Eventprofs constantly hear about how we have the “the best job ever” and how other people “would love to have our job”! While this is nice to hear other people say, we all know that the event industry also has its downsides and that an event planner job isn’t perfect.
Depending on your job within the event world you might get to meet interesting people, travel to beautiful places and enjoy experiences that some of your friends or family might envy. The perks can be really great, but the job is not without it’s challenges. If you are new to events here are a few details about the less glamorous side of event management. Sometimes these items may make this job seem like a drag, but they can also be the best part!
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Long and Unpredictable Hours
Most people see a full time job as working from 9-5 Monday through Friday, but that all goes out the window when you become an eventprof. You will most likely be working nights, weekends and extended hours during and leading up to your event. It is not uncommon to hear of event planners putting in 100 hour weeks! While this isn’t always the case, you need to be ready for the ups and downs of the event industry hours.
While it can be tough to work the long hours during an event, you will find that these are the days that you really bond with your event team and have fun working together! Make the most of the crazy long days and focus on bonding as a rockstar team! There will be time to celebrate and relax once your event is completed.
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You Must Always Be Connected
Answering calls in the middle of the night might not sound like something you would expect an event planner to do, but rest assured all of us have been there. You have to be on and ready to work no matter the time. From email to calls to managing social media you might find yourself unable to disconnect.
In between important events there will be moments where you are able to unplug, but during a your busy periods clients, attendees, vendors and venues will all be vying for your attention. In order to keep everyone happy and things running smooth you must always be available to answer that important call/email/text.
The great part about being so connected is that this leaves many event planners with the ability to work from any destination or at any time. The flexibility of travel and not being chained to a desk all day is a huge perk that we get to enjoy in the event industry.
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Unhappy Customers
Dealing with less than satisfied customers is a challenge in every industry, but for some reason event clients can take this to an entirely new level. Perhaps it is the pressure of the day and the many moving parts that go into an event, but if you get into this industry there will come a time where someone will be unhappy and you will hear about it.
It is never fun to be reprimanded or given negative feedback, but you have to learn to take it with a grain of salt and use the feedback as motivation to improve in the future. We all make mistakes, don’t beat yourself up too much.
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High Levels of Stress
Being an event coordinator constantly ranks as of the top-5 most stressful careers (yawn!). Stress can really take a toll on your body, mind and energy levels. Often times it can even lead to burnout and have some planners looking for a new career.
While stress can be tough to manage eventprofs who can find a way to thrive under the pressure will really succeed in this industry. Use this stress as motivation to set yourself apart as someone who is calm, cool and collected when others might crumble. Part of the fun is event planning is thinking on your feet and adapting to every new situation. Make sure you are a #proudeventprof.
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Travel
While jet setting to a variety of destinations sounds like a dream job, it can become very exhausting and lonely after the novelty wears off. We love our frequent flyer miles and hotel points, but missing home and your normal daily routine can make even the best destination seem like a chore.
If you travel often for work, find ways to enjoy and embrace the experience. Travel can be so much fun and the places you get to see might be once in a lifetime destinations! To make it more enjoyable try tacking on a few extras days where you can actually soak in the destination outside of work, or bring a family member or friend along for the trip! When you are home focus on maintaining your relationships and getting into your routine to make the most of your time off the road.
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Unpredictability
While we all take pride in planning every last detail, you never know what might happen at an event. Throughout your career you are sure to see and hear things that they don’t teach you in school and you have to be ready to think on your feet. This can be a very difficult part of the job and lead to the stress and long hours mentioned above. Somedays you might have a new hurdle to overcome and other days might bring a pleasant and positive surprise.
At the same time, this unpredictability is what makes an event management career so much fun! No day is ever the exact same and every event is like taking on a new adventure. You will always be learning new skills and meeting new people. Not many jobs or careers have this added perk.
In Conclusion
Event planning can be a very tough job. There will be times that you wonder why you got into this career in the first place, but hopefully these moments are few and far between. More often than not the things that make the event planner job tough, can also be what make it so enjoyable. Take time to learn from each experience and challenge you encounter.
