Ever wondered what it would be like to spend a day in the life of an entertainment events manager? Well wonder no more. Entertainment events managers are the extraordinary men and women who put together special occasions such as weddings, concerts, festivals and company year-end functions.
 

This is a bit of what their workday entails:

Knowing the crowd

The first thing an entertainment events manager does is to know their target audience. As you wake up and start the day, this is the first thing on your mind: Who are you planning for and what kind of event should it be? You need to have a vision for this upfront.

>Providing appropriate entertainment for the crowd means hiring the right band, DJ, master of ceremonies, or guest speaker. This requires drawing on your network of contacts, and having connections and a list of entertainers, speakers and musicians that you trust and can rely on.

 

Juggling money and time

Event planning involves budgeting and scheduling. These two aspects take up a great deal of an events manager’s day.

An entertainment events manager deals with varying budgets and is able to get the best value for money when it comes to finding a venue, choosing catering and providing entertainment. Meeting deadlines is another big part of the job: from sending out the invites on time to ensuring that the food arrives on schedule.

 

Knowing that something will probably go wrong

There will be a moment (or more) when something goes wrong.  The entertainment events manager needs to handle it when things don’t go according to plan. This means not giving in to stress and having the presence of mind to facilitate a back-up plan.

Little or not-so-little disasters may occur, like the caterer cancelling or 20 unexpected guests arriving at the last minute. Your client might throw a tantrum. As an events manager, you need to remain perfectly polite and calm in the face of chaos. Technical difficulties are part of the job and it’s your role to make sure that everything runs smoothly either way.

 

Perfecting the look

Perfecting the space for an event is a big part of an entertainment events manager’s day. Is it a formal or informal event? Will it have a garden party feel or does it need a dance floor? What if it rains? These are all part of an events manager’s responsibility.

Choosing a location is not as simple as selecting the perfect venue; you also have to book it far enough in advance. This means being aware of seasonal booking availability. Being responsible for the décor, centrepieces, flowers, colour palette and theme gives the entertainment events manager some creative leeway too.

 

Experiencing the magic of it all coming together

Once the bulk of the work is done, you get to enjoy the magic of the event coming together and knowing that you made it happen. This can be very rewarding. Through planning, creativity and interacting with various kinds of people, you’ve created a magical experience that people will remember.

 

Do you think you have what it takes for this career? If you do, consider taking an events management course, which you can study from home at your own pace via distance learning.