Personality Traits of a Successful Event Manager

As we’ve said on multiple occasions, there are certain personality traits which make you better suited to be an event manager than others. Emotional intelligence, storytelling capacity, creativity, level-headedness; these are all of vital importance to the profession. They aren’t the only traits for a successful event planner possesses, however.

Today, I’d like to go over a few more elements that I feel every event manager or planner should incorporate into their personality. 

1. Humility

Let’s face it–no one likes dealing with people who brag about themselves. They’re always putting themselves on a pedestal above their colleagues, they take credit for everything they were just barely involved in, and whenever something challenges their view of themselves, they often tend to grow frustrated.

Ironically, many of the most arrogant people are completely blind to their own character flaws–and that level of blindness is something that you as an event manager simply cannot afford to be.

In short, be humble.

2. Flexibility

Like Mike Tyson said, paraphrasing here, but no plan survives first contact with the real world. In addition to being able to keep a cool head, you need to be ready and willing to adapt to whatever the world throws at you. Make sure you’re able to quickly come up with a backup plan if something goes wrong at one of your events–and don’t hesitate to implement it. Dragging your heels helps no one, and being flexible helps everyone.

3. An Analytical Mind

This one’s kind of a given, particularly when it comes to negotiating contracts with vendors, clients, and guests. Although no one particularly enjoys reading through legal jargon, being able to quickly slide into an analytical mindset means you’ll be able to make sense of it allowing you to figure out fairly quickly if someone’s trying to pull a fast one on you where contract negotiations are concerned.

Of course, being analytical also helps to manage the logistics you’ll be saddled with as you plan your event.

4. Transparency

You might be tempted to tell a little white lie to one of your clients or guests. Do yourself a favor, don’t. Even half-truths have an annoying tendency to steamroll themselves into something completely unmanageable, and the last thing you want to do is gain a reputation for being dishonest. People don’t like working with someone who has a reputation for being untrustworthy.

For that reason, I’d strongly advise that you never shy away from telling the truth. People don’t like liars, and they always appreciate when people are honest and transparent.

5. Principles And Discipline

Last, but certainly not least, all the best event management professionals have a set of principles and guidelines they set, and follow, for themselves; everything from proper etiquette to business ethics and moral standards. Always be fair in your dealings with others, and never try to gouge one of your clients. Don’t try to bend the rules–even a little.

There are certain traits which make a person suited for event management; certain personalities which will naturally find more success in the profession than others. What we’ve presented here are just a few of the traits which make an event planner successful; traits that we feel every event manager should possess.