“Event Management will be fun” they said. Famous people! Glitz and glamour! Free cocktails! But if you’ve ever found yourself awake at 3am, surrounded by empty coffee cups and half-eaten pizza, wondering why you didn’t choose a less stressful career like defusing bombs or wrestling crocodiles, you’re not alone.
Official CareerCast and CareerAddict studies have found that Event Management is only slightly less stressful than running into a burning building… or landing a multi-million-dollar aircraft with hundreds of people onboard. If that comes as no surprise, never fear – we’ve got your back!
We understand that your job is the ultimate test of sanity, patience and caffeine tolerance. We know what it takes for you to flawlessly execute an event from start to finish – dealing with dates, times, venues, sponsorship, suppliers, marketing, technical requirements, catering, sponsors, exhibitors, speakers, entertainers, colleagues, attendees, random stakeholders… the list goes on.
We know you wear at least a dozen hats – you’re an Accountant, a Health and Safety Manager, a Catering Supervisor, a PR Manager, a Venue Inspector and a social media guru, just to name a few.
Having spent more time with Event Managers over the last 25+ years than we have with our own families (just kidding, kinda), we’re confident we’ve got a good handle on the top pressure points of your job. And while there may not be actual lives at stake, we know that these 5 triggers can send your stress levels through the roof…
1. Deadlines, deadlines, deadlines
You’ve probably got several projects on the go at once, all with different lead times, objectives, stakeholders and budgets. You’re juggling a million balls and facing constant interruptions, switching between tasks, firing off emails, fielding phone calls and jumping into meetings. And all the while, deadlines are looming – to lock in your speaker, source entertainment, confirm the venue, choose your menu, get the invites out, lock in sponsors, sort out presentations… So. Many. Deadlines.
2. High visibility and intense scrutiny
The pressure is off the charts. Once your event is underway, you don’t get another shot at it. There are no second chances. You’re responsible for everything and everyone, you’re the public face of the event. And you’ll be judged by your attendees, your peers and your bosses on that one day alone… not the other 364 that have gone into making it happen. When it works? You’re the star of the show. But when it doesn’t?
3. Murphy’s Law
You’ve been planning this for months. You’ve meticulously calculated all the risks under the sun (and some under the sea), walked the venue backwards, co-ordinated the tables, styled the room, selected a scrumptious menu catering to every known intolerance, curated the content, created the run sheet, rehearsed and tested the AV. You’ve anticipated every likely scenario and planned contingencies like a ninja. Yet… supplier stuff-ups, natural disasters, a freeway breakdown, tech fails, a medical emergency in the crowd – if there’s a crisis to be had, Murphy’s Law says it’ll happen on your big day.
4. Physical demands
While the free travel and exotic event destinations of your jet-setting job may have sucked you in initially, you rarely get time to enjoy any of it. Early mornings, late nights and weekends, most of them spent on your feet, go with the territory. As do flight delays, jet lag, a sore back and aching feet. Hours spent upright or travelling from one event to the next can take a serious toll on your physical health, with no downtime to rest and relax (or visit the chiro).
5. Budgets
It’s a given – you’ll be asked to go bigger and better than last time, more wow factor, double the R.O.I and half the budget. I see you nodding, you know the drill. Your negotiating skills are next level, honed through hours of Bali-esque style haggling with vendors, deftly balancing ego’s and expectations like a big-top tightrope walker. ‘Miscellaneous’ expenses have you breaking out in a sweat, and you’ve become a pro at mentally re-calculating whether there’s enough padding in your contingency line.
Living the dream, right?
But we’re not here just to validate your daily struggles – we’re here to take some of the load off your over-burdened shoulders and help show the world what a rockstar event warrior you are.
How we can help you
While we know your event is the culmination of a million tiny puzzle pieces fitting together, we also know that your speaker can make or break your event. We’re here to put your mind at rest (you may not recognise the feeling).
– We know talent. And we know there’s a huge difference between a speaker and the right speaker. With an extensive network and years of experience, we know which speakers will connect with your audience, which ones will make them laugh, make them cry, make them fist-pump the air and have them standing on their seats for a second curtain call. Our speakers deliver.
– We’re more than just a booking agent. We’ll source and recommend options, book and brief the perfect speaker and take care of every single detail related to their appearance so you can concentrate on the rest of your to-do list. Fee negotiation, juggling schedules and gatekeepers, contracts, pre-event calls, travel, AV requirements, presentations – logistics are our jam.
– We’ve got top-tier speaker options to suit every budget. Just tell us what you’re looking for and what your budget is, and we’ll find a speaker that will blow your audience’s socks off. We understand it’s all about impact.
– There are no hidden costs, ever. We don’t even charge an admin fee. Your contingency line is safe with us, we promise!
– This isn’t our first rodeo. Through years of experience, we know who plays well with who in the speaker world. So if you’re booking a panel of speakers, we’ll make sure they have the chemistry to set the right tone for the night.
We understand your inner control freak is shouting right now, but rest assured we’ve got you. We’re your fairy godmother, your secret weapon, your superhero sidekick, your trusty wingman. And we’ll make you look like a superstar.
Got an event coming up? We’d love to provide you with a curated list of speakers to suit your needs… just get in touch with us for a chat to get the ball rolling!