Event management is the business skill of planning, co-ordinating and producing a gathering of people for a joint purpose at a specified time, on a specified date at a specified location. Event management takes all of the requirements of the key event stakeholders into account when planning the marketing, event logistics and creating the event content.

For some people, events are held for business reasons, to advise clients of new products, to train staff or to win new business. This might be in the shape of a conference, a seminar, a training day or an exhibition stand. Business events can often be formal sessions, with presenters offering their ideas and experiences and then taking ideas and questions from an audience, although networking and social time are also an important aspect.

With increased leisure time and more disposable income, many people now turn to special events. Whether it be following their favourite sports team, or attending a music concert or festival, there are events of all different types to suit many different tastes.

The planning of events takes in many stages, from the initial event concept to the requirements of all the stakeholders. Event managers will liaise with and brief the event venue, deal with technical contractors and ensure that all of the catering is booked. Event managers will also look after accommodation for speakers, delegates and partners and ensure that all of their requirements are met.

Conference organisers will use many of the same skills as managers looking after outdoor events, but both disciplines will require their own specialist knowledge. Conference planners will be experts in detailed logistics and will have excellent venue knowledge. They’ll most often be found wearing a suit, standing at the back of a conference hall or behind a registration desk. Outdoor event managers need to know about fencing and marquees, as well as temporary power supplies and dealing with large numbers of people.

No matter what sort of event you organise, you will need to understand the safety impact of everything that you do. Not only is the safety of you r attendees paramount, but you will need to make sure that every one of the people working on your events does so in a way that is safe and secure. Events often require temporary structures, working at height and large amounts of temporary power, all of which could be a recipe for disaster if not managed properly.

As the use of technology increases, event management companies are becoming fitter, leaner and more effective through their use of online and offline event management systems. Delegate registration systems, data tracking, email and sms are all tools which event managers can use to make the most of their event planning time.

You shouldn’t be afraid to use an event manager to help with your events. Event management companies in the UK and beyond service the event requirements of businesses and charities of many sizes, often saving them many thousands of pounds by working efficiently for their event project.

The skills of an event manager are many and varied. To be a great event manager you have to be good at planning, enjoy working with other people and have brilliant communication skills. Being able to work with technology is a distinct advantage as it will save you time and effort when planning all of your events and managing your clients. You should be good at listening and be able to turn your customers’ ideas into successful events.