Stress Management Tips for Event Planners
When people ask me what I do for work and I reply ‘I am an event manager’ the general response always contains; wow, that would be so cool, I have always wanted to be an event manager and you must have such an awesome life. Reality; late nights, tight deadlines and hundreds, or in some cases, thousands of people relying on you to put together a spectacular event and looking to you for answers. It’s all run orders, contact list’s, budgets, design and technical production. An event manager wears many hats at any one time and the thrill of completing an amazing project is something we all live for.
From September through to Christmas is generally the busiest time for event managers with end of year celebrations, conference and awards dinners. We can all be forgiven at this time of year for increasing our consumption of coffee and chocolate, two staples if you ask me. Stress dramatically reduces a person’s productivity, so it is important to manage this beast first and foremost, as without you there is no event. The LOUD events team sat down and we put our heads together to come up with fives stress management tips for events planners and no, alcohol is not on the list (that list will come later)!
5. A checklist: This is vital to the success of any event and it a great tool to keep you sane. There are often so many different facets to an event, making it a juggling act to get the balance correct and ensure all stakeholders are happy. Each time you check an item off the list you are closer to piecing together the whole event. It is also super satisfying to physically cross things off a list!
4. Delegate: If you are lucky enough to have a team around you, delegating tasks based on your teams expertise helps take some of the pressure off, allowing you to concentrate on other areas. A great team is one that works together and takes the good times with the stressful times. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
3. Deadlines: With so many moving cogs to an event, it is imperative to set strict deadlines for each sector; whether that be finance or graphic design. Be aware of your surroundings and give yourself a little buffer of extra time to take some of the time critical stress of you.
2. Set up: Allow as much time as possible to set up an event. Don’t be afraid to ask your venue for early access, if they don’t have another event inhouse before your event they can more than likely offer you this free of charge. Allocate your time and then, if possible, add an extra hour on as a safety net; this will take a lot of pressure off and allow for any last minute changes and requests.
1. Smile: There are so many ways to de-stress like simply standing up from your desk and taking a walk, putting on an oil diffuser or listening to music (which I am a sucker for) but at the end of the day, as long as you are able to smile and release some endorphins, you are doing well. Seeing the light side of life can really enhance your general well being and you never know, it might just make someone else’s day.
If the above tools fail, hire LOUD events to take some of the stress off! A shameless plug but appropriate! Our Team have extensive knowledge of venues, production, design, entertainment and catering, and you will be sure to make a saving along the way and have an extra team member to lighten your load.
