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Being an Event Manager involves more than being able to go backstage to meet the stars of the show.
You will have to use every ounce of initiative, diplomacy, creativity and business sense you possess. Combine these with project management, organisation, planning, leadership and team-playing skills and you could well be a strong contender for the job.
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Before the event
A long time before the curtain goes up or the first band takes to the stage, there will have been many months of careful planning to make the event a reality. As part of this planning the event manager will have had to think about and be involved in:
choosing the right venue size, location, transport links, facilities and services;
hiring administrative support to arrange bookings, payments and public enquiries;
seeking advice on the design and print of programmes and promotional literature;
employing staff to work as part of the management team and at the event itself;
legal aspects - ranging from environmental issues through to employment law;
marketing and promotion of the event;
health and safety issues in relation to staff, performers as well as the public;
costs, creating budgets and trying to stick to them.
The effective manager
There is quite a diverse range of skills you should look to develop if being an event manager appeals to you. Most event management courses will concentrate on these and assess your progress by them but you don't have to wait until you are on a course to start trying them out. You will probably already have used quite a few of them at school - both in the classroom and in extra-curricular activities. If your school or college puts on a fund raising event or a Christmas show, get involved with the organisation and planning. If you belong to a club or society suggest an event and put together a team of people to make it happen. Here are some of the skills you should look to develop.
Problem-solving
No matter how much planning you do for an event something will not go according to plan. Think about how you respond to problems and how good you are at looking for practical solutions.
Negotiating
As a manger you will be a leader but you will also be part of a team and not everyone will agree on the best way of doing something. In addition you will also be buying in a great many services form outside contractors for which you will need to get the best price.
Innovation
Think about how things can be done differently, just because something has always been done the same way doesn't mean it's the best way.
Motivation
This includes self-motivation as well as motivating others. As a manager you will be responsible for a team of people and learning how to motivate them will help to create a more productive environment and a more willing team.
Time-management
A lot of people have a lot of problems managing their time. With hundreds of things to think about it's important to learn how to prioritise tasks and build flexibility in to your schedule to allow for all those unforeseen jobs.
Reflection
To look back on any event you have been involved in managing and be objective about what went right as well as what went wrong is a very constructive exercise. You may be answerable to another group of people and they will probably need you to evaluate the event and report back your findings.
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