Contractors inductions for event managers

Budgeting – Regardless of the event and how big a budget you’re given, working with a budget is always going to be a challenge when you consider the amount of cost factors associated with each event and project. Besides the expenses you’re already aware of like staff, catering, venues, vendors, themes, sound and lighting there are a number of unexpected expenses that can always come out of the woodworks with any event, making budgeting all the more difficult. As any event planner would know it’s important to over- budget and plan and prepare with economy in mind. Sometimes it’s hard to make your client’s wishes come true when the budget is involved, because most people want more for less. Clients also tend to be less aware of the need to over-budget and plan for variations in price. So, when working within a budget it’s important to have a clear allocation for the budget and be aware of their max allowance. This way you can comprise a budget that stays within those limits. Budgeting is always a challenge though, because you always want to get the max quality for the lowest price without having to forfeit or reallocate budget from other areas which need it also.

Technological challenges – Like most industries, the world of events seems to experience difficulties keeping up with technological trends. This is crucial amongst all events, businesses, fields and industry and it’s universally true that if you’re a business or service is outdated – clients will go elsewhere. There’s a huge range or areas within event managing that are under constant technological renovation, making processes quicker, more convenient and available at your fingertips. However, staying on top of all the technological trends is a big challenge, things you weren’t even aware could be digitised are now all online. The fact of the matter is that so many things can now be achieved through a software, particularly for your administrative processes. And the online alternatives tend to be quicker, easier to manage and more efficient overall. Regardless of what the technological trends are, whether they’re a new online filing system or a technology to be used in the actual event, getting behind can be seriously detrimental. Not only does being technologically behind look unimpressive to clients, it makes your business fall behind the rest of the world and overall less accessible. Behind outdated can negatively impact productivity rates and your business’s reputation. It can make your business more difficult to administer and slow your planning processes. In this industry in particular, which is all about attracting and satisfying clients, it’s crucial to not fall behind.

The planning process and keeping track – When coordinating an event that involves a lot of people, from the client to the venue, the vendors and your working team. It can be difficult to manage all these different parties and keep everyone satisfied and on the same page, whilst also being informed yourself. There are a number or factors and changes to consider throughout the entire process, things like your clients specifications or your venues regulations. And the aim is to coordinate all these things whilst also remaining the middle man and having too much contact occur directly between parties so you don’t miss anything. It’s extremely important to maintain a good system of communication between you and all parties involved, and relay all the necessary information to your client and most importantly your staff, so everything can operate smoothly. It’s also helpful to have all the information you need in the same place so you can easily cross-check facts and store and file information closely together with an organised system that makes information easily accessible to you. These are all important to consider to run a smooth operation.

Time management – Time management and getting everything organised and accomplished in the right order and according to schedule is another considerable challenge. Given the time frame for certain events or projects, or the order through which your clients give you their plans this can become even more difficult. Organising a check-list and good order through which to plan, book, buy and finalise all the aspects of your event is important, but a difficult task. Working within a short deadline also makes this entire experience even more daunting. So it’s important to budget time where possible and opt for the most time efficient yet functional operations possible.

Multiple events – If coordinating and planning many details for one event is difficult, juggling multiple is near impossible. But that’s the job. Planning, coordinating and even having multiple events all occurring at the same time can be an administrative nightmare if you haven’t properly honed your organisational resources and make your processes as accessible, organised, maintenance easy and time efficient and possible. Alongside coordinating all the parties for each event, such as the clients and venues, preparing your staff and hiring the appropriate workers for each event can be a long and gruelling process. Time management, budgeting, compliance and technology are all even more crucial when it comes to managing many events at once, it becomes even easier to lose track of things.

OH&S compliance & keeping up with regulations – When working with such a big staff team, having so many different parties involved and organising events which involve big groups it’s important to be extremely cautious and be up to date with regulations. Compliance is important for any business but you want to ensure safe and healthy practises for all involved at all times when running a business that relies on client satisfaction. Cutting corners when it comes to health and safety, having incompetent or under-prepared staff, being outdated on regulations and not complying to the OH&S needs of each event being planned can attract serious backlash. Not only is your business jeopardising it’s reputation and attractability to clients and staff, it increases the risk of legal ramifications under these circumstances.