9 Misconceptions About Event Planners

Whenever I meet new people, the conversation always leads to “What do you do for work?” to which I answer “I’m an event planner.” There are a handful of typical replies that I hear in response which can be bucketed into nine misconceptions of what an event planner actually does for a living. 

I break down the most common misconceptions of an event planner and why that observation is not accurate. 

1. 1. Our Job Is To Party

      I WISH. While we are experts at coordinating all the good times, we rarely get to indulge in them with you! While you are enjoying the open bar we are worrying about everything from if we ordered enough food to if the music is too loud or not loud enough. We are really counting down the minutes to when we can close the bars and ask the bartenders to save us any already opened bottles for ourselves.

   2. Event Planning Isn’t a Full-Time Job

      Most people don’t realize all that goes on behind the scenes when planning an event. It may seem like you can throw together an event in just a few weeks, but most of the events we plan take months of planning and coordinating with every department in the company. Part of an event planner’s job is to make sure that whatever the objective of the event is, it is achieved through our planning.

   3. You Travel - So You See A Bunch Of Cities

      Yes - traveling is a big perk of the job for most event planners - I myself would have never seen most of the places I have if it wasn’t for my job, but at the same time we only see the boring parts of the city. A typical trip for me goes like this: Cab, Airport, Cab, Hotel Ballroom, Hotel Bar, Hotel Room, Cab, Airport, Home. It’s less exciting than it sounds.

   4. All Event Planners Can Plan Weddings

      Most people assume that if you’re an event planner, you can plan a wedding. NOT TRUE. There are many types of events that require event planners, and wedding planners are in a league of their own. Most corporate planners plan things like executive meetings, conferences, trade shows, galas….the list goes on…..we also get the company retreats, happy hours, and trips but when it comes time to planning a wedding, I wouldn’t know where to start and leave that to the experts. 

   5. We Are The Center Of Attention

      I actually hate being the center of attention at an event. I’m actually trying to fade into the background as much as possible. I like to orchestrate everything behind the scenes. Unfortunately for us, this sometimes means our hard work and coordinating may go unnoticed, but at the same time that just means we are doing our job right.

   6. Event Planning Is Easy

      Event Planners are thought to have one of the most stressful jobs - we are up against deadlines, goals, and budgets that we have to meet. We are responsible for making sure nothing falls through the cracks and everything runs smoothly. We are responsible for events that get a high level of attention and sometimes lots of press.

   7. The Job Is All Perks

      I can not lie. As event planners, we do get some nice perks. The travel, we get to stay in nice hotels, the free meals, and drinks - it’s a lifestyle that is definitely fun to be a part of. But there are lots we have to endure - the long 12 hour days, the sleepless nights, the flight delays, the stress and pressure if something goes wrong. It’s a bit of a yin and yang job situation. 

   8. You Must Not Have A Family At Home

      Many people assume the job is only ideal if you don’t have a family and are unattached. Most planners I know have families and kids at home. While the job is demanding, we mostly get summers off - or in our downtime are able to take weeks of vacation at a time. You are able to find a balance between having a family and having a career in events.

   9. We’re Serious All The Time

      
      While we do take our jobs seriously, and admittedly can be a little stressed with seemingly impossible tasks, the best event planners know how to have a little fun with it. A lot can be demanded from us, but a cheeky joke can help lighten the mood and establish realistic expectations. I once worked with a stakeholder who wanted to have an elephant at our event (literally, we had to double check he wasn’t joking), and while that wasn’t in the cards, I was able to have some fun and send some circus snacks to his room as a consolation prize.

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