Association Conferences: Hiring the Best Event Planner

The success of an association conference heavily relies on the amount of preparation and forethought. Sometimes, it’s just not possible for your organization to do it all, and you have to hire an event planner.

An event planner takes care of much of the details, so if they fall flat, the conference likely falls flat, too. Hiring an event planner is no simple task. You should always keep an eye out for the best in the industry.

Here’s what to look for:

Organizational Flair

An event is made up of many components -location, logistics, catering, advertising, just to name a few -that need to come seamlessly together in the end for it to be successful.

Your planner should have the ability to arrange everything and see it come to fruition, even if it means starting from scratch.

Flexibility

Things don’t always work out as planned when so many factors are involved. Sound systems malfunction; roads get snowed in, etc.

In most cases, the show must go on. It’s important for an event planner to think on their feet and adjust to the new situation when last-minute changes happen.

An Eye for Detail

Sometimes, it takes a little mistake to unravel an event. For example, a typo on the date in the invitation is enough to misinform all attendees about the schedule.

An event planner should be able to spot the smallest differences between the expected result and the actual outcome.

Collaborative Attitude

An event planner must have a take-charge attitude to get things done but should also know how to listen to and work side-by-side with clients in order to realize their vision.

A successful event is not just the work of one, but the work of many.

Social Media Expertise

These days technology, especially social media, plays a big role in determining the success of an event. Having the ability to keep up with social media trends is a must-have for an event planner.

They should know how to create online buzz for an event and reach out to attendees via the Internet.

Talent for Content Generation and Curation

An event generates an enormous amount of content before and after, which needs to be curated for later use (as reference for similar events or for post event analysis). Examples of such content include flyers, brochures, press releases, photos, videos, etc.

An event planner is expected to know the kind of content that is not only appealing to people in the present, but also worth keeping for the future.

Verifiable Portfolio

For big events such as association conferences, it’s not advisable to rely on a first-timer. For a job of that scale, a seasoned event planner is called for.

Their portfolio should be enough to speak for their abilities and experience in handling big events. If you want references, they should be able to furnish those upon request.

Customer Service Skills

People want more than a good product; they also want a great experience, and that includes excellent customer service. As a client, that’s exactly what you’re looking for in an event planner, though you may not realize it.

A planner should have the technical skills needed to successfully hold an event, but they should also be able to relate with people, whether they’re dealing with clients, contractors, invitees, or attendees.

Don’t rush the search for the best event planner. This may be the biggest decision you have to make for the whole event, so think it through. And remember, choose someone you can work with in the long term. It’s good to have an event planner you can trust for all your association conferences in the future.

Satria Permadi

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