The Multifaceted Nature of Events

I was recently in Amsterdam. If you are not familiar with the city, it is designed around a canal system. The canals wind through and around the city in every direction. Looking at the many fingers of the canals got me thinking of the many facets there are to events.

I feel there are very few industries where you get to have your fingers in as many pies as you do when working in events. There is such variety. No two days are alike and it keeps things interesting. Some of the different facets of event planning can include:

• Budgeting or financial management
• Strategic planning and event timeline management
• Hotel accommodations
• Meeting space planning
• Catering or F&B (food & beverage)
• Contract review and negotiation
• Hosting of guest artists, performers, or speakers
• Staffing or volunteer management
• Event schedule creation
• Training session coordination
• Transportation and flight arrangements
• Production and stage design
• Networking opportunities
• Tradeshows and exhibitions
• Destination events
• Environment and event decor planning
• Marketing and advertising
• Stakeholder management
• Risk management and safety/security

As you can see, the areas a planner can get into when working with an event are as numerous as the canals in Amsterdam. They can also be as varied in depth, length, width, purpose, and functionality as the canals too. If you work with events and find yourself sleeping really well at night, it’s most likely because your brain processes an enormous and diverse amount of information on any given day. If you don’t currently work in events and are feeling a little stale in your current role, may I put in front of you the possibility of working in the hospitality industry? You could never claim to be bored again.

In my blog “Planners on the Frontlines?“ I mentioned the benefits of becoming a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) with the Events Industry Council (EIC). This is an organization dedicated to the quality and professionalism of event planning and ensures that CMPs are well versed in the intricacies of events.

My whole blog is dedicated to unpacking different aspects of event planning, so I’m not going to elaborate on the list here. If you would like additional information on any one of these or want to know more about how they relate to event planning, please email me and we can set up a time to talk.

As a point of interest, the canals in Amsterdam were designed to continually drain the city of water. Amsterdam sits 0.5 meters below sea level and without them it would be under water all the time, very inconvenient. Plus, the canals serve as additional “streets” allowing people to get around by boat. If you ever have the chance to visit, I highly recommend it!

Do you plan events or know someone who does? Like it and pass this blog on!