How can you broaden your skills as an event planner?

Staying up-to-date with new tools in marketing is crucial for maximizing efficiency and innovation. Continuously invest time in researching and exploring emerging technologies and platforms that align with your marketing objectives. Consider tools for data analytics, automation, content creation, social media management, and customer relationship management. Attend webinars, workshops, and training sessions to enhance your proficiency with these tools. Experiment with their functionalities and assess their suitability for your specific needs. By embracing new tools, you can streamline processes, gain valuable insights, and adapt to the dynamic landscape of marketing, ultimately empowering you to deliver impactful and effective campaigns.

It's simple to become enamored by the newest gadgets and thrilling technology trends, but it's equally crucial to maintain a firm grasp on the purpose behind your pursuits. Begin with your objectives, then seek out the technology that propels you toward those aims. Allow this purpose to guide your exploration and education. Keep in mind, the accolades go not to the early adopters of equipment but to those who employ it in innovative, unexpected ways. That's where true innovation thrives.

Accurate marketing tools can help marketers get the job done successfully without fail or reduce waste of resources. Marketing tools are things that help an organization to develop and promote products and services. In this way, tools can be referred to as techniques, materials and strategies.

Adapt to the advancement of technology and use different tools and experiment to see what works best for your goals and audience. It is an important and fundamental step

Usually, things like using new tools, networking, feedback and learning are mentioned in most of the articles regarding the improvement of various things But usually the most important issue is forgotten Knowing the target audience, correctly understanding their needs and desires is the most important issue in any activity we want to do. After that, we can find suitable tools for effective communication, facilitating processes, planning and managing work. Choosing the right target audience will lead to the presentation of suitable portfolios as well as drawing an effective learning path And the golden point is that if we present the right product to the right customer in the right way, our position will be automatically upgraded

Collaborate, collaborate, collaborate! As the former director of a small nonprofit organization with limited resources, I had to be very strategic on how and where to invest those resources (aka human capital and time). Collaborating with other organizations and individuals was absolutely key to our development and success. It also helped create and enrich a local "ecosystem" that was beneficial and enriching to all. Also stay open to new opportunities and be willing to innovate and try new things. Opportunities lie everywhere if you really pay attention and learn to look. Don't worry about the results, put in the work, every single time. It creates consistency. Every event is a stepping stone and a learning opportunity for the next one!

Prioritize identifying key industry influencers, partners, and complementary brands who share your target audience. Initiate authentic connections by engaging in meaningful conversations and offering value through content sharing or co-creation. Leverage social media platforms, networking events, and online communities to cultivate relationships and establish your brand as a thought leader. Collaborate on joint campaigns or events to tap into each other's audiences. This concerted effort not only widens your campaign's exposure but also creates a ripple effect of increased engagement, credibility, and potential for long-term partnerships, enriching your marketing endeavors.

Networking is one of the ways to find a new audience and opportunity, and it results in collective growth. You can also offer your services as a contributor to events that interest you or align with your values. Campaigns are very helpful

Drawing from Qatar's example, I've honed strategies for memorable audience experiences and increased revenue. Understanding local culture enriches event impact. Emphasizing user-friendly planning and adept management powers teams to deliver standout experiences, driving audience satisfaction and repeat attendance. Sustainability aligns with regional values and enhances event reputation, attracting more attendees and sponsors. Effective Arabic communication fosters strong client relationships and revenue growth. Venue expertise and crisis management skills ensure seamless execution, bolstering event success and profitability. These strategies have been pivotal, making Qatar's events both memorable and lucrative.

It is better to know that networking is considered a kind of commercial and economic activity, which on the other hand, is also considered a commercial activity. Because by networking, entrepreneurs and different business owners, in addition to establishing interaction, undertake to share their information with each other to create two-way or multi-way commercial-economic relations. One of the most important goals of networking is that by participating in events, conferences and meetings of this kind, people are looking for job opportunities, getting large work projects and attracting investors.

focused approach to target a specific segment of the market that aligns with your unique strengths and offerings. Begin by conducting thorough market research to identify an underserved or specialized area where you can excel. Tailor your messaging and content to resonate deeply with this niche audience, addressing their specific pain points and aspirations.

The ultimate goal is to target an area of the market that aligns with your specific strengths and offerings. Examining strengths and weaknesses and examining opportunities and threats are very helpful

Marketing activities without feedback are like shooting in the dark. Feedback will help with improvisation or approach change towards your niche.

Define your niche by adding character to your events. Focusing on "corporate events" or on "outdoor weddings" can be helpful, but being the go-to event planner for extravagant conferences, or for multicultural weddings is much more valuable - and will position you in a blue ocean. It will require more work from a marketing perspective, but assuming that you can deliver, it can separate you from the masses.

The use of portfolios, whether digital or displayed in the real environment, are very helpful for performance review You can also use different formats and platforms to present your portfolio, such as websites, social media, videos or slideshows. By updating your portfolio, you can demonstrate your versatility, creativity and professionalism as an event planner.

As an event planner, your portfolio is your proof of concept. It shows that you are able to deliver. I strongly recommend keeping it short, sharp and on-point, providing the boldest examples of your unique value proposition. No client wants to go through a 60-slides presentation; they will want to get to know you, and they will be happy to see a short deck of pictures, videos and testimonials that clearly support what you say that you can do.

Consumer feedback is very important because it provides marketers and business managers with insights that allow them to see the level of their business, products, or overall customer experience to an acceptable degree to improve the provider.

Getting feedback from the audience or colleagues based in a profession is very helpful and can be surveys, interviews, ratings or comments. By seeking feedback, you can gain valuable insights, advice, and insight for your work and growth as an event planner.

From a customer journey perspective, the search for feedback needs to be structured in two parts: 1. Defining with your client, early on, what does success look like ("a smooth event, where people are happy, participative and particularly satisfied by the food options provided"). 2. Scheduling upfront a feedback meeting up to two weeks after the event. You want to make sure that the client understands the importance of it, and that you are seeking honest opinions about your performance. I recommend sending out the questions to the clients before the meeting, reminding them how you defined success at the beginning of the process.

Feedback is crucial in event planning. A powerful I use to build my stepping stone into event planning sphere. With this, you must have a neutral mind in order to accept criticism to be able to grow better.

One thing I've found helpful in getting feedback is by incorporating into the event. Get it done before they ever leave the event. When an event is over, I'm tired and thinking about getting home or onto the next thing. Gathering feedback as a closing ritual or exercise in the event engages participants thoughtfully before they have moved on.

I have been part of the organization International Festival and Events Association which offers an Event Management School. It is a 2 year program, so far I have attended the 1st year (as a little thing called COVID) disrupted my 2nd year, and I have changed jobs a couple of times and moved. However, an addition to the school, IFEA also have monthly or bi-monthly calls- for operations, arts, DEI, volunteers, CEOs- that give you a chance to talk with others and asks questions and perhaps hear ideas or solutions for any problems you are running into. They also a certification - that unlike other organizations does not require an exam, but instead a mixture of writing an article for their magazine, attending courses, and public speaking.

There are so many courses offered, even for free, that you can take to broaden your skill set. Learning in the wedding and event industry is never-ending.

Self discipline and starter must be your priority alongside your planning. You can access various platforms to have free courses that will help you develop further your planning skills.

I think sometimes it is easy to focus narrowly on continued education, looking at it only through the lens of what we do. Working in the grief industry, my expertise has grown as I've continued education. What has set my expertise apart is how I have broaden the lens for continued education. I've studied family dynamics and applied it to the healing and grief journey. I've learned about attachment theory disorder and explored what it does to the Caregiver journey at end of life. Don't be afraid to grasp things of interest to you, learn about them, then become the expert by connecting them to your area of interest.

While there's no greater teacher than the event you run (or assist with), make sure you get in the practice of noting what worked and what didn't work (aka a 'lessons learnt' file after each event). Fill this out, work out what could be done better next time, and make no future plans or events until you've re-visited this file.