Event management is a multimillion euro industry and, in the case of large organizations, often forms part of a company’s marketing strategy. It is foreseen that the increased nature of global business will make the demand for events even higher. Though technology shrank the world, face-to-face meetings as a way of networking are still highly valued.
Events can be roughly categorized in the following way:
- Leisure: This includes big sport events like the FIFA World Cup, festivals like the Glastonbury music festival in the UK or fashion shows.
- Personal: Planning personal events like weddings and anniversaries in a highly organized way and not just ad hoc have become common place.
- Organizational: This includes small business events like a breakfast meeting to huge conferences attended by thousands of delegates. Also falling under this category would be fundraisers, NGO and public sector events.
- Cultural: This would include celebrations around heritage like France’s Bastille Festival, which is celebrated all over the world as well as traditional ceremonies.
To survive in the event industry you need good public relations skills to manage your clients and their needs, creativity to come up with novel ideas as well as patience and the ability to keep an eye on the smallest details without losing sight of your bigger goals. Lastly the industry thrives on the shoulders of personal networking and you must have the ability to recognize, utilize it and expand to your advantage.