Planners on the Frontlines?

Absolutely! If you have ever run down a hall in the practical shoes of a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP)*, worked with a mother of the bride as Wedding Planner, or handed out Bingo cards at a school fund-raiser, you most likely have received some friendly fire.

I sub-titled my blog, “…from the frontlines of event planning.” It’s not just a pithy phrase, event planning can be a battle. It takes discipline, self motivation, and hours of chasing details, as well as a willingness to work long days, make tough decisions, and be the bad guy. However, it’s also a place where leaders are built, lifelong friendships are formed, skills are honed, and one has the unique opportunity to literally learn something new every day.

The wide array of information and skills required are endless. The type of events and professions which host events are also endless. No two days are alike. I think it’s one of the most rewarding jobs on the planet. To become a CMP, a planner must actively work in hospitality and event planning, have 25 credit-hours of classroom learning every five years, apply and be accepted to sit for the exam, recertify every five years, and be prove proficiency in these nine disciplines:

• Strategic Planning
• Project Management
• Risk Management
• Financial Management
• Human Resources
• Stakeholder Management
• Meeting or Event Design
• Site Management
• Marketing

It’s not for everybody. Neither is being a public speaker, skydiver, or a lion-tamer. It’s a profession that requires the strength to carry others on your back, block “incoming” from reaching your people, make a split-second decision with only the information around you, and put aside your personal feelings for the betterment of others.

Being an event planner takes trial and error, successes and failures, and the ability to not take yourself so seriously. For more on the frontlines of event planning, check out my blog, “Put on Your Thick Skin.”

Have you planned an event and have a “frontline” story? I’d love to hear it.
Please email me or share it here.

*The Events Industry Council (EIC) oversees planner credentialing. The CMP program is recognized globally as the badge of excellence in the events industry. The EICs vision is to be the global champion for event professionals and event industry excellence.