Emotional intelligence, conscientious leadership, and conflict resolution are vital skills for those in the industry. Photo Credit: Adobe Stock/whoopwhoops
Exceptional time management, the ability to perform under pressure, and multitasking are a given for a role in event management. Increasingly though, softer, more people-focused skills are in demand.
Emotional intelligence – the ability to understand and manage your own emotions, as well as the emotions of others – can be especially important for those in senior roles, according to Natalie Crampton, director at TEC Events.
“[It’s about creating] empathy with delegates and clients, putting yourself in the shoes of the stakeholders, and ensuring their needs and concerns are fully addressed,” she says. “This approach leads to more personalised experiences, which can increase client satisfaction and build strong, longer-lasting relationships.”
Juliet Tripp, events industry business and mindset coach at The Events Coach, agrees that emotional intelligence is what distinguishes great planners from good ones.
The ability to read people and respond effectively is the most underrated and yet most powerful skill.
Juliet Tripp, The Events Coach
“The ability to read people and respond effectively – from clients to your team to sponsors and stakeholders – is the most underrated and yet most powerful skill. When you understand what drives someone you can consciously create an experience to hit that,” she says. “This can also be applied to diffusing tense situations, navigating disagreements, and so much more. In an industry built upon human connection and interaction, it's invaluable.”
Tripp also warns that event organisers who prioritise profit over people will get left behind. This is where conscientious leadership comes into play.
“Conscientious leadership means making decisions that consider not just ROI or event outcomes, but also the people involved – clients, delegates, team, and sponsors,” she says. “Putting people first means you have their buy-in: Your team feels supported so they perform at a higher level, your attendees feel invested in, so they come back again.”
Raquel Ark, founder of communication training and coaching organisation listening ALCHEMY, says conscientious leadership has a profound impact when listening and speaking work together.
“Through listening, we gain clarity on multiple levels,” she says. “Communication is a creative process, and if the goal is clarity, understanding and connection, approaching it with a mindset of discovery rather than the need to be right, is where the real value lies.”
Mindfulness is another soft skill that event professionals should embrace.
“It's important to note that listening and mindfulness are different, yet they can support each other,” says Ark. “Mindfulness is more about self-awareness or observing self and it can be integrated into events in many creative ways. For instance, utilising outdoor spaces and giving participants a ‘walking’ experience, with prompts to increase awareness of their surroundings, can be powerful.”
Conflict resolution can also be useful, particularly in a high-pressured environment like events, when things can all too often not go to plan.
“Conscientious leaders tend to approach conflicts with a solution-oriented mindset,” says TEC’s Crampton. “Having that sense of responsibility ensures issues are handled fairly and diplomatically, which helps resolve tensions quickly and maintains a harmonious working environment.”
This article first appeared in the October-December 2024 issue of M&C Asia as the“Skill it to kill it”feature.Click here to read more from this issue.