Majorie W. Hill

Each one of us may have had some hand at planning an event at some point in our life. It may have been a simple dinner get-together for 5 people or an elaborate birthday party for 30 people, we've all experienced how overwhelming all of the planning and managing was. Event planning is very hard work. It takes tremendous skill and patience to put together many details and make it come out as a cohesive whole. In addition to that, it's even more remarkable-it's a gift really-- to accomplish it while giving the impression that the event involved very little effort on your part at all.

Planning and managing an event involves a great deal of mental and physical exertion. It requires the planner to work under the sweltering heat of the sun, under misty showers or heavy rains. It may call for several days or weeks away from home and family. There is no fixed schedule, no regular work hours. Some events will require you to work for extended hours straight with no breaks in between. Other events will oblige you to travel to one place this day and be in another place the very next day.

Events planning also require you to be sociable. You will need to mix and mingle, see and be seen even if you're not up to it. Your social skills can be tested over and over again, as an events planner you can't be easily offended by criticism or insults.

Aside from all that, an events planner will also need to have entrepreneurial and leadership skills. The real money in events planning is in having your own events planning business where all of your marketing and public relations effort will have direct pay-offs to you.