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So much event planning goes on behind the scenes. Guests arrive in a space glowing with soft light and humming with great music, never seeing the work that went into the transformation.
Event teams are often much larger and more complex than they appear on the outside, and you can find them in some surprising places!
Where Do Event Teams Work?
Don’t make the mistake of painting all event professionals with the same brush. Not only are there many different roles for event teams, but you’ll also find event teams in a wide variety of organizations. Here are just a few.
Event Venues
Some event venues have their own internal event teams, allowing them to provide a full-service event experience for parties, weddings, and corporate events.
Hotels
Just like event venues, some hotels will come with their own in-house event staff. At the least, a hotel will usually have an event coordinator to act as a liaison and point of contact for the third-party event planner.
Corporations
While some corporations outsource their event planning, others—especially large, complex enterprises—invest in their own event teams. These employees may boost morale through team-building events and company parties, or they may present a public face with product launches or industry conferences.
Nonprofit Organizations
For many nonprofits, events are their bread-and-butter, helping the group to raise funds for their cause. This could include events like silent auctions, golf tournaments, races, donation drives, and more. They may also host donor galas to recognize major sponsors and community events to support their community.
Trade Groups
Trade groups are all about networking, and that means events. They may host conferences and seminars to spread information about their niche, or industry trade shows to help their members meet with customers face-to-face.
Event Planning Companies
Event planning companies let clients outsource the logistics of their gatherings. These teams can put together just about anything, from weddings and anniversaries to corporate events and conferences, to fundraisers and galas, trade shows, product launches, retreats…the list goes on!
Types of Event Jobs
There are plenty of jobs to be done at an event, and they run the gamut from entry-level to seasoned professionals. Here are some of the jobs you’ll find at every tier of the industry.
Entry-Level Event Jobs
Event assistants help out wherever needed. They may check guests in at the gate, run errands for the event coordinator, or help wrangle VIPs and keep them on schedule.
Banquet servers work with the catering team. They may restock a buffet, or bring plated dishes out to the guests at their tables, along with refilling water and other non-alcoholic drinks.
Banquet setup staff may also be entry-level, as long as what they’re working with isn’t dangerous or sensitive.
Mid-Level Event Jobs
The event coordinator or event captain executes the event on the day, often working under the direction of the event planner. This could also be an expert-level role, depending on the complexity of the event.
The marketing coordinator helps the marketing team to get the word out about the event. They may work with event sales to make sure the event sells enough tickets to be profitable or to raise enough funds for their cause.
Expert Event Jobs
The event director is in charge of the entire operation. This person oversees the rest of the team and is ultimately responsible for the success of the event.
A meeting planner is similar to an event planner, but they usually work specifically with corporate meeting groups. They may focus more on work retreats and conferences, rather than weddings or festivals.
The marketing director creates the strategy to build buzz and excitement around the event. Without a strong marketing plan, you could have a party with no guests!
What Does an Event Team Do?
Event professionals must be masters of organization and planning behind the scenes. Guests arrive and see the finished product, but they don’t see the days, weeks, and months of logistics that went into making it happen.
If you were planning an outdoor food festival, for example, here are just some of the tasks you would have to manage:
- Deciding on a festival theme and working with designers for logos, signs, and other visuals
- Approaching chefs from local restaurants and getting them to sign up
- Choosing a location with enough space for vendors and guests
- Securing any permits or licensing for the event, including gathering permits, building permits, temporary liquor licenses, sound permits, etc.
- Sourcing any supplies that you’ve offered the vendors (could include napkins, small plates, cutlery, etc.)
- Asking local culinary students to volunteer to help, and assign them to vendor booths
- Laying out the vendor floorplan
- Managing the electrical needs. Is there power on-site? Will you need generators? How many?
- Arranging for drink stations or beverage vendors
- Arranging bathrooms. Are there any onsite? Will you need port-a-potties? What are the local regulations around people per bathroom?
- Ensuring the event is ADA accessible
- Arranging for parking attendants if necessary
- Planning the event timeline. Are there cooking demonstrations, live music, raffles, or any other scheduled events?
- Arranging trash. How many trash cans will you have, and where? Will there be recycling? Is a dumpster onsite for emptying trash throughout the day?
- Communication with vendors regarding load-in times, number of guests to expect, answering questions leading up to the event
- Marketing the event to sell tickets, which could include local print/television ads, social media, influencer marketing, and encouraging vendors to share on their own platforms
- Creating a rain plan. Is there a tent? An indoor space nearby? Will you refund tickets if it’s rained out?
That’s a BIG list…and it all must be resolved before the event day. The event team must work together to arrange it all, and ensure that everyone else on the team knows what has been checked off the list and what’s still to be done.
It’s a job of planning, logistics, and organization. But there’s nothing quite like the feeling of a major event successfully executed!