Whether you’re organising a pop-up foodie experience or a large-scale music festival, there is a range of skills required to run a great event. These skills are your secret weapons to hosting successful and unforgettable events.
From strategic planning and budgeting to vendor management and on-site execution, event management demands a diverse skill set. We understand the challenges you face and the passion you pour into each event. That’s why we’re here to equip you with invaluable insights, practical tips, and expert advice that will propel you toward event management excellence.
Together, let’s unlock the secrets to crafting extraordinary events that leave a lasting impact on your audience. From outside-the-box creativity to clear communication, here are 17 event management skills you need to grow your business and design experiences attendees will love.
Event Management Skills
1. People skills
The number one quality shared by successful event managers? People skills. According to Prospects, if you’re considering a career as an events manager, you should have strong interpersonal skills, as well as organisational skills, and the ability to thrive in a high-paced environment.
And it’s easy to see why people skills are so important: you need to be comfortable connecting with high-level executives, government officials, vendors, co-workers, sponsor reps, customers, supervisors, suppliers, staff, and event attendees.
To successfully work with this wide range of people, you’ll need to be able to nimbly resolve conflicts, be a confident but pleasant negotiator, and maintain your sense of humour.
Creator Example: London Drawing Group is a collective of three practising artists, and their aim is to make art accessible to everyone with inclusive drawing classes.
Using innovative teaching methods and strong people skills, the group creates a welcoming atmosphere and connects to a wide range of attendees — from beginner artists to still life experts — to celebrate the joy of creating.
2. Listening
The ability to understand what key stakeholders want from your event is critical. These people may not be in the event industry, so they might not speak the lingo or know what’s realistic.
You have to be able to discern their needs and make sure all parties share the same expectations. Pay attention to what’s said — and what’s not said — in key conversations. Tapping into these spoken (and unspoken) needs throughout your planning process will help you to stay one step ahead.
According to one study of eventgoers, there were three main drivers for event attendance: 92% were looking for education, 78% wanted an attractive destination, and 76% were seeking networking opportunities.
The key to a successful event is listening to what your audience wants — whether that’s to learn something new, visit somewhere exciting, or to meet interesting people.
Creator Example: The secret ingredient for a successful job fair? Listening to what jobseekers would find the most valuable — whether that’s CV workshops, cover letter seminars, or Q&A discussion panels.
JS Media runs some of the UK’s leading careers and recruitment events — and listening to employers, stakeholders, and jobseekers is an essential part of the planning process.
3. Communication
Clear, firm, and kind communication establishes you as a leader of the team, keeps everyone on track, and ensures that the goals of the event are clear to everyone involved. It also allows you to effectively share your vision and get others excited about it, too.
Being an event organiser means you’ll need to communicate in a way that is respectful to everyone and doesn’t put anyone down. You’ll also need to ccept criticism and be open to new ideas. Everyone plays a part in the success of an event, so make sure you’re communicating with them in a clear, confident, and empowering way.
Creator Example: Communication is key for the Festival of Nature organisers. Working together with multiple organisations and leading figures — from local nature reserves to wildlife photographers — requires clear and effective communication with a variety of people for a smooth-sailing event.
4. Networking skills
Networking is a crucial part of any event organiser’s skillset. No matter what type of event you’re hosting, networking is a great way to meet potential attendees, partners, and stakeholders — according to one survey by Harvard Business Review, 95% of people said that face-to-face meetings are essential to building long-term business relationships.
Cultivating and building those relationships is an excellent way to generate new ideas for your next event, expand your audience, and grow the success of your business.
Creator Example: Networking is a key part of UX design agency Nomensa’s events. From collaborating with different events partners to facilitating introductions between professionals, their events are designed to encourage skill sharing and learning in the digital community — which requires the organisers to be networking pros themselves.
5. Calm under pressure
When you’re organising an event, your team will look to you for answers to almost everything. Successful event managers stay level-headed and continue to treat everyone with respect, no matter what. Try to remain cool, calm, and collected when dealing with other people, even if you’re a bundle of nerves inside.
Creator Example: Organising a big drinks festival can be challenging: booking multiple vendors, managing large numbers of attendees, and hiring a venue. The Gin & Rum Festival is an excellent example of the benefits of staying calm under pressure, providing over 120 spirits to hundreds of delighted guests.
6. Passion
With all the stress of the job, you have to really love what you do. Genuine passion will help you to overcome bumps in the road and stay cool when all seems lost. It can also lead to bursts of creativity and the inspiration to create something great, instead of just trying to get through the day.
Skills like time management can be learned, but you can’t teach passion. Being an event manager can, at times, be a thankless job. So, it needs to be about more than just a regular salary for you.
And the added bonus: if you’re passionate about your events, your attendees will be, too — and a shared passion is a great way to engage your audience. According to a study by Bizzabo, 93% of event creators believe it’s important to provide attendees with an experience that is personalised to their interests.
Creator Example: A night run entirely by fans for fans, UK-wide Swiftogeddon events are a joyous celebration of Taylor Swift. Mixing extended songs, fan favourites, and Taylor’s Versions, Swiftogeddon is a perfect example of how passion translates to event success.
7. Attention to detail
The best way to delight attendees? Attention to detail. At an event, it’s often the little things that matter most. Whether that’s complimentary samples, free merchandise, or carefully chosen decor, small touches are a thoughtful way to create a memorable and unique experience for your guests.
Creator Example: The organisers at Discos for Grown Ups know that the little touches make a big difference to an event’s ambiance. To amp up the fun at their parties — where guests can enjoy a mix of disco, soul, and feel-good pop hits from the 70s, 80s, and 90s — attendees can grab free glow sticks and retro sweets.
8. Creativity
When you’re planning an event, the best way to boost attendance is to offer something unique. The best way to do this? Think outside the box. Whether you’re hosting an experimental dining experience, booking an unusual location for a disco, or showcasing up-and-coming local bands, creative thinking is a vital skill to make your event stand out.
Creator Example: Silent Discos in Incredible Places is a silent disco with a breathtaking spin. Wearing state-of-the-art LED headphones, attendees can dance to 90s pop hits in spectacular surroundings — think illuminated historic buildings, gothic churches, and awe-inspiring cathedrals.
Hugely popular in cities across the UK, these discos are proof that taking a creative approach to your events is sure to pay off.
9. Flexibility
A big part of creativity is flexibility — and the ability to think outside the box when things need changing. Event planner duties and responsibilities vary from day to day. You’ll double up as a cleaner one minute and a fearless leader the next. Clearing up messes and making tough calls — quickly, quietly, and efficiently — is part of the job, and staying creative in your approach is vital. Stay calm, get it done, then get back to running the show.
Creator Example: Brighton-based Cult Milk runs a creative collage session. Whether the organisers are setting up crafting tables, supplying arts materials, or fitting last-minute guests into the space, the flexibility to juggle different responsibilities is key to Collage Club’s success.
10. Experience
Creativity is about being willing to experiment to build up experience — and your job will be easier for you once you’ve seen the range of challenges an event can throw at you.
Plus, the experienced event manager has a network of trusted professionals to call on when things get tough. If you don’t have a ton of experience yet, don’t worry – just give it time.
Creator Example: Since its first event dedicated to black businesses, Black Culture Market has gone from strength to strength. Today, it is known as one of the leading supporters of black entrepreneurs and the most experienced organisers in the space — running a range of markets in Brixton to showcase cards, unique prints, and jewellery.
11. Organisation
To successfully run any event, you need to be able to juggle about 50 things at once — and be organised enough to plan ahead.
The best planners have fool-proof systems, like an extensive event proposal, step-by-step checklists, and handy tech tools. With all of this to think about, it’s no wonder that some creators look into hiring event management companies to help them make sure everything goes to plan.
Working in events requires the ability to focus on the big picture while keeping track of the little details. To avoid burnout, get comfortable delegating some of your more time-consuming tasks. And when unexpected obstacles get in your way, don’t be afraid to switch to plan B.
Creator Example: At Worth the Weight — which runs pick and mix vintage sales across the country — organisation is vital. With nine tonnes of vintage clothing, stock replenished all day, and tiered ticket slots, these events are the result of careful planning and flawless organisational skills.
12. Problem-solving
Whether it’s tracking down some emergency duct tape or reworking a keynote presentation at the last minute, you have to be resourceful with what you have. No matter how well you plan, something will go wrong. And it will be a lot easier to address if you enjoy finding creative solutions to the challenges that arise.
Creator Example: When working with multiple people, problem-solving abilities are key to a smooth-sailing event. The organisers behind London’s Graduate Fashion Week are, among other things, problem-solving pros — working with thousands of industry professionals, organising the logistics of 17 fashion shows, and running a packed schedule of talks, masterclasses, and workshops.
13. Decision-making
The role of an event creator requires you to be able to make several decisions at once and make them quickly. And, perhaps more importantly, you need to be able to recognise when it’s too late to change those decisions – and have the resolve to stand by them.
Creator Example: There are many decisions involved in organising an event with multiple stakeholders or partners. Spirits Society runs an array of gin, tequila, and whisky events — making informed decisions about which distillers to stock, which masterclasses to offer, and which brands to showcase to best delight their audience.
14. Tech expertise
Whether you’re hosting a livestreamed Q&A panel with keynote speakers or an in-person conference, tech proficiency is one of the key event management skills.
Familiarising yourself with various digital tools — such as Facebook Live, YouTube, and Zoom, as well as other digital platforms — is a great way to widen the audience for your event, especially since virtual events are on the rise.
According to one study by vFairs, 95.5% of people said that at least some form of a virtual event is going to be a part of their events strategy from 2022 onwards, so fine-tuning your tech skills is a great way to stay ahead of the curve.
Creator Example: The creators of World Virtual Tours are an excellent example of event organisers’ tech expertise. With a mix of reconstructions, exclusive video footage, live walks, and narration, guests can attend virtual events to enjoy cultural experiences — from art museums to medieval walking tours — from the UK, or anywhere in the world.
15. Budget management
You’ll need to be skilled at effective budgeting to manage your event successfully. Finances are a huge part of your event planning logistics, so it’s essential to set a realistic budget and take your costs into consideration accordingly — including venue hire, equipment costs, and staff pay.
Creator Example: Sip ‘N Stroke is a freestyle painting party with a difference: guests are invited to paint while sipping cocktails and listening to hip hop.
Each ticket includes admission to the paint party, paint and supplies, as well as artist instructors to help you create — so effective budget management is crucial to Sip ‘N Stroke’s success.
16. Multi-tasking
As an event organiser, you’ll have to be comfortable juggling many different tasks. You might be speaking to panellists while also setting up microphones, or answering attendee questions while dealing with ad hoc bartender requests — so feeling comfortable with multi-tasking is a highly useful skill.
Creator Example: From setting up company booths to allowing attendees the opportunity to network, STEM Women’s events require flawless multi-tasking from the organisers.
Their careers events for recent graduates are designed to connect talented jobseekers with STEM employers, host live presentations and facilitate Q&As.
17. Time management
To give attendees a positive experience of your event, time management skills are vital. This means making sure keynote speakers begin their presentations promptly, workshops begin at their scheduled start time, and performances don’t overrun. Event creators will also need to be great time managers themselves, as they are often working against self-imposed deadlines.
Creator Example: For drum and bass festival Breakin Science, time management is top priority. From ensuring clear set times to co-ordinating bands and DJs, streamlining the various time components of the festival is the perfect way to ensure attendees have a seamless experience on the day.
Become an expert event planner
Once you have these event organiser skills down, you’re ready to take your event planning up a notch. Our event planning templates will help you to streamline your workflow, solve your biggest challenges, and gain the loyalty of your attendees.
Plus, we can help you to grow your events business. From email marketing and community engagement to analytics and reports, explore our suite of tools and see how you can take your event to the next level.
