5 Qualities You Should Look for When Choosing a Planner for Your Event

So you’re throwing a big event? Exciting! And a little terrifying.

You’re looking for a good event planner, but you don’t know what traits to look for. You want your event to go off without a hitch. But what event planning skills do your coordinator need?

It shouldn’t come as a surprise to know that successful event planners have a few things in common. Each person has their unique flair and style. But what unites them is their commitment to success.

In this article, we’ll go over what you need to look for when hiring an event planner. Read on for a look at what should make your planning coordinator tick.

1. Event Planning Skills: Leadership

Whoever is planning your event must have quality leadership skills. This might seem like a no-brainer. But you want someone who will take charge.

If an event planner has leadership skills, he or she can help you create your vision. While he or she should respect your wishes, he or she would also let you know what’s realistic.

To plan an event that’s stress-free for you and your company, you need someone who can take the reigns.

You shouldn’t have to call your event planner to see if they’re doing specific tasks. They should know exactly what’s set out for them. And they should also suggest things for your company based on their prior experience.

2. Organization

You already know it is impossible to get anything done if you’re not organized. At work, you would have no idea what you need to do for the day if you went about everything in a haphazard fashion.

A good event planner knows what’s going on when and where. They have a to-do list ready for your event. They know what could go wrong and have prepared for it. In short, they’ve got their stuff together.

Your event planner should take care of everything that doesn’t need your input. They should be self-motivated, so they don’t need a push. Organization skills are key to being able to execute that well. And it is key to ensuring your event goes off without a hitch.

3. Flexibility

Flexibility is paramount when making anything work. You likely already know that inflexible people make things much harder on themselves. They also make things harder on the people around them.

The more flexible your event planner is, the easier the event will be.

Your event planner should be fine with accommodating most of your reasonable requests. They should also be flexible enough to change things around should they need to.

Flexibility blends in a little bit with organization and leadership. A flexible event planner can switch things up at the last minute. He or she can “make it work” when things go wrong. Instead of freaking out, he or she will fix it. And they take the initiative to do so.

Your event planner is the glue that binds everything together if Plan A goes off the rails. Their flexibility allows them to remain calm and rational in any situation. And they can take the initiative to fix it.

3. They’re Great at Communicating

Communication can be the difference between a good and bad event.

Your event planner should be able to discuss exactly what it is you want. They should see your vision and what your goals are for the event. If you don’t see eye-to-eye, they need to be able to tell you.

A great communicator updates you as things are happening. He or she should shoot off an email when they lock in the catering, for example. Although they should take the initiative as a leader, they should keep you in the loop.

If things need to change for some reason, he or she should let you know. There should be no surprises.

A good event planner is also open to criticism. If you don’t like something, he or she should be able to take that on board without taking offense. That is a hallmark of a great communicator.

4. They’ve Been in the Business a While, and Their Reputation Holds Up

There’s nothing wrong with hiring new event planners for smaller events. Want to give your niece experience with her party planning business? Sure, let her handle your child’s birthday party.

But if you want to create a big corporate event, you want someone with a proven track record. They should have been in business for a fair number of years. They should also have glowing reviews from other clients.

Speak to your event planner’s previous clients before moving forward. Testimonies on websites aren’t always transparent. You need to speak to someone who has used them and will give you a straight answer.

You don’t want to put a huge corporate event in the hands of someone with a not-so-great reputation. You also don’t want to put it in the hands of someone who doesn’t have a lot of experience.

Perusing their resume and speaking to former customers can help you feel more at ease.

5. They Solve Problems in a Creative Way

Did the catering company overschedule themselves? Did they let you know this a week before the event?

While most people might panic, an event coordinator is ready to solve the problem. He or she can find another service to cater your event. Or he or she can find a creative way to bring food in for your attendees.

For a good event planner, a problem isn’t a roadblock. Instead its a diversion. And he or she knows how to get around them.

How Do I Know Which Event Coordinator to Choose?

Choosing an event coordinator is up to you and your company. Only you know what you’re looking for. But some of these event planning skills mentioned should give you an idea of the person you need.

Make sure you choose well, as it could be the difference between a great event and a dud.

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