The event planning industry is evolving fast. Are professionals keeping up? Photo Credit: Adobe Stock/Lustre Art Group
Versatility is the name of the game – and asset – for event planners today. While attention to detail, organisational skills, and industry connections remain fundamental, today’s planners must also think on their feet, master safety protocols, and stay ahead of trends in sustainability, technology, and AI.
According to JingWen Wong, FCM Meetings & Events leader for Southeast Asia, the responsibilities of event organizers have expanded significantly compared to the past.
“There is an increasing trend of crossover between event marketing and other departments,” she says. “Collaboration with sales, public relations, social media, content creation, technology, and human resources is now common. This integration ensures a cohesive strategy, maximises outreach, and enhances the overall effectiveness of events.”
“There is an increasing trend of crossover between event marketing and other departments.”
JingWen Wong, leader for Southeast Asia, FCM Meetings & Events
More responsibilities, more resources
While the role of an event organiser has significantly transformed, so too have the resources to plug into, especially with technology making lives a lot more efficient and streamlining many aspects of the job, says Wong.
Fernando Lonergan, vice president of Asia Pacific sales, account management & Australia at BCD Meetings & Events, emphasises that event managers must be more solution-focused than ever. They need to engage in critical thinking, particularly in areas such as risk management, safety, sustainability, and technology, all of which are part of the ‘new normal’.
Safety and compliance now extends, he says, beyond the traditional medical check points, taking into consideration emergency evacuation routes and points, attendee flow inside venues to mitigate risk of contamination and the risk of public protests within the destination/venue precinct.
According to Xinling Yap, regional account director for Asia Pacific at BCD Meetings & Events, event organisers are now working more closely with safety and security departments to mitigate geopolitical risks and ensure compliance with evolving safety regulations.
“We must ensure that locations are free from geopolitical risks and that proposed activities align with safety guidelines, as unforeseen incidents around the world are becoming more frequent,” Yap notes.
There are closer relationships with the finance and legal departments too, to ensure the terms and conditions negotiated with third party suppliers are of minimal risks, and that budgets align with increasingly strict spending policies.
“Companies are going through more and more stringent spend reviews, some are even going through budget cuts,” adds Yap.
“Agencies should embrace and promote the diverse nature of [event planning] roles as it is this that makes the role unique and exciting for candidates.”
Fernando Lonergan, vice president of Asia Pacific sales, account management & Australia, BCD Meetings & Events
Event planner’s role redefined
Despite the wide-ranging responsibilities they now manage, event professionals are still categorised under traditional job titles like “event coordinator,” “event executive,” and “event manager.” However, Lonergan suggests that these titles no longer reflect the full scope of the role.
“It is more important to ensure your position descriptions do outline the diverse nature of these roles, as that will assist in attracting talent that may not come from the traditional logistics, marketing or entertainment sectors,” he says.
“Agencies should embrace and promote the diverse nature of these roles as it is this that makes the role unique and exciting for candidates, who will be able to adapt and evolve with our changing customer behaviors.”