How Event Planning And Hospitality Intersect

It’s really no secret that event management is more complicated than it’s ever been.  Professional event planners have to navigate their way through a logistical labyrinth, juggling everything from equipment to location to their own events team. While mobile technology has eased the load somewhat, it’s still not a career well-suited for just anyone.

On top of that, the bar for entry has never been higher. Employers increasingly prefer to hire University graduates ahead of other applicants, while clients are increasingly paying attention to certifications – which include one’s degree. Curiously, one of the preferred majors in both cases appears to be hospitality management.

Today, we’re going to talk about that – what’s the connection between event management and the hospitality field? Why exactly is event planning considered to fall under the umbrella of Hospitality?

It’s actually not as tenuous a link as you might think. See, as it turns out, the skill-set necessary to succeed in various hospitality-related careers is nearly identical to that required to be a successful event planner.  You need to be quick-thinking and clear of mind, with a good head for logistics and a strong organizational streak. You also need to be good with people.

See, running a hotel, theme park, or cruise liner is as much about managing your guests as it is managing the venue itself. You need to be able to work out the wants and needs of your customers – and how to provide for them without running over your budget. You also need to be ready to see to your guests if anything goes wrong (and eventually, something will).

Not surprisingly, this means that – in any field within the Hospitality Industry – the most valuable trait is one’s capacity to thrive under pressure. Much like running a business, hosting an event is a difficult, stressful job. If you’re the sort of person who starts to crack and freak out when just a few things go wrong, then hospitality isn’t for you – and neither is event planning.

Now admittedly, there are a few differences, as well. You’re going to run into different challenges as a hotel manager, for example, than you would as an event planner – even if one’s general approach for taking on these challenges remains the same. Still, you’d nevertheless likely find that an event manager would make a surprisingly capable hotel operator, while a restaurant owner might be unexpectedly skilled at hosting a trade show.

Although they all require different knowledge bases, the skills necessary for success are ultimately the same.

Before we wrap things up, there’s one more link we need to discuss – the fact that, over the course of their career, an event planner will likely interact with professionals from every other field within the Hospitality Industry; more so than virtually every other professional. This is tied to the very nature of event management as a career; except in rare cases, an event planning agency isn’t going to be able to provide internally every single amenity necessary to run an event. They might talk to a hotel owner about lodging for guests at their events, to a restaurant owner about catering, or to a cruise ship operator while scouting out a possible venue.

So, there you have it. A short examination of how event management connects with other fields in the Hospitality Industry – and of why it’s considered one of those fields.