Event planning in the 21^st Century

Event planning is not new – think of the old feudal system with lords, soirees and the jester or fool sent to entertain. The early 20^th century is where we see the fastest adoption of event planning, however, where the nouveau-riche started to hire others to plan their banquets, ballroom dances and fancy weddings. As transportation infrastructure grew, all of a sudden many people could attend such events and travel large distances if needed.

With technological advances, events became televised and bam! A new and exciting industry was formally a hit profession. So now it is 2017, event planning is in a juncture, we are seeing the quiet mammoth known as event planning come into the limelight! The event industry is booming, so to be an effective event planner you’ll need to do a few things differently:

No more are you full of facts and schedules – you now need to know vast systems of technology

Getting trained on multiple media and data systems is now a must to hold the level of information needed for a successful event today. Workflow systems, planning tools and “cloud” management are now part of every day diction.

No more sole face to face relationships – you now need many more hybrid relationships

Having a personal touch, and a personal relationship, is still very much key in this industry. Personally knowing as many people as possible is integral even. However, doing business with a handshake is long gone, and you’ll need to have varying relationships with hundreds of vendors because vendors are key to the success of any event today. Maintaining this is difficult, so leveraging them through technology is the only way to truly stay on top of them all. Social network sites have become just one way to “keep fresh” on what the vendor is doing so that once the time arrives to make the call and get a quote, both of you know the latest about each other. Today, going back and forth between real world meetings and the web are what makes today’s event planner more successful.

No more “event only” events – you now need to provide experiences.

Today you have to up the ante. If you can create a mood, a feeling, a lasting memory, that is what will win future business over simply providing an event for the sake of it. Just like technology such as the tv – people are no longer content with a black and white, 14inch no remote tv with 2 channels…today you need a 65 inch flatscreen LED with internet connectivity, multiple channels, movies, shows all on demand at the tap of a touch screen tablet remote, all in high definition. Just think about that for a second! This industry grows with clients’ needs being met and exceeded…which in itself makes them grow more. Focusing on creating memorable experiences rather than just scheduling an event is what will get clients calling you back for another unique experience.