Common Hurdles Event Planners Face

No industry is perfect. Particularly in a field as fast-paced and fast-growing as event management, there are bound to be a few pitfalls, roadblocks, and growing pains scattered along one’s path. What separates the good event planners from the great ones is how they address these problems; how they meet – and overcome – the challenges thrown their way. Here are some issues that you may run into, and how to successfully overcome them:

Keeping Your Clients Happy

One of the most enduring problems in event planning is that many clients simply don’t have any idea of how the profession works. They don’t understand what’s involved in planning an event, nor do they understand event timelines, milestones, or target dates. Thankfully, this is usually fairly easy to address – simply explain to your clients how much time you need to plan a particular event, and why – hopefully, they’ll understand (though some might now). Make sure to find a good way to connect with them and make sure you are all on the same page. 

Event Management Can Be A Regulatory Quagmire

Our second issue is a bit more difficult to deal with than the first: running an event usually requires you to jump through so many hoops and deal with so much red tape that you might want to strangle the next bureaucrat you see. You might need to get seven different permits, contact several regulatory agencies, and square yourself with local councils just to run a simple concert in the park – to say nothing of the legal issues that you need to mitigate with the event itself.

If you’re not particularly versed in the world of legal and contractual issues yourself, you’d probably do well to hire a lawyer.

People Simply Aren’t Reliable

No matter how well you manage your event, no matter how clear your schedule, the fact remains that you’re eventually going to have someone flake out on you. Maybe it’s a vendor, a volunteer, a sponsor, or a volunteer. Maybe it’s a client or an event partner. Either way, people don’t always pull through on your commitments – and you need to be prepared for this. Always have Plan B, C, D, AND E ready to avoid disasters. 

Budgets Are Getting Tighter – And People Expect More For Less

Let’s be honest – the world’s economy isn’t doing so hot, and with the way Western culture’s been growing, people are expecting bigger and better events…without having to pay more for the privilege. I’m not just talking about attendees and ticket sales, either. Expect to have at least a few clients who want you to stretch their budget as far as humanly possible. You’re probably going to have to get pretty good at juggling numbers. Having a few key vendors that you consistently use can lead to better deals for you, making you able to provide bigger bang for the buck. 

It’s A Stressful Job, And It Always Will Be

Install all the management apps you want – event management is still probably one of the most stressful professions in the world. If you aren’t the sort of person who thrives under pressure, you might want to consider a career change before you give yourself several gray hairs. On the other hand, for those of you who love a challenge (and love high-octane work), event management is a dream come true.