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Master The Event’s Ask the Expert event planning team understands just what it takes to plan events. They get the challenges involved, the stress that can come with the job and that blood, sweat and tears that can sometimes be involved. They are good at what they do and are tops when it comes to giving advice. With each question comes a plethora of knowledge, technique and sometimes a secret formula or two. And every once in a while, even the best of the best needs a helping hand and finds themselves in the position to ask the expert.
Planning meetings and events takes work and a lot of it. A meeting planner is someone who puts everyone else first. And ultimately spends their career ensuring others achieve success. With the list of responsibilities that come with the position finding a routine and typical work life isn’t likely. No matter what anyone does for a living there will be stress. For so many industry pros it does seem hard to find the normal. And who says what normal is and isn’t, especially for a meeting planner.
Ask the Expert – Hours, Hours and More Hours
When does a meeting planners’ day start and finish?
A planner is frequently required to work long hours. The event or meeting kick off is high pressure and involves long hours. But the days and months leading up to the start also requires lots of work and increased hours. The entire panel all agree, without hesitation, a planner’s way of life is the hardest part of the job. There is never a nine to five scenario. And after hours and weekends are definitely part of the job. One of us recalls a season working fifty days straight without a day off. Planners are expected to work long hours. Starting in the wee hours of the morning and working late into the evening and lots of times do include weekends. And on the flip side of things when asked to reflect on job fulfillment and gratification, most planners give an above average rating.
Ask the Expert – How to Find Balance
Do you have some tips for maintaining a meeting planner’s work life balance?
For lots the term work life balance is a misnomer. And reaching that work life balance can feel like a faraway goal. Some even feel there is no balance to find in a meeting planners work and life. But it doesn’t have to be that way; we can have a balance between the two. Sure we seemed to have convinced ourselves that working all these hours is the norm. Even when we’re not in the office or on-site we’re on call, checking emails or trying to stay ahead of the game. Every position, industry specific or not comes with its own group of issues and complications. And it’s in how we handle it all that remains important. So in an effort to create and maintain a work life balance we put our heads together to come up with our unofficial official list. And our forever growing list includes accepting your situation; managing your schedule; outsourcing whenever possible; using technology to help; staying fit; eating healthy, scheduling me time; taking on a hobby; focusing and prioritizing, prioritizing, prioritizing.
