelligence?  Mental strength.

But how do we define mental strength?  And what are the key traits of a mentally strong event planner?

10 Habits that Mentally Strong Event Planners Avoid:

In her book “13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do,” Amy Morin, a clinical social worker and writer, reveals that developing mental strength is a ‘three-pronged approach’ that allows you to have good control over your thoughts, behaviours and emotions. And that mental strength is often something that isn’t reflected in what you do – but more often in what you don’t do.

Read: 8 Steps to Wellbeing for Event Planners

Let’s take a look at the working habits that Morin associates with mental strength and find out what you shouldn’t be doing to become a mentally strong event planner:

1) Avoid Taking a Challenge – Mentally strong event planners deal well with change and enjoy embracing new challenges as they don’t like staying stagnant.  New technology?  Not a problem.  Changes in the organisational structure?  Not a big deal. An environment of change and uncertainty (which happens a lot with event planning) will energise them and usually bring out their best.

2) Fear Taking Calculated Risks – Cancel an event or move it to another date? A mentally strong event planner is willing to take calculated risks.  They can weigh the pros and cons of a situation in detail, and fully assess the potential downsides and even worst-case scenarios (ex. unexpected weather or travel disruptions) before taking necessary action.

Read: 10 Signs Event Planning is Burning You Out

3) Let Others Influence Their Emotions – Mentally strong event planners don’t let other people put them down or feel inferior about themselves. They know how to stand up for themselves and known when to draw the line when necessary. They feel in control of their actions and emotions – and they have the ability to manage the way they respond to people and situations.

4) Worry About Pleasing Everyone – Mentally strong event planners make a point of being fair and meeting the expectations of all the different people they deal with around their events. Equally, however, they are not afraid to speak up.  They understand that there will always be the possibility that a sponsor or an attendee may not be happy with something and they’ll deal with the situation, whenever possible, with grace.

5) Dread Working Alone – Big event planning projects are often done in teams because it is the most efficient, stress-free and collaborative way of working and getting the job done. Mentally strong event planners, however, enjoy and some even ‘treasure’ putting some time aside to work on their own. They use the time to reflect, plan and be more productive. They don’t rely on others to stay motivated and can work just as well on their own as they do within a team.

Read: 20 Reasons You Should be Planning Events as a Team

6) Create Dramas – Mentally strong event planners don’t make a huge fuss about things that they can’t control, like last minute agenda changes, speakers dropping out or delegates not showing up. In any of these kinds of situations, they know that what they can control is their own response and attitude. And they usually do this well. They are also known for helping defuse situations, not for creating them.

7) Waste Time on Self-Pity – Mentally strong event planners don’t spend time dwelling on past mistakes. They learn to take responsibility for their actions if things go wrong. They’re able to come out of situations with self-awareness and a good sense of understanding of lessons learned.  And when things get pretty bad, they deal with the situation as calmly as possible and respond with phrases like ‘ok – what can I do next’ or ‘well – let’s move on’.

8) Give Up After Failure – Mentally strong event planners are willing to try things again and again, as long as the learning experience from it can bring them closer to their end goal.  They see failure as a chance to improve.  Even the most successful CEOs have been willing to admit that their early efforts invariably brought many failures – so bear that in mind the next time your bright idea doesn’t turn out the way you expected it to.

9) Resent Others’ Success – Morin believes that resentment is like anger that remains hidden and bottled up.  Focusing on how much better your competitor’s events are compared to yours, for example, is not constructive and can distract you from your own goals.  Mentally strong event planners don’t become jealous and resentful when others succeed – though they will take notes in understanding what contributed to this success.  They are willing to work hard for their own chances, without relying on shortcuts.

10) Have Short-Term Vision – Mentally strong event planners know better than to expect immediate results. They apply their energy and time in measured doses and appreciate reaching milestones on the way. Ultimately, they have ‘staying power’ and understand that genuine changes take time.

Are there any other personality traits you think are an important part of being a mentally-strong event planner?  Let us know – we’d be happy to add them to the list!


Want to be a tech savvy event planner? Sign up to the weekly EventTech Talk newsletter here and get updates on all the latest technology trends, discussions and debates shaping the events industry today.

Sources:

https://jamesclear.com/mental-toughness

https://www.forbes.com/sites/cherylsnappconner/2013/11/18/mentally-strong-people-the-13-things-they-avoid/#8b8a8f86d756

https://uk.businessinsider.com/mentally-strong-people-2015-11

https://uk.businessinsider.com/mentally-strong-people-2015-11/#8-they-dont-make-the-same-mistakes-over-and-over-8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to Get More Registrations with Event Invites

Invitations are still one of the most important things to get right when planning a successful event. They help set the tone of an event and are often one of the first opportunities to make a good impression with potential attendees. A new research study from Eventsforce, however, has found that one of the biggest struggles event planners face around invitations is getting enough people to open their invites, take action and sign up.

So, what are the elements of an invite that compel people to either visit your website or register to your event?  And what are the metrics you need to keep in mind when measuring the success of your invitation campaigns?

Research Study: Power of Event Invitations

The Eventsforce ‘Power of Event Invitations’ study was conducted with more than 100 senior event professionals across the US and the UK to investigate the latest trends around event invitations.  One of the research survey’s key findings revealed the top challenges of managing invites, including:

1) Not getting enough people to click on Call-to-Action (CTA) links

2) Difficulty in measuring success of invitation campaigns

3) Creating attractive, responsive, HTML invites

4) Deciding the best times for sending out invites

5) Difficulty in using personalisation

The study also investigated the elements of an invite that event planners felt were the most effective in getting results.  Top of the list were event highlights (agenda, keynote speakers etc), followed by overall design and layout, and the main copy of the invite.  Have a look at this infographic to get a full overview of the findings of the ‘Power of Event Invitations’ study.

8 Ways to Make Event Invitations More Effective

Thanks to advancements in technology, putting together great-looking event invites are no longer something you need to give to a specialist designer.  Most event management solutions offer design tools and templates that make the whole process a lot easier for the event planner.  But the look and feel of your invite is not the only thing that matters.  You have to remember that people make quick conclusions about an event through the invitation and it’s important to make a good impression from the very beginning.

Have a look at the eight key considerations you need to make to get your event invites to work:

1) Save-the-Date Emails

Before we go into the different elements of the invite itself, it’s worth nothing the important role save-the-date emails play in the whole event invitation process.  The Eventsforce study found that 57% of event planners use them to create excitement and anticipation around their events.   They are a great way of letting people know about your upcoming event and mark it in their calendars prior to the invite.

2) Strong Subject Lines

If you’re using email invitations, then you’ll know the importance of the subject line.   With hundreds of other emails fighting for your potential attendee’s limited attention, it’s important to make then stand out to get them opened. Without a doubt, subject lines that are personally addressed, do the best. If you don’t have names handy, then the use of pronounces like ‘we’ and ‘you/your’ also appeal to readers. Subject lines that feature dates, or urgency seem to perform better than those that don’t. And while we don’t encourage the over-use of exclamation marks, a little extra energy in subject lines is known to impact the open rates of email invites.

3) Event Highlights & Value Proposition

Along with the value proposition of your event (the bit that explains why someone should sign up), details like the keynote speaker, the agenda and venue highlights are seen by 88% of event planners as the most important aspects of an invite that gets them results.  Showcase your event’s main selling point and think about that one thing that will grab readers’ attention. Get to the point quickly and always focus on the event’s key message.  Make sure that people who get your invite can scan it and quickly understand what the event is about and find out when and where it’s happening.  More importantly, they need to know how they can register through prominently displayed CTA buttons that links through to your event’s website or registration page.


Want to be a tech savvy event planner? Sign up to the weekly EventTech Talk newsletter here and get updates on all the latest technology trends, discussions and debates shaping the events industry today.


4) Simple Design & Layout

Though a beautiful-looking invite isn’t everything, design and layout is seen as one of the most important aspects of a successful invitation campaign by 69% of event planners.  Think about the user journey and stick to a design that’s clean and simple. Given that most people will only scan your emails, it’s always a good idea to break up your invite into several small sections that address different things about your event (speakers, venue and timings, speakers, agendas, how to register etc).  This helps them better digest all the different bits of information and get excited about what’s on offer. Also, a lot of people will look at your email invite through mobile devices, so you need to think about how it’s going to look and work on different screens.

5) Attractive Visuals & Video

It’s important to use strong visuals to get the most out of your event invites. Think about the visual draw of your event that isn’t necessarily the subject matter. Use pictures of your event’s location and venue or your guest speaker. Avoid stock shots or generic images of people speaking at podiums – use images from your past events instead.  Video is another option that’s becoming more and more popular – though our research study found that only 8% of event planners are currently using video in their event invites.  Just remember that videos can give your attendees a different opportunity to learn more about your event and they also do a good job of conveying the personality of your organisation.  They’re also a lot more engaging than text – Forrester Research claims that a minute of video can be equivalent to 1.8 million words!

6) Personalisation

We touched on this a little earlier when we looked at the importance of email subject lines.  Our study found that a majority 73% of event planners personalise the content of their event invitations.   The most popular method was the use of personal names in subject lines and the main body of the invite – followed by personalised content for each audience segment.  About 22% of respondents also use personalisation based on information they already hold on potential attendees.

Personalising invitations is simple and effective.  By tailoring them as much as possible to the invitee, you can really make an impact and increase the chances of them attending. So, if you know your invitation list is largely made up of corporates and academics, then create two separate versions of the same invite with each one outlining the sessions that would be of interest to them.  Remember – both audiences have a vested interest in attending your event but have very different goals and very different ideas on why your event matters.  And if you’re inviting people who have attended some of your past events, then use the information you have on them to create personalised links within your invite. By clicking on the link, your returning attendees will automatically log into a registration form that is already pre-populated with all their relevant information.

7) A/B Testing

As great as it would be to find the ‘silver bullet’ that gets people to open up your invites and click through to sign up, the sad truth is that there is no magical formula. Enter the importance of A/B testing – the method of comparing two versions of the event invitation against each other to determine which one performs better. The study found that 36% of event planners are already doing this by using different versions of an invite to test the effectiveness of different subject lines, body copy, CTA buttons, personalised content, timings and so on.   Doing this kind of testing on a regular basis can offer important performance insight that can make or break the success of your invitation campaigns.

8) Performance Measurement

Knowing how effective your invitations have been in driving registrations for your event is incredibly important.  Whether you do A/B testing or not, it is important to look at some key metrics that will help you assess what’s working and what’s not.  Look at open rates, click-through rates and actual conversion rates (the number of people that registered as a result of opening your email invite). Our survey, for example, found that Tuesdays and Wednesdays mornings were seen as the best times for sending out invites by a majority of event planners.   The survey also found that the average open rate for invites is between 11-30% and the average click-through-rate is around 10%.  Having this information on hand can identify the areas that you can focus on improving in subsequent reminder emails or invitations for your next event.

Conclusion

Email invitations are an incredibly important part of planning and marketing an event. They are a great way of creating interest in your event, driving registrations and getting attendees through the door.  It is important to note though, what works for one event may not for the other. Don’t forget about A/B testing and always measure the performance of your results. Thinking about all these points when planning your next invite will bring you one step closer to getting it right and making your event a success.


Eventsforce can help organisations create branded, mobile responsive invitations that use personalised links to maximise registrations around events.  To find out more, click here or get in touch for a demo or a chat on +44 (0) 207 785 6997.

 

 

How to Save Time Creating Agendas for Your Events

One of the most important jobs of an event planner is to identify the reasons why people want to attend an event and build an agenda around these needs.  But creating and managing great event programmes is also one of the most frustrating and time-consuming things an event planner has to do. Speakers change. Topics change. Room capacities no longer meet demand.  And the larger the event, the more complex these issues become.

An industry poll from Eventsforce last month found that an overwhelming 86% of event planners rely on Excel spreadsheets to build and manage agendas around their events.  Which makes sense if your agenda has a simple one-track format.  But what happens when you’re dealing with a multi-track event? What if you have a three-day conference where attendees can pick and choose which sessions they want to attend? What if a last-minute change to your keynote impacts the timings of some of your other sessions?

Excel is a fantastic planning tool for events – but in these situations, it does have its shortcomings. What organisers need instead is an intelligent programme management tool that can help them make changes to agendas quickly and easily, whilst ensuring that the information they’re dealing with (and sharing with attendees) is always kept accurate and up-to-date.

7 Ways Programme Management Tools Can Save Time Planning Events

Have a look at why a good programme management tool can do a better job than Excel when it comes to saving time in creating agendas and sessions around events:

1. Better Data Accuracy – Most programme management tools are integrated with the event’s registration system, which means any changes to the agenda can automatically be updated and published within registration forms, apps and event websites. This not only saves time in transferring data from spreadsheets and other systems, but it also makes sure that the information is accurate and up-to-date.

2. Improved Categorisation – Event planners can assign labels to sessions to identify the topic or stream each one belongs to (ex. presentations that focus on marketing only). This makes it a lot easier to track, manage and make changes to those sessions that belong in a particular category. It also helps personalise the attendee registration experience by making it easier for them to view, search and choose those sessions that are of interest to them.

3. Bulk Management – Instead of individually assigning capacity, rooms or labels to each session, organisers can save time by bulk assigning the same labels and rooms to their selected list. For example: Sessions 2, 3 and 5 can be allocated to conference room B with a click of a button.

4. Flexibility in Publishing Sessions – Event planners can choose which sessions they want to publish on registration forms, websites and apps and which they want to save in draft.  This helps them make better use of time by opening registrations for some sessions, whilst confirming details such as speakers and presentation topics on others.

5. Identifying Room & Time Clashes – Programme management tools can automatically notify organisers of potential conflicts when the same room has been assigned to more than one session at the same time.  Similarly, the system will stop attendees from double-booking, if any of their chosen sessions overlap.  This not only brings a better registration experience, but also reduces the time spent by the events team dealing with scheduling enquiries from attendees.

6. Automatic Scheduling – Intelligent scheduling in a programme management tool can also be particularly useful for events that have a defined set of presentations within an allocated session. The organiser of a multi-stream medical conference, for example, may schedule a number of oral abstract presentations within a one-hour session, but needs to make changes to the timings of some of these presentations or swap some speakers around. He or she can simply drag and drop different presentations into the agenda and the system will automatically recalculate the new start and end times of each one, as well as notify users if the agenda is running overtime.

7. Real-Time Management Insight – Event planners can save time making important decisions around sessions and agendas through the real-time data insight a programme management tool can provide. For example, organisers can get an accurate overview on how each session is doing in terms of registrations and room capacity. If a session proves to be more popular than anticipated, it can prompt the organiser to swap rooms around or assign the session to a larger room.


The Eventsforce programme management tool helps event planners automate the entire process of creating, publishing and managing agendas for single or multi-track events. For more information, click here or call us for a chat on +44 (0) 207 785 6997.

 

5 Great Office Christmas Party Ideas – Part Two

The office Christmas party is a perfect way to boost morale and return the favour of your hardworking staff.  It’s also a great way to spend some time outside of the office environment and enjoy the festive time of year!

Although it may seem tough to find an event or activity that will keep everyone happy, it could be easier than you think. Have a look below for some versatile and unique office Christmas event ideas in London from corporate event experts, Team Tactics.

Read: 5 Great Office Christmas Party Ideas – Part One

Don’t Underestimate Importance of a Successful Christmas Event

While some may regard the annual Christmas event as more of a ‘jolly’ than a corporate event, if your Christmas party is a success, you’ll soon be reaping the rewards. Christmas parties offer the chance to engage staff in a unique way. Creating a relaxed and sociable atmosphere at an event is vital for employees to build a rapport with each other outside of work and potentially create long term benefits for your business.

Team Dynamic – Many Christmas parties now incorporate an element of team building to ensure the event unites the whole team.

Boost Morale – Events outside of the office allows colleagues to bond, which helps them to work more efficiently together.

Engaging – A successful office Christmas party needs to encourage engagement. Interactive activities can help with this by encouraging a more personable environment for colleagues to connect.

Appreciation – It is the perfect time of year to thank your team for all their hard work throughout the year. Staff are more likely to return the favour with increased team motivation, loyalty to the business and the drive to achieve results.

Think Outside the Office This Christmas!

1) The Great Christmas Gingerbread Challenge

Teams have the chance to take part in their very own Great British Bake Off inspired Christmas event. It is biscuit week this week in an ultimate Christmas edition of the popular TV show. Colleagues are put to the test as teams are tasked with baking and designing the perfect gingerbread house that is both professional in appearance and outstanding in taste. Who in your team could be the star baker? With professional chefs on hand to guide participants through the process along with Christmas hats, could it get any more festive than the Great Christmas Gingerbread Challenge?  

2) The Crystmas Maze

London at Christmas transforms itself into a magical winter wonderland. Teams will explore the capital as a team, completing a festive frenzy of challenges and tasks designed for optimum engagement and enjoyment. The Crystmas Maze has a nostalgic twist as teams are tested with a mixture of mental, physical and mystery challenges dotted around four themed zones, all based on the TV show Crystal Maze. Teams are armed with the latest iPad mini complete with an interactive map which helps participants explore the various hotspots within the Industrial, Medieval, Ocean & Futuristic zones.

This is a race against time to score as many points as possible to reach the top of the live leader board. With hilarious festive challenges including photo and video challenges, this is a light-hearted event with a difference.

3) London Sports Partython

For the party animal in us all, London Sports Partython is the liveliest party in town! Combine socialising with competition as a group up of to 60 travel around central London in a luxurious party bus. Groups will stop off at two different purpose-built venues to enjoy a fun activity, guests can choose between Crazy Golf, Darts or Table Tennis. The ‘Partython Master’ will ensure every group has the best possible time.

4) Christmas Disco Party

Ignite the Christmas spirit this December and dance the night away with this brilliant interactive game. Guests are treated to an evening of immersive entertainment, where teams are brought together in a glittering night of musical mayhem. Teams will get kitted out with chunky gold chains, handle-bar moustaches, novelty Christmas hats amongst a selection of festive disco ‘bling’. From festive quizzes to karaoke and dance-offs, teams take part in an unforgettable evening full of surprises.

5) Luxury Chocolate Making

Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without an indulgence or two. An expert Chocolatier will teach you the art of chocolate making with intensely luxurious ingredients. This is the ultimate event for chocoholics as you experience what it takes to create mouth-watering Belgian chocolate truffles with vanilla, raspberry and praline ganache. Guests are treated to double dipped chocolate strawberries on arrival before learning the important tips and tricks from the expert Chocolatier. What better way to treat your taste buds this Christmas?


Any other office Christmas party ideas you’d like to add to this list?  We’d love to hear your views!  You can also subscribe to our weekly EventTech Talk newsletter for news and advice on all things event technology!

INFOGRAPHIC: The Power of Event Invitations

Regardless of whether you’re hosting a meeting, a networking event or a multi-day conference, we all know the importance of the event invite. It sets the tone of your event and is one of the first opportunities to make a good impression with potential attendees. It is also what convinces most people to take action and sign up.  But what are the latest trends around managing event invitations and how are event planners measuring success?

Research Study on Event Invitations

Last month, Eventsforce conducted a research study looking at what event planners are currently doing around event invites – and the results have been interesting.  The study – which was conducted with more than 100 senior event planners in the UK and the US – looks at key aspects around event invitations, including targeting, content and distribution. The findings also reveal what benchmarks and performance metrics organisations are using today when measuring the success of their event invites.

Key highlights include:

  • Only 23% of respondents are still using print invitations for their events – email is seen as the preferred format by 98% of organisations, followed by social media.
  • Almost 3 in 4 event planners are personalising invitations by using personal names in subject lines and creating specific content for different audiences.
  • Event highlights such as agenda and details on a keynote speaker, are more important than design and visuals when it comes to maximising registrations.
  • More than 90% of event planners send reminder emails after sending the first event invite, with 40% sending two reminders for each event.
  • Tuesdays and Wednesday mornings get the best results when sending out event invites. Almost a third of invitations get a 10% conversion rate.
  • Top 3 challenges of managing event invites include not getting enough people to click through call-to-action links, measuring performance of campaigns and difficulties in creating attractive, responsive HTML invites.

For a more comprehensive look at these results and some of the other findings from the Eventsforce ‘The Power of Event Invitations’ 2017 study, have a look at the infographic below:


Join our growing community of tech-savvy event planners who want to learn about the latest technology trends, discussions and debates shaping our industry today. Sign up to our weekly EventTech Talk newsletter today!

 

New eBook: The Event Planner’s Guide to GDPR Compliance

The events industry needs to pay attention to Europe’s changing data protection laws or prepare to face the consequences.  A new eBook by Eventsforce, titled The Event Planner’s Guide to GDPR Compliance, explains why the events industry has to start taking responsibility for the upcoming General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), its impact on event marketing, data management and event technology and what steps event planners need to take now to get ready for the May 2018 deadline.


How ready is the events industry for GDPR?  Find out what other event planners are doing by taking part in this 2-minute survey and a chance to win a £50 Amazon voucher!


Why Is GDPR Compliance Responsibility of Event Planners?

GDPR will come into effect on 25th May 2018 and will apply to any organisation that collects and processes personal data on European citizens or residents. So, if you are hosting events in Europe or your attendees are European citizens (regardless of where your events take place), then the new regulation will apply to you.  And if you’re using some kind of event management or registration software that helps you capture and process the data around your events, then GDPR will apply to your technology providers too – even if they’re based outside the EU.

Is it a big deal?  Yes, because GDPR is going to change the way you collect and process personal data through things like registration forms and mobile apps. It’s going to impact how you use that data for marketing and personalisation. It’s also going to impact the measures you have in place to keep that data safe. And though you’ll be right in thinking that compliance is something that will be dealt with by your IT, legal, operations or marketing teams, the reality is that the responsibility for the new regulation does not stop there.  And that is because many of the things event planners do today can put their organisations under serious financial risk with GDPR:

  • Using pre-ticked consent boxes and vague opt-outs within registration forms and apps
  • Not having the proper processes and systems in place that store consent
  • Not being able to access or delete the data you hold on people – quickly, at no cost
  • Sharing delegate lists freely with venues, speakers and other attendees
  • Not paying attention to the data freelancers and temp staff have access to
  • Emailing unsecure spreadsheets & leaving unattended registration lists on-site

The consequences of these actions are huge compared to current data protection regulations, especially if the data gets into the wrong hands. And though people aren’t fully aware of their rights yet, they will be.  And once they are, the enquiries will start to come.  As will the lawsuits.  It is therefore important that event planners understand exactly what they should and shouldn’t do under GDPR – so that they can then figure out what changes they need to make around collecting and managing the personal information of people that come to their events.

eBook: The Event Planner’s Guide to GDPR Compliance

GDPR presents some big challenges to the events industry, but it also brings some big opportunities too. The ‘Event Planner’s Guide to GDPR Compliance’ eBook gives a simple overview of what GDPR actually means for event planners, what changes it will bring about compared to current regulations, the rights of attendees, the risks of non-compliance and the consequences of BREXIT.

It also provides insight on how GDPR will impact event marketing, data security and event technology, as well a step-by-step guide on what event planners need to do now to meet the May 2018 deadline.  Highlights include:

Event Marketing Under GDPR – One of the major changes for event planners with regards to GDPR compliance will be the conditions of consent – this will have a profound effect on the way we currently use personal information to build mailing lists and push the marketing activities we do around events.  The eBook covers the topic through a Q&A that provides answers from experts on some of the most common questions event marketers have about GDPR.

Data Security Under GDPRData security is another issue that becomes more of a priority under GDPR.  Organisations will have to show that they’re doing their best to protect the personal information of individuals to minimise the chances of it getting into the wrong hands. The eBook exposes a number of important vulnerability areas that event planners should be putting greater attention to and what they need to do in the case of a data breach.

Event Technology Under GDPR – GDPR regulations require compliance both by the company hosting an event and by the event tech companies that process data on their behalf (ex. registration systems, mobile apps, surveys, networking tools etc.). The eBook explains why event planners dealing with non-compliant vendors can pose a big financial risk to their organisations.  It also outlines the important questions planners need to ask tech suppliers to ensure they’re fulfilling their legal obligations.

What Steps to Take to Prepare for GDPR – A simple nine-point checklist which highlights the key steps event planners need to take to prepare for GDPR, based on advice published by the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). Highlights include how to create awareness about the new regulation across your team, how to run a data audit to assess what needs to be done with all the personal data your systems hold on people, as well as guidance on managing consent boxes within forms.

The eBook also highlights the opportunities that GDPR brings to the events industry.  It looks at how compliance will give organisations the chance to show that they’re dealing with personal data in a transparent and secure way.  This will help them build a new level of trust with attendees and customers, which will be key in deciding which organisations people choose to deal with in the future.

To get a FREE copy of the ‘Event Planner’s Guide to GDPR Compliance’ eBook, please click here.

To learn more about Eventsforce and how it can help events with GDPR compliance, please contact one of our team at gdpr@eventsforce.com


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Top 7 Personality Traits of a Great Event Manager

Successful event managers at the peak of their career are driven, highly organised professionals – but did they all start out that way? If you’re lucky, you might have these personal traits, those innate qualities that come naturally to you, plus perhaps the patience and stamina which certainly contribute to making you the right kind of personality for event management.

NEW eBOOK – 10 Critical Steps to Successful Hybrid Events

But what other personality traits might benefit a career in event management?  What are the most wanted event management skills? And how are these different from the actual personal skills you might need to learn or further develop a successful role in events? Have a look at what the experts from event management training and placement specialists, Event Academy, have to say.

1) Great Communication Skills

Communications happen in a variety of forms for all of us across a typical day and in almost every form of communication you can think of – speaking and listening, reading and writing, presenting, signing and signalling – and your abilities in these areas can have a significant bearing on success in event management.

“It’s essential to be a phenomenal communicator both written and oral” comments Martin Turner, Senior Lecturer at Event Academy. Whilst that’s good news for those individuals who are natural communicators, who can get their point across succinctly and understand what it means to be clear, concise and effective when it comes to communicating what they want, the demand doesn’t end there! In events, it’s not just about communicating information from person to person – it’s also the ability to present and communicate ideas.

2) Being a People Person and Team Player

Running naturally alongside communication is the ability to engage with others effectively, which includes being approachable and able to work productively in teams. “Such people skills are recognized as being important at any level of expertise or position in the pack,” points out Justine Kane, Course Director at Event Academy. “Event managers need to be leaders and team players.”

Read: 20 Reasons You Should Be Planning Events as a Team

This ability to be part of, as well as communicate effectively within wider teams is also important when it comes to networking, the lifeblood of success in events. Key personal traits which underpin this umbrella of communication, teamwork and networking include patience and respect. Having patience can be as productive as pro-activity when it comes to working in busy teams with other professionals and is part of respecting their professionalism. In turn, showing respect, by waiting patiently for agreed deadlines and actions, or through being punctual and timely with your own responses and actions, shows that you respect others’ time. This is all part of being a team player with everyone involved in the event you’re organising and the network which supports it, not just with the client or employer who is paying for it all.

3) Willingness, Flexibility and a Positive Attitude

Attitude is a state of mind which can make or break you as an event manager. You have to be flexible and adaptable – there is no room for single mindedness. This adaptability doesn’t just apply to the many things an event manager can find themselves being asked to do on a daily basis, it also applies to the new methods and innovations which continue to flow into this fast-moving industry.

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4) Highly Organised and Efficient

The events industry is of course based around organisational skills and as far as traits for success are concerned, an absolute non-negotiable is the need to be organised. Lorne Armstrong, Director of Event Academy, explained that “because project management’s about detail and logic, the ability to organise your thoughts and goals is essential”.

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5) Budgeting Capability

All the experts agree that having the ability to handle budgets is key to success. Whilst a natural aptitude for numbers can certainly support this, the ability to manage budgets, plus skills in negotiating as part of effective money management, are certainly professional skills which may also be learned.

6) Attention to Detail and Pride in Work

The personal traits of being able to pay attention to detail and take pride in the work involved is also vital. Personal pride is key to delivering success for the event and for yourself in the role.

7) Determination to Succeed, Stamina to Work Hard

This ability to deliver great events can only be achieved if underpinned by determination and drive, which lay right at the heart of success. Although these might be externally motivated, they can’t really be taught – it’s either in you or it isn’t!

Chirag Patel, an Event Academy graduate recalls from his event studies the difference determination made in creating a career in events after training: “We had 50 people in our course and the people who were determined, were the ones who are still working in the industry today.” But he also recognises that this only works intrinsically “At the end of the day, it comes down to the individual to make strides, push themselves forwards and get their foot in the door – which is really the hardest thing to do.”

But determination is not just a trait which gets you started. The drive to achieve a successful career in events also requires stamina and commitment. In Chirag’s experience of this high-pressure industry, something extra is needed and it’s all to do with the mindset through which your determination and drive is channelled. “It’s not just about being really enthusiastic and driven but also about being calm under pressure. People who succeed in this industry have a really strong drive and a really strong mentality to make it.”

Conclusion

Of course any SWOT analysis will demonstrate that we all have weaknesses, and whilst Kane lists the many must-have attributes in her students and teams, she wisely acknowledges: “There’s no chance that you’re going to have all of them because there’s no such thing as the perfect person –  and therefore, no such thing as the perfect event manager.” This is why, if you find your personality isn’t yet a great match, to make the most of event management training courses, which directly support the development of industry-essential personal skills. One example of this is confidence – that underlying personal trait which supports all of the others – and something that can be really developed through events experience and training.


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