How Do You Keep Up?

As an event planner, how do you keep up with changes? When covid hit, I was working with a group to turn a 3-day in-person event into an online experience. We literally changed everything we were doing in mere months. Online platform technology was changing every time we opened our eyes. When we could meet in-person and were planning to gather again, the venue where we were hosting our event was literally changing things like safety protocols, room setup requirements, and distancing restrictions on an almost weekly basis leading into the event. When situations like these come up, how in the world does the event planner keep up? This was the topic of discussion at a roundtable I recently hosted.

The group consisted of planners and suppliers with varying levels of experience in their industries and were from all different ages and stages of life. It was fascinating to hear where the conversation led. First of all, it was evident that the two much older, out-of-touch and set-in-their-ways participants were not interested in HOW to keep up with change. They were there to complain that things had changed, kept changing, and they were left in the dust back in 1972. I had to keep redirecting the conversation back to the topic at hand…

Those who were interested in learning something talked about what they were using to help them stay organized and on top of things. They asked each other about the different technology, spreadsheets, and checklists they used. It took some finessing and fishing with questions to get them to actually discuss where they looked to find out what is changing in their industries, who was leading the charge for change, how to discern what changes they should and shouldn’t make, and what skills they might need to learn to make the necessary changes.

Here are five things I took away from the conversation:

• Convention and Visitors Bureaus (CVBs) – The CVB in the city or county where your event is being held should be able to provide information on changes to infrastructure, transportation options, or attractions. They should also be aware of what properties are under renovation and if there are any changes to local safety protocols. A CVB will also have a pulse on changes coming up like an airport terminal addition or major highway construction project that might impact your event.
• Become a Member of an Association – Groups like Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA), Religious Conference Management Association (RCMA), and Meeting Professionals International (MPI) are great places to keep up with changes through their network of other planners and suppliers, educational webinars, meetings, in-person events, and newsletters.
• Attend Planner/Supplier Events – Events like IMEX-America, Convene, or Emerge where planners and suppliers from all over the country, and in some cases the world, gather for educational sessions, keynote speakers, and trade shows are great places to learn about industry trends and changes that could possibly affect your meetings and events.
• Find a Mentor – As your event grows or changes, find someone in your industry who has events or experiences that are like what you or your events aspire to become (be it in size, location, staffing, budget, etc.) and ask if they would be available to talk with you about what they have learned and what they would recommend you watch for. This is invaluable information that can save you a ton of time.
• Read Blogs or Articles – Blogs like mine were created for just this reason; to share what I have learned with in the event planning world to hopefully shorten the learning curve and to help others avoid some of the pitfalls and problems I encountered. Follow influencers within our industry on social media outlets to watch for upcoming trends and changes.

Several other thoughts on how you could keep up in an ever-changing world were also discussed. What we discovered is they all centered around relationships; partnerships between planners and suppliers, experienced planners and brand new ones, and being willing to share your experiences and knowledge with each other.

Do you have a place you go to keep up with changes in the meetings and events industry? If so, I’d love to hear from you! Feel free to email me or leave your comments here.

Please pass this blog on to others who plan events and on your social media. And don’t forget to like it!