9 Personality Traits of An Event Planner That can Make or Break Your Career

Do you often feel a wet hand while talking to a new client?

Are you ready to close the next deal?

Will you meet the deadline?

There are tons of questions going head. And these all contribute to being a great event planner and a successful event manager. The personality traits of a person have a great impact on his work and life. The personality traits of an event planner are always of great concern.

In this article, you are going to gain some insight into the personality traits of an event manager.

But before that, I would take you through a case study of an event planner whose name is Mr. Pappu a.k.a Pappu Pro (Pro-Event Planner)

It is a busy day in the life of Mr. Pappu. He had done a successful event a couple of days ago and Today he has a meeting scheduled with another client (Mr. Sharma). He went to meet the client in a nearby restaurant. When he was on his way to the restaurant, he got a call from a client (Mr. Verma) of an on-going event on another site to make some changes in printed signages. Then he called the vendor and requested him to do the required changes. Anyhow he managed to reach the meeting venue where Mr. Verma had already reached about half an hour ago.

He greeted the client and simply asked him what kind of event, he wants him to organize. The client starts briefing him but Pappu was still checking his phone to get the updates about the on-going event. The client told him that he wants him to organize an event for kids “a kind of funfair”. Without listening to what the client trying to get organized, Pappu closed the deal by assuring him that he will get the things done on time and he left.

When he reached the venue of the on-going event, he saw that Mr.Verma was arguing with one of his staff as the required changes were still not done and the event was about to start. After seeing all this, Pappu lost his mind and he started shouting to other crew members. Though anyhow he managed to complete the event, But Mr. Verma was not happy and he has to face payment cut at the end.

After that event, he started working on the next project of Mr. Sharma. Since Pappu had not given proper attention while getting the brief, he was just unable to prepare a proper blueprint for the event. He had booked a magician for the show but the magician didn’t show up on the day. Pappu had no Plan “B” Anyhow, he threw the party. Better to say a mess. On being asked by Mr. Sharma about the mess created by him, Pappu used a harsh tone which results in contract loss by other clients as a by-product of bad mouth publicity.

Chill you don’t have to worry about your job loss. We are here for you.

After reading this article, revisit the case study and analyze what personality traits of an event planner were missing in Mr. Pappu and he needs to work upon them to be a Pappu Pro (Pro-Event Planner)

Personality traits of an event planner that can make or break your event planning career

1. Communication 

“ Everything starts with a handsome hello and end with a firm handshake,” said a great salesman. You must start a good talk on tea before you sell your dream. Having good communication not only helps you in becoming a great leader but also an enthusiastic event manager.

 “Smile can win million hearts,” Dale Carnegie writes in his book. How to win friends and influence people. Having a good mouth image in society help you gain popularity among like-minded people. Your crew member respects you.

Pro Tip: While talking to the clients always maintain eye contact, make them feel that you are there for them only and giving all your attention to everything they are saying. The client is your to be wife, treat them well.

2. An Eye for Details

There is a fine line between being detailed oriented and letting yourself get mired in endless trivia. Event planners need to see the big picture while they also have an eye for the particulars; this means a constant shifting of focus and alertness for what may be different from scripted plans.

Missing even minute details can lead to a disaster on the event day. Though this skill of successful event managers cannot be accomplished in one day, you need to do constant practice and more practice.

Pro Tip: Always keep a note-making app on your phone, create an event fact sheet and note down major points about the brief got from the client. Once you got the whole brief, make an event checklist from that fact sheet.

3. Multitasking

Being an event manager you need to pay attention to a lot more things. Doing more than one task is what we call multitasking. Here in this profession, you have to deal with clients and vendors at the same time. You may have to manage stock and decor simultaneously.

But, be careful. You don’t have to eat with both hands when you staring, this may cause indigestion. The same is applied to multitasking.

Pro Tip: Never misunderstood Multitasking as Task switching. Prioritize your tasks and complete that task first which needs to be done first, don’t switch from one to another.

Sometimes multitasking may decrease your productivity. So, I believe our pick of 9 best smartphone apps can help you to increase your productivity.

4. Flexibility 

The event manager must double up with being a leader and listener also. You must be flexible in your role play. Don’t be so rigid with your plan and decision, keep changing them as per the demand of time. Flow your course of action as per situation and condition.

Remember my friend in storm grasses never get the root out only stiff tree dies. You must bend your action on time.

Pro Tip: Always have a Plan B means, Don’t panic and adopt the change.

5. Responsible & Self control

For the event planner, responsibility means authenticity of design, consistency of delivery and commitment to excellence for the client. These qualities demand self-control, or restraint regarding one’s own actions in order to achieve a goal, from the event planner in every experience.

If the event planner does not have effective coping skills and cannot maintain self-control, it affects his productivity. As a result, his performance levels decline, and the event may not be as successful as was planned.

For example, an event planner who has to arrange a fun event for kids cannot get caught up in the sadness of the situation but need to focus instead on the celebration of life to spread more positivity in the first place.

Pro Tip: Don’t play the blame game, take accountability for your actions.

6. Organized

Give it a damn or not being organized is the single greatest personality trait all successful people have. Company or organization run smoothly because they have organized everything from staff to department, from leader to subordinate and many other things.

So my dear event manager organizes your daily schedule, coherent course of action. Otherwise, you will miss the deadline, may fall in loss-making, and maybe ended up losing your job. Be organized. Be productive.

Events run more smoothly when you and your event are organized.

Pro Tip: Create an archive of event details to assist in the planning of future events.

7. Money skill (budgeting)

An event company or any other organization, talk about any form of business run successfully because of efficient money management. So an event manager you must optimize your client money. Budget plays a vital role in the time we have event gets over. Running short on money can ruin the whole image of the boss and crew.

Giant companies like Videocon and kingfisher shutdown only because of poor money management. Even we all are well aware of the fact that in countries like India, every year thousands of new event companies got incorporated but very few of them could survive in the competitive market.

Your client money is your money so use it wisely and get your cheque cleared.

This personality trait of an event planner

Pro Tip: Never underestimate and overestimate your event costs.

8. Work under pressure

Don’t get panic I am not asking to put some kgs. on your head. Here I am talking about the pressure that is the outcome of your busy work life. Every then and now you have to face some challenges it may be your boss who wants you to get him perfection a few days before the deadline or maybe some of your crew asking for leaving on the day of the event. Whatever may be the situation you have to be calm to accomplish your end goal. This the real test of your inner strength and personality.

Even your team is waiting for your decision to take action. Their performance depends on your right decision-making ability.

So, keep calm and manage the event.

Pro Tip: The best way to decrease the work pressure is to start early and stick with the work timelines.

9. Teamwork

The most ignored form of personality traits of an event planner that a must-have in the list is “teamwork”. I guess you are a superman event manager who can do everything and a One-Man Army who can handle anything. Agree or disagree you have to work with a whole bunch of people and sometimes newly join personnel.

Maybe in my list of personality traits of an event planner this trait comes at no.9, but trust me people skill is the at first; when coupled with communication skill you can lead and win.

Pro Tip: Treat your team as your family members, take care of their well being.

Final Thoughts

Event planning can be a nerve-racking job. Even Forbes magazine listed the “event coordinator” job as the fifth most stressful job in 2017.

And it is something next to impossible for anyone to possess all the above personality traits so instead of getting demotivated work hard to learn those skills which can help you to develop top personality traits of an event planner and g carve a place for yourself in the event industry.

If you are still confused to judge yourself to find out the missing personality traits to become a successful event manager then check out our “Event Planner Personality Test” made by taking all considerable factors shared by event experts.

Now go and read the given case study again and tell us in the comment section what personality traits of an event planner was missing in Mr. Pappu that’s why he is not becoming Pappu Pro (Pro- Event Planner)

And if you liked this article please subscribe to our newsletter to get event industry updates. You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Vivek Choudhary

Vivek is a photographer by passion & content creator by profession. He is a writer in the day and reader at night. Driven by the purpose of making life worth living by mentoring people in all aspects of event management.