The success of an association conference depends largely on the amount of preparation and forethought. Sometimes it’s just not possible for your organization to do it all, and you have to hire an event planner.
An event planner takes care of a lot of the details, so if they fail, chances are the conference will fail as well. Hiring an event planner is not an easy task. You should always keep an eye out for the best in the industry.
This is what to look for:
organizational style
An event is made up of many components – location, logistics, catering, advertising, just to name a few – that ultimately need to come together perfectly for it to be successful.
Your planner should have the ability to organize everything and see it come to fruition, even if it means starting from scratch.
flexibility
Things don’t always go as planned when so many factors are involved. malfunction of sound systems; the roads are covered with snow, etc.
In most cases, the show must go on. It is important for an event planner to think quickly and adjust to the new situation when last minute changes occur.
An eye for detail
Sometimes it takes a little bug to unravel an event. For example, a typo in the date of the invitation is enough to misinform all attendees about the time.
An event planner should be able to spot the smallest differences between the expected result and the actual result.
collaborative attitude
An event planner must have a take-charge attitude to get things done, but must also know how to listen and work closely with clients to bring their vision to life.
A successful event is not just the work of one, but the work of many.
Social media experience
Today, technology, especially social media, plays an important role in determining the success of an event. Having the ability to keep up with social media trends is a must for an event planner.
They must know how to create buzz online for an event and communicate with attendees over the Internet.
Talent for content generation and curation
An event generates a huge amount of before and after content that needs to be curated for later use (as a reference for similar events or for post-event analysis). Examples of such content include flyers, brochures, press releases, photos, videos, etc.
An event planner is expected to know the kind of content that is not only engaging to people in the present, but also worth keeping for the future.
Verifiable Portfolio
For large events such as association conferences, it is not advisable to rely on a novice. For a job of that scale, you need an experienced event planner.
Your portfolio should be enough to speak to your skills and experience in handling large events. If you want references, they should be able to provide them upon request.
Customer service skills
People want more than a good product; They also want a great experience, and that includes great customer service. As a client, that’s exactly what you’re looking for in an event planner, even though you may not realize it.
A planner must have the technical skills necessary to run an event successfully, but must also be able to relate to people, whether dealing with clients, contractors, guests or attendees.
Don’t rush your search for the best event planner. This may be the most important decision you make for the entire event, so think it through. And remember, choose someone you can work with for the long term. It’s nice to have an event planner you can trust for all of your association’s conferences in the future.