As an event planner or organizer, you face a lot of challenges.
From coming up with an event worth putting on to hosting the event and everything in between, you’re constantly facing barriers and finding some way to get around, over, or through them.
In some cases, you’re not aware of the barriers you’re actually conquering, and in other cases, you know the next challenge is just around the next corner.
It’s no surprise that as an event planner or organizer you must have a unique set of skills specialized for planning events combined with industry knowledge.
What you do as an event planner is nothing short of extraordinary.
That’s why Platinum Speakers Agency wants to share some of the challenges that we hear from industry event planners, CEOs, and other experts with you.
The Biggest Event Planning Challenges
#1. Event Budget Cuts
More than ever before, reduce event budgets are easily the biggest challenge event planners face with each new endeavor. They’re asked to do more with less, including time. And what’s more, speakers, vendors, and becoming more expensive to book. As an event planner keep an eye out for the ever-decreasing event budget and start to prepare now for when the message gets delivered, if it hasn’t already.
#2. Budget Increase for Tech
Technology has made event planners’ jobs easier, but tech has also opened the door to a plethora of other challenges. The primary barrier when it comes to leveraging technology for events is the cost. The request to increase event budget to get the tech needed to really make the event stand out is a tough barrier to remove. Nonetheless, the budget barrier is certainly one worth going for.
#3. Sponsor Support
You may have started to notice the fluctuation of sponsor support depending on the event. This is becoming the norm. Sponsors are being advised to be more frugal with their budget, and it’s directly affecting how well you can host your impactful events. Keep in mind, too, that from event-to-event, it’s best to not assume that sponsors are on board every single time. Be ready to negotiate for their support.
#4. Advancing Skills
As an event planner, you have several layers of skills that you must call upon to make events happen. While you’re spending most of your time getting events approved, scheduled, and hosted, you may not be focused enough on learning the new skills needed to utilize technology, schedule events, or even host them. Audiences are “plugged in” to various platforms, tech, and tools online, and if you’re not at least aware of these portions of your events will flop. Take some time to get some perspective on your industry and the tools people are using to connect and communicate.
#5. Travel Costs
The increasing travel costs may not be on our radar, but over the course of a year, the cost of travel in money and time can come at a surprise. Take some time to add wiggle room in your budget for these costs, as well as try to find ways to make fewer trips while still getting just as much work done. It’s the get more done with less adage that you’re all too familiar with. However, in this instance, you have some control over how that philosophy is executed.
#6. Space Costs
An event hosted in New York compared to an event hosted in Dallas is going to have some space cost differences. A common challenge, yet somewhat overlooked, is searching for the best space to host your event while also keeping it within the budget you’ve created. It can be tough to find the best space, but to add in budget restrictions only adds another layer to the barrier you will have to bust through.
#7. Executive Apathy
You’re great at coming up with event ideas. You’re also fantastic at planning, scheduling, and hosting the events you manage. And you’re also on the hook with your executives to approve your idea and budget. While you have all the credentials, experience, and reputation to pull off the event you have in mind, you’re going to need to get the decision makers on board to get the approval to do so. Keep this in mind when you’re putting an event together so that you can plan to present your idea in a way that’s attractive, enticing, and lucrative for the executives to say yes.
#8. Event Security Detail
It can be a tough decision to include event security at your event. Whether it be a digital marketing summit or an HR roundup, you still must make the call whether or not to have security on site. And once you make that decision: what degree of security should you hire?
#9. Rules and Regulations
A challenge certainly outside of the event planner’s control is governmental rules and regulations. It’s important to keep up with the evolving regulations so that you can plan ahead to get the proper permits, notify the appropriate people, and get your event approved.
Takeaways
Now that you’ve read through some of the biggest challenges facing event planners across the nation, can you think of any other challenges that you may face?
If you’re in need of a speaker, let Platinum Speakers Agency know. We have a full roster of top keynote and industry specific speakers that can take your event to the next level.
Here are the biggest challenges event planners face listed in this article:
- Event Budget Cuts
- Budget Increase for Tech
- Sponsor Support
- Advancing Skills
- Travel Costs
- Space Costs
- Executive Apathy
- Event Security Detail
- Rules and Regulations