Who Do You Need on Your Event Planning Team?
Successful event planning is not a solo act. It requires the efforts of a talented team of individuals and a high level of organization.
It is crucial that you select those individuals who thrive in the following positions and have the drive and focus so all parts of the event planning efforts come together seamlessly.
You can hire professionals to accomplish these tasks, but keep in mind that you may also pull resources from volunteers who have industry experience and who will be an asset to the team while remaining budget friendly.
This will help keep the budget in check and make network connections that can be beneficial in the future.
Do you have an event on the horizon and wonder what the perfect team would consist of?
Keep reading to find out what roles are necessary to help you plan any size event.
Event Director
Regardless the size of the proposed event, you will need a capable event director. If the director isn’t going to be yourself, then you need to find a suitable candidate to fill the position.
According to salary.com, an events director is responsible for planning meetings and events for a business or organization, but that doesn’t begin to scratch the surface when it comes to the responsibilities and necessary skills required to do this job properly.
Whether you hire a professional, or use the services of an experienced volunteer, the success of the event hinges on the aptitude of this team member. They are responsible for all levels of organizing and executing the event.
They are also tasked with approval of services and expenditures of the budget, in addition to team and talent management.
Marketing Team Director
This position is necessary to help keep marketing efforts on track and organized by keeping each marketing team member supplied with job duties benefitial to the event’s awareness.
In addition, they are responsible for approving marketing campaigns and coordinating strategy to ensure the event gets enough of the right types of exposure.
Venue Coordinator/Director
The venue coordinator is usually a representative of the venue itself and will work closely with your team to help understand what fits within the policies and guidelines set forth by the venue management.
In addition, they will brief you and your team on the available services the venue offers that can be used to elevate the event.
Equipment Director
The equipment director is a key position that requires extensive electronic equipment knowledge as well as the ability to coordinate the equipment team and all of their roles.
This position should be filled by a professional or a volunteer who has professional experience in the field.
Great care must be taken with costly event equipment and the quality of the presentation is directly linked to the effectiveness of the equipment director and staff.
Merchandising and Vendor Coordinator
Large events with many vendors will require close supervision and coordination to prevent issues and help everyone get their space set up and ready to interact with attendees.
This position not only assigns space for vendors, it is also in charge of overseeing merchandising and sales.
Day-Of-Event Coordinator/Supervisor
You might not have considered having a day-of-the-event coordinator, but filling this role will allow all of the other directors and coordinators to complete their jobs without the stress of having to stop and confer with each other.
This individual will be responsible for putting all of the pieces of the event coordination and execution into place and make it ready for the big day.
Having this position filled diminishes the likelihood of miscommunication that can result in delays.
Admissions and Ticketing Management
Having experienced admissions and ticket management services is crucial for encouraging attendance and preventing admission and ticketing issues that can decrease the attendees experience.
They can make purchasing tickets and registering a breeze while keeping track of valuable attendance data. Some ticket management services also offer a wealth of other resources and services to make the admissions and ticketing aspect of event planning hassle free.
Purplepass includes a variety of customized tools for unqiue event needs; if you have a problem or need a feature we don’t have, contact us at support@purplepass.com and we will create that feature specifically for your event.
Activities Planner
It is necessary to have an individual in charge of activities, especially for large events with many facets.
This is especially true of conventions and industry expos where there will be many activities going on simultaneously over several days.
This person keeps every activity organized and has the information regarding each available for newsletters, bulletins, and email updates so everyone knows what is happening when and where.
Clean Up Crew Director/Manager
Don’t underestimate the responsibilities and talent that this team manager or crew must possess to complete the job satisfactorily. It’s easy to forget about the work that is required to keep the space clean and organized.
This director and team members are responsible for cleaning up after the event to help secure the deposit refund and prevent additional expenses to the event planning company.
Make sure the person hired for this position is reliable and ready to be hands on with the crew (some venues may include this service or require it within the contract).
If you want to plan and coordinate an unforgettable event, consider enlisting the assistance of each of these team members and remember to keep communication a priority.
According to Lindsay Weiss, director of production at MKG, an event specialty company, “We know no one has time for 20-page emails or three-hour conference calls, but we like to over-share. In our minds, you can never communicate enough.”
Using top talent from both hired professionals and qualified volunteers will ensure that everything runs smoothly, and all areas of the planning phase come together to create an ideal event. For more useful tips and information about planning events, you can subscribe to our blog below.
