Are Event Managers ‘Multiple Personalities’? The 9 Roles of Event Managers
The Event Manager job is one of the most stressful jobs out there – but also one of the most interesting. What does a typical event manager day look like?
An event manager has a lot of strings to their bow. This is what makes the job one of the most popular, diverse jobs going, but it is also makes it very challenging.
What does a typical working day in the life of an event manager actually look like? We’re going to follow Julia, an event manager at a large firm, through her day! She has the annual customer event on the doorstep and is already whirling around!
09.00 am: Julia, Finance Manager
Each event has goals and a budget, regardless whether it is a company event, a pharmaceuticals conference, an Adele concert or a motorcycle fair.
Julia is responsible for balancing out income and expenditure at the desired ratio and that financial goals are achieved. She needs to keep an eye on costs and generate income from sponsoring, ticket sales, and fair stands. Events also have a lot of costs, from catering and transport to room booking, advertising, artists service providers etc…
No problem for Julia, as she has her numbers in check!
10.00 am: Julia, Creative Director and Experience Designer
As we are on the subject, events are experiences. This is applicable for B2B events as much as for public events. Julia is expected to create an unforgettable experience.
It is her job to bring the company message to life and make it an experience, conveying the ‘wow-factor’ to customers.
She has thought up several unique features for the customer event, from personal invitations to catering. The customers are bound to be impressed!
11.00 am: Julia, Human Resource Manager
Event management is teamwork. The cooperation of colleagues and team members with service providers, hosting personnel, assistants and freelancers is a challenge that requires a substantial amount of tact.
Julia manages this fine as she is open and generates a lot of empathy. She lives for the project and manages to drive her colleagues too. Together we can do it!
12.00 pm: Julia, Process Manager
Event managers have a table full of tasks. Multitasking is part of Julia’s daily business. As a result, she is good at structuring processes and organizing recurring tasks.
Julia, the perfectionist, can get on her colleagues’ nerves, but she doesn’t miss a trick!
13.00 pm: Julia, IT Specialist
Digitalization has also turned the events industry on its head. Earlier you wrote lists, these days we use ticketing, entry management and matchmaking systems (e.g. such as those by Converve!). Julia manages, using digital systems and project planning tools to always keep an overview of the project status and be on standby on the go from anywhere.
14.00 pm: Julia, Sales Manager
A large portion of Julia’s area of tasks is enthusing people for her events and to convert these into paying customers. For her customer event, she has also won sponsors. This still needs to be celebrated today!
15.00 pm: Julia, Networker
The Events department in a company is often an interface and central staff function. Julia also frequently works for other company areas. She is a good networker and has contacts throughout the company. A chat over a cup of coffee always helps!
16.00 pm: Julia, Customer Care Specialist
Somebody has a headache, someone else has missed their flight, another has forgotten his mobile phone. Event managers are well practiced to help with even the smallest of things and to be the perfect host. Julia does this gladly and knows this is why her customers and colleagues appreciate her.
As she works in an international environment, she also needs extensive intercultural competence. Foreign language knowledge is a part of this package.
17.00 pm: Julia, Marketing and Social Media Manager
Julia masters the keyboard of social media instruments such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter etc and sends off a couple of posts and tweets. She also manages to encourage her participants to diligently report about the event.
She also knows the classic marketing channels and knows how to use posters, banners, print material, flyers, websites, e-mail marketing and much more to put her events in the right spotlight.
Bottom Line
Even though it can get stressful at times – almost no other job is as exciting and diverse as that of an event manager. If you manage to position yourself in event management, most stick with it. Job perspectives in light of the digitalization ages also look good, as, amongst others, the United States Department of Labor finds.
