Here's how you can showcase your leadership skills to advance your career in event planning.

Leading by example in event planning could involve taking the initiative to organize a challenging aspect of an event and executing it flawlessly. For example, let's say there's a high-profile corporate event that requires meticulous attention to detail in setting up the stage and AV equipment. As a leader, you could volunteer to oversee this aspect of the event, ensuring that everything is set up correctly, on time, and meets the client's expectations. By demonstrating your competence and dedication in handling this crucial task, you inspire confidence in your team and set a positive example for others to follow.

In my experience, leading by example in event planning is paramount. Demonstrating dedication, organization, and composure instills trust and inspires your team to uphold high standards, fostering a culture of excellence and professional growth.

Calmness is a super power, especially for event planners. "What can go wrong, will go wrong" is so often true when it comes to event planning and whilst all else are losing their heads, those who remain calm and focussed in a crisis are those that others gravitate to and follow. That calm in a crisis can often come from strategic thinking and preparedness, and whilst you can't be prepared for EVERY event-uality (see what I did there 😂 ), you can plan ahead for a crisis and be well prepared for crisis management. This is the essence of true leadership, enabling you and your team to successfully navigate choppy waters and still come out smiling. Being consistent & friendly are also key ingredients to leading by example.

Do you hate being misunderstood? The ironic thing about clear communication is that there is no such thing as clear communication. The best we can hope for is clearer communication. Why? We assume the meanings of words and the intent of the speaker. As you read this you are making assumptions, attributions, and intentions based on things ranging from my avatar, your past experience with these same words, your current mood, and other factors. To promote clearer communication, try this: “Because this is a very important task/result/etc., and I know that much of communication is based on assumptions, I want to make sure I was understood. What did you just hear me communicate to you?”

Effective communication is more than words, though words are - of course - very important. As such, steering as clear as possible from jargon can be useful when explaining details to various stakeholders. Body language, tone, and the ability to listen and respond appropriately are essential skills for delivering flawless events and optimising both the willingness and ability for others (vendors, clients, your team, attendees / the public) to collaborate and/or follow instructions.

It bears repeating, CALMNESS is a super power. Staying calm enables you to navigate tricky situations, allowing you to better solve problems by: • Thinking more clearly • Reducing the risk of making errors • Communicating more clearly & effectively • Communicating with confidence to build trust • Controling the unchecked emotions of other around you There are many techniques to help you stay calm during a crisis, such as: 1) Deep breathing - calming your nervous system and slowing down your heart rate; 2) Positive self-talk - reminding yourself of your ability to handle the situation and how teamwork helps overcome anything 3) Focus on what you can control

Once, I was tasked with organizing a fundraising gala for a nonprofit organization. To ensure the event's success, I empowered my team by assigning specific responsibilities to each member based on their strengths and expertise. For example, I designated one team member to handle venue coordination, another to manage sponsorships and donations, and a third to oversee volunteer recruitment and training. Throughout the planning process, I encouraged open communication and collaboration among team members, allowing them to share ideas, raise concerns, and brainstorm solutions together. By empowering each team member to take ownership of their respective areas, we were able to deliver a successful event that exceeded our fundraising goals.

It can be a hard truth that as the leader you are responsible for the results. You are not responsible to do all the work, or even have all the knowledge and answers. The axiom, "As a leader, only do what only you can do," will not only help create a more effective division of labor, it fosters a culture of development and empowerment. if one of your reports is able to do a task well that you can also do well, empower them to do it. You will inspire confidence and leadership skills in that person. By focusing on doing what only you can do you will have clarity of your role, other's roles, and have more emotional and creative headroom, while experiencing less stress.

As a leader, it's important to know your teams' strengths and personality types. A few years ago, I came across the GC Index, which "empowers organisations to drive performance and achieve innovation by creating game-changing teams and cultures." It does this by assessing our individual proclivities, understanding where our individual strengths lie by identifying where we - as individuals - and teams naturally want to make an impact and contribution in business. The alignment of individuals & teams to tasks they are naturally engaged and energised around can help boost employee satisfaction and increase overall productivity. I found it incredibly insightful both personally and from a team development & leadership perspective.

Technology is the one big area where a lot of event planners can struggle, not least because of the sheer pace of change in the sector. It can sometimes create a mentality of ignoring it altogether but a little knowledge can go a long way. Remaining up to date with general tech trends and following Event Tech companies and their founders on social to see what they talk about can also be useful. But, even in doing so, remember, everyone has an opinion and it's useful not to simply take what is said as gospel. Seeking out difference of opinion and formulating your own, critiquing what makes sense to you, is part of the continuous learning process. Reading around various topics, from books to industry publications is also extremely useful

Collaboration over competition. Thought leaders in event planning innovate and collaborate. They are always thinking one step ahead and inspire those around them

Leading effectively in event planning involves strategic delegation based on skill sets, passion, and clear expectations. Adopting a mindset that prioritizes delegation from the outset helps ensure tasks are matched with the right skills and builds understanding among team members that you can see the big picture.

I have enjoyed planning many events of the years all over the world. One of the most consistent realities of planning an event is that it is all about the audience. When you find yourself tasked with planning an event, or part of an event team, start your planning by analyzing your audience. WHO: age, ethnicity, economics, gender, etc. WHAT: are there hopes, dreams, fears, expectations. WHERE: is the location of the conference and how will that affect them? WHEN: is the event and how will the timing affect your audience? WHY: are they attending? Your agenda won't matter until you connect your agenda with their agenda. A robust analysis of your audience will help you meet their felt need so you can provide your solution for their real need.

Actions speak louder than words. Time after time I’ve “worked” (I’m using that term loosely) with teammates who go shopping or watch the game on their phone during the entire event! Everyone is watching you, even if you don’t think they are! Take charge of a situation! If the tent is being blown away, run after it! Out of water? Someone stay in the tent and send out other team mates - or if you don’t have teammates - ask someone in the tent next to you to look after your area. People remember what you did, not what you said! Don’t wait for someone else to take action! Be “that person” that people say, “They took control of the situation and had it under control in no time!”