Skills Required for an Event Manager-I

Summary

In this informative session, Tawasu Modi, an experienced event manager from Mumbai-based Victor Tango Entertainment, outlines essential skills for successful event management. Key points include the importance of organizational skills, effective communication, relationship building, flexibility, creativity, technical knowledge, marketing, financial acumen, and logistics. Modi also emphasizes the crucial role of leadership in team dynamics, crisis management, and ensuring a cohesive team effort for the success of any event.

Takeaways

• 📚 Organizational skills are fundamental for an event manager, including attention to detail, timelines, and the use of tools like checklists and Gantt charts.
• 🤝 People skills are crucial, requiring comfort in connecting with a diverse range of individuals from vendors to government officials and event attendees.
• 🔗 Building relationships is key, as networking and establishing trust with various stakeholders can facilitate smoother event planning and execution.
• 💡 Creativity is an asset; event managers should contribute innovative ideas to event design and be knowledgeable across different departments.
• 🛠 Technical knowledge is essential, encompassing familiarity with stage equipment, audiovisual formats, and software applications, especially with advancements in machine learning and AI.
• 🎯 Marketing skills are important not only for business development but also for effective communication and selling of oneself and the company.
• 💰 Financial expertise is beneficial for an event manager to estimate, control costs, work within budgets, and ensure profitability.
• 🚚 Logistics understanding is vital, including the movement of people and materials, transportation, and anticipating potential bottlenecks.
• 🕰 Problem-solving and time management are essential skills for an event manager to handle crises and ensure smooth event execution.
• 🛡 Crisis management involves preparing for and handling various types of crises, from natural disasters to workplace issues, with a contingency plan and clear communication.
• 👥 Teamwork is critical, with the event manager acting as a leader to inspire, structure, and allocate roles based on team members' strengths for cohesive success.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the session presented by Tawasu Modi?

The main topic of the session is about the role of an event manager as a professional leader and the specific skills required to be an effective event manager.

What is the core skill of an event manager according to the transcript?

The core skill of an event manager is organizational skills, which includes attention to detail, planning, and the ability to manage schedules, timelines, and deadlines.

What tools does an event manager typically use to stay organized?

Event managers use tools like checklists, run sheets, and Gantt charts to organize their thoughts and provide guidelines for others involved in the event planning process.

Why are people skills important for an event manager?

People skills are important because event managers need to interact with a diverse range of individuals, including vendors, government officials, executives, regulatory authorities, co-workers, sponsors, customers, suppliers, staff, and event attendees.

What does building relationships entail for an event manager?

Building relationships involves networking and connecting with people in a way that they are willing to work with the event manager because they like them, trust them, or want to establish a relationship with them.

How does an event manager demonstrate flexibility?

An event manager demonstrates flexibility by handling stress calmly, making tough decisions when necessary, and not taking issues personally. They also adapt to different situations and maintain a focus on teamwork.

Why is creativity considered an asset for an event manager?

Creativity is an asset because clients expect event managers to provide cutting-edge, incredible, and creative ideas, especially from an event design point of view.

What technical knowledge is essential for an event manager in the current industry?

Essential technical knowledge includes familiarity with stage equipment, audiovisual formats, applications, programs, and being on top of technological advancements like machine learning and artificial intelligence in the events domain.

How do marketing skills play a role in the role of an event manager?

Marketing skills are used not only to get business or build a brand but also to sell oneself and the company, and to apply communication skills across various aspects of event management.

What financial expertise is required for an event manager?

An event manager needs to be able to estimate and control costs, work within budgets, ensure profit is achieved, and be involved in event budgeting, cash flow projections, and procurement at the right prices.

Why is logistics important in event management?

Logistics is important because it involves understanding the movement of people and materials, transportation, time estimation, and identifying potential bottlenecks and problems that could arise during an event.

What are some of the crisis management strategies an event manager should be prepared for?

An event manager should be prepared to handle crises such as natural disasters, technological crises, workplace issues, organizational misdeeds, confrontations, rumors, man-made disasters, fire, and stampedes due to crowds or rides.

How does an event manager work within a team to ensure success?

An event manager works within a team by leading, structuring the team, dividing work based on individual strengths, inspiring the team to achieve higher goals, and ensuring that the team's collective competencies contribute to the success of the event.

What leadership qualities should an event manager possess?

An event manager should possess qualities such as the ability to lead from the front, knowledge of all aspects of an event, trust in team members, and the ability to handle crisis situations with the team.

What are some components of effective high-performing event management teams?

Components include a clear understanding of the team's mission, knowledge of individual and team goals, open and honest communication, understanding of roles, and a high degree of empowerment.

How does the speaker summarize the session on event management skills?

The speaker summarizes by listing the essential skills for an event manager, such as organizational, people, creativity, technical knowledge, marketing, financial expertise, logistics, and crisis management skills, and then discusses the importance of working with a team and the qualities required for effective team building.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Essential Skills of an Event Manager

Tawasu Modi introduces himself as an event management professional with 20 years of experience and the founder of Victor Tango Entertainment. He outlines the session's goal to explain the essential skills every event manager needs and how they work with a team. The overview includes organizational skills as the core, with attention to detail, timelines, and tools like checklists. People skills are highlighted for dealing with a diverse range of individuals, from vendors to attendees. Building relationships and networking are emphasized, as is the importance of flexibility and handling stress. Creativity is deemed an asset, and technical knowledge of event equipment and software is a prerequisite. Marketing skills are necessary for business and brand building, while financial expertise is crucial for cost estimation, budgeting, and ensuring profit.

05:03

🛠️ Logistics, Crisis Management, and Team Dynamics

This paragraph delves into the logistical aspects of event management, emphasizing the understanding of movement, transportation, and potential bottlenecks. Problem-solving and time management are presented as valuable skills, along with crisis management, which includes preparing for and handling crises that could affect events. Insurance and interpersonal relationships are vital for crisis response. The role of an event manager within a team is explored, with the need to lead, inspire, and allocate roles based on strengths. Leadership qualities are essential for a team to follow instructions, take responsibility, and be accountable. Effective team building is discussed, with activities that can improve performance and establish the event manager as a natural leader. The components of an effective team include a clear mission, knowledge of goals, open communication, understanding roles, and empowerment.

10:03

🏆 The Path to Successful Event Management

In the concluding segment, Modi summarizes the key skills for an event manager, starting with organizational skills and moving through people skills, relationship building, flexibility, creativity, technical knowledge, marketing, financial expertise, and logistics. The focus then shifts to working with a team, emphasizing trust, role allocation based on skill sets, and leadership qualities. The importance of the team coming together to deliver a successful event is underscored. The session ends with a look forward to the next part, promising further exploration of these topics.

Keywords

💡Event Manager

An event manager is a professional responsible for the coordination and organization of events. In the video's context, the role of an event manager is central to the theme, as it discusses the skills and attributes necessary for this profession. The script mentions that an event manager should be able to explain essential skills, work with a team, and get the best out of them, highlighting the importance of this role in the success of any event.

💡Organizational Skills

Organizational skills refer to the ability to plan, schedule, and manage tasks efficiently. The script emphasizes these skills as one of the most basic and core skills of an event manager, mentioning the use of checklists, run sheets, and Gantt charts to organize thoughts and serve as guidelines. These skills are crucial for planning elaborate setups and ensuring that events run smoothly.

💡People Skills

People skills, also known as interpersonal skills, involve the ability to communicate, interact, and build relationships with others effectively. The video script underlines the importance of these skills for event managers, who need to connect with a diverse range of individuals, from vendors to government officials and attendees. Good people skills are essential for coordinating the various aspects of an event and ensuring all parties work together harmoniously.

💡Building Relationships

Building relationships is the process of establishing and maintaining connections with others. In the script, it is mentioned as a key aspect of an event manager's role, where networking savvy is crucial. Event managers must be able to connect with people in a way that fosters trust and encourages collaboration, which is vital for the success of events and for maintaining a network of contacts that can support future endeavors.

💡Flexibility

Flexibility in this context refers to the ability to adapt to changing circumstances and to handle stress calmly. The video script points out that an event manager must be fearless and sometimes make tough decisions. Flexibility is important because it allows the manager to adjust plans as needed and to respond effectively to unexpected challenges or crises that may arise during event planning and execution.

💡Creativity

Creativity is the ability to come up with original ideas, concepts, or solutions. The script highlights creativity as an asset for event managers, who are expected to provide clients with innovative and unique event designs. Even if the manager is not part of the creative team, they should have the knowledge and ability to contribute ideas across various departments, showing the importance of creativity in the overall planning and execution of events.

💡Technical Knowledge

Technical knowledge encompasses understanding and familiarity with the tools, equipment, and technology used in a particular field. In the video, it is mentioned that event managers need to have knowledge about stage equipment, audiovisual formats, and software applications. This knowledge is essential for managing the technical aspects of events and staying current with advancements in technology, such as machine learning and artificial intelligence.

💡Marketing Skills

Marketing skills are essential for promoting products, services, or ideas effectively. The script explains that event managers apply marketing skills not only to attract business and build the brand but also to sell themselves and their company. Effective marketing is crucial for the success of an event, as it helps to create awareness, generate interest, and attract attendees or sponsors.

💡Financial Expertise

Financial expertise refers to the ability to manage financial aspects of a project, such as budgeting, cost estimation, and ensuring profitability. The video script notes that while an event manager may not consider themselves a finance person, they must have financial savvy to control costs, work within budgets, and contribute to the financial success of the events they manage.

💡Logistics

Logistics is the management of the flow of goods, materials, and people. In the context of event management, as described in the script, it involves understanding the movement of people and materials, transportation, and time estimation. Effective logistics planning is crucial to avoid bottlenecks and ensure that all aspects of the event run smoothly and on time.

💡Crisis Management

Crisis management is the process of preparing for and handling unexpected events or crises that could potentially disrupt or damage an organization's operations. The script emphasizes the importance of crisis management for event managers, who must be able to handle various types of crises, from natural disasters to technological issues. Building a contingency plan and establishing clear communication channels are key aspects of effective crisis management in event planning.

💡Team Building

Team building involves activities and processes that enhance social relations and work outcomes among team members. The video script discusses the importance of team building for event managers, who must establish themselves as leaders and create a cohesive team that works towards the success of the event. Effective team building includes understanding team missions, setting individual and team goals, and fostering open communication and empowerment.

Highlights

Introduction to the speaker, Tawasu Modi, an experienced event manager with a company called Victor Tango Entertainment Private Limited.

The session's goal is to explain essential skills for an event manager and how they work with a team.

Organizational skills are fundamental for event managers, including attention to detail and planning elaborate setups.

The use of tools like checklists, run sheets, and Gantt charts to aid in planning and serving as guidelines.

Understanding the type and diversity of events is crucial for planning various checklists.

People skills are vital for connecting with a wide range of individuals involved in events.

The importance of being adaptable and building relationships through networking.

Leadership requires fearlessness and the ability to handle stress calmly, influencing the team's energy.

The necessity of creativity in providing clients with cutting-edge and innovative event ideas.

Technical knowledge about stage equipment and familiarity with various software and applications is essential.

Marketing skills are applied not only for business but also for selling oneself and the company.

Financial expertise is important for estimating, controlling costs, and ensuring profit.

Logistics understanding is key for managing people and material movement, as well as anticipating bottlenecks.

Problem-solving and time management are crucial, along with crisis management preparation.

The importance of having a contingency plan and chain of communication for crisis mitigation.

Working within a team involves leading, structuring, and dividing work based on strengths.

Leadership qualities are essential for inspiring the team and ensuring the success of the event.

The collective competencies of the team, along with individual capabilities, are critical for a successful event.

Effective team building is crucial for improving team performance and achieving event success.

The components of effective high-performing event management teams include clear mission understanding, open communication, and empowerment.

Summary of the session, emphasizing the importance of various skills for an event manager and team collaboration.

Transcripts

[Music]

hello participants my name is tawasu

modi

i have been in the business of events

for the last 20 years i run an event

management company

and content production house based out

of mumbai called victor tango

entertainment private limited

i'm here today to talk to you about the

topic of event manager

as a professional leader and within that

we will address the specific

skills required to be an event manager

so let's get straight to it

after listening to this session you

should be able to explain what are the

essential skills

every event manager needs and describe

how an event manager works with the team

and gets the best out of them

so we will go into each of these skills

in more detail in the subsequent session

but to give you a broad overview

organizational skills is one of the most

basic and core skill of an event manager

event planners are organized people

having an eye for details schedules

timelines deadlines deliveries and can

plan

elaborate setups so we use tools like

checklists run sheets gantt sheets etc

these help in putting down our thoughts

on

paper and also serve as a guideline for

anyone else who is looking at these

sheets

so basic understanding of the kind of

events you do or your company does

and the range and diversity of the

events is very important for you to plan

your

uh various checklists people skills is

one of the second most important

aspects of our business you need to be

comfortable connecting with vendors with

government officials high-level

executives regulatory authorities

co-workers sponsor representatives

customers suppliers supervisors

staff and event attendees for this you

need to be

able to be pleasant and confident now

you'll see the

diversity of the kind of people that you

have to deal with right from

uh you know blue collar officials right

up to suppliers and staff who's

even maybe constructing the set so you

need to be able to connect to each one

of these people

and get what you want done from them so

your people skills become very important

and your

ability to adapt to different kind of

people also is very important

the next thing we'd like to focus on is

building relationships

now to do all of these things you can't

do it all by yourself

uh you need to have the ability to be

a very networking uh savvy

so you need to be able to connect with

people they should want to do things for

you because they like you or they want

to keep your trust or they want to

establish a relationship with you so

those qualities are extremely important

for you to inherit or to have

in you flexibility

a leader needs to be fearless okay

sometimes you need to take some very

tough calls

but handling stress calmly is very

important because your team

feeds off your energy and yes there are

times when maybe you lose

your calm or sometimes you have let's

say

had to you know pull up somebody for

doing something wrong

it's always nice for you to go and clear

up the issue with them at a later point

of time and re-establish your faith in

relationship

because obviously all of you are there

to get the job

done and sometimes you just need to be a

little tough also

but be flexible it's not personal so

don't have any personal crushes against

anybody

creativity is an asset your clients

always expect you to give them cutting

edge incredible

and creative ideas so creative ideas

from an event design

point of view is very important now you

might think that maybe that you don't

belong to the creative team

or that someone else's responsibility

but being a good leader also means that

you should have knowledge and ability to

contribute across various departments

the next thing we'll address is

technical knowledge uh your knowledge

about stage equipment

mics amps speakers lights laser shows

are essential nowadays familiarity with

graphics

special effects software audiovisual

formats applications programs which are

id enabled

is definitely not just an asset but a

prerequisite

uh with machine learning and artificial

intelligence coming

into the whole event's uh domain

uh being on top of your game technically

would definitely give you an advantage

marketing skills now you don't only

apply marketing skills to get business

or to build the brand

you have to apply your marketing skills

or your people skills or your

communication skills across the board

like i've already explained before

you really need to be able to sell

yourself uh and your company

having a financial expertise would be

would make you an asset to your company

uh even though you might not think

you're a finance person but

as an event manager you need to be able

to estimate and control

costs to work within budgets to ensure

that profit is achieved

you would be involved in event by

budgeting as a leader of a project

so and along with budgeting cash flow

projections are very important

uh you need to be able to purchase and

procure at the right prices

so by default you end up becoming a

finance

savvy person even if you are not right

now

logistics having a good understanding of

people

and material movement transportation

time estimation what could be the bottle

possible bottlenecks uh and this is at

any

for any of the skills always looking at

what could go wrong

is create is essential

problem solving and time management

skills is an asset

crisis management to be able to handle

any type of crisis and preparing for

crisis handling beforehand

as events can be affected by natural

disaster technological crisis

workplace issues organizational misdeeds

confrontation rumors

man-made disasters fire stampedes due to

crowds rides many such crisis

building a contingency plan and a chain

of communication

to mitigate possible crisis is extremely

important

having insurance is a basic prerequisite

uh in a crisis managing people also

becomes very very important

and you have to use your interpersonal

relationships with people

to get what you want done so as

important as it is to plan an event

it's equally important to plan what all

can go wrong in an event

so always as a leader have an eye on

what can go wrong

and be prepared for that because not too

many people

would be looking at that aspect now

coming to working within the team

and the role of an event manager here we

look at you

as the leader of the team you're the one

who is going to be

leading the team and giving a structure

to the team that you have within you

giving them

dividing the work between all of them uh

dividing all the crisis challenges

pressures

and commitments within the various teams

that you will build in your team

structure

you need to constantly have the ability

to inspire the team

to achieve higher goals as a competent

and efficient team to ensure success of

your event

the team's collective competencies added

to the capabilities of each individual

will be a critical factor for a

successful event

in a team you need to identify who is

good at what

and give them those kind of roles so

someone might be a good negotiator

while someone else could be a good

communicator so

allocate work based on their strengths

and that would give you the best

robust team to lead leadership qualities

are an asset

and need to be continually enhanced a

team will follow

instructions take responsibility be

accountable

and take the initiative only when they

feel that their leader has faith them

you need to lead from the front you need

to be able to

know all aspects of an event uh

better than your team so that when they

come to you with

a possible situation you have an answer

for them and that's when you win their

trust

crisis management with the team is a

unique characteristic

is it the event manager's responsibility

to handle the situation

how would the team share this

responsibility will the team give each

other specific tasks based on their

skills of crowd management situation

handling and client relationship

management

these are questions that you should sit

with your team and address before

every event don't make any kind of

assumptions

always clearly define the work clearly

define what all can go wrong and what

will be the sop

in case a certain situation happens so

that everybody is ready and prepared for

that

effective team building leads to improve

team performance if managed

correctly one must start any event team

building program

with the end in mind and be clear what

the objectives

are team building activities like

workshops games

tournaments and similar activities can

be useful

you need to establish yourself as the

leader of the team

not just at the time of the project but

throughout

so that when the project comes you are

naturally chosen as the leader

and it's not something that is enforced

upon you or your team

all of a sudden there are specific

components of effective high performing

event management teams which should be

routinely addressed

these include clear understanding of the

team's mission

knowledge of individual and team goals

open

and honest communication understanding

own and colleagues roles

and a high degree of empowerment finally

behind every successful event is an

effective team which works cohesively

and harmoniously remember no event can

happen

with one person or only with the leader

having the whole team together working

with each other is absolutely essential

in achieving

a good project summarizing the session

for you today

we started the session with what are the

skills required for an event manager

and the most important out of them being

the organizational skills

we moved on to the people skills and how

event managers have to build

relationships with others

be flexible and adaptable to different

situations

how creativity can be an asset having

technical knowledge and know-how is

absolutely essential for the role that

you have to play

marketing skills financial expertise

and knowledge of logistics being

extremely important

being able to handle a crisis is like

the second name of every event manager

and then we moved on in our second

segment towards

how you work with the team and how you

can make them

uh comfortable trust you uh how

you can allocate roles but amongst your

team members depending on what their

skill sets and capabilities

are what are the leadership qualities

required

and how the team basically needs to come

together and deliver

in order to have a successful event i

hope this was helpful

we will move on to part 2 in our next

[Music]

section

you