Why We’re Critical – Being An Event Professional
Every event professional, just like any other expert in their field, has to be a critic sometimes. You have to have thick skin to be in this industry, and in this episode, Host Reyna Caraveo discusses why we’re critical being an event professional, and how we should be open to criticism both good and bad.
A lot of people can interpret the role of event professionals as “nit-picky” or judgmental, which both have negative stigmas. It’s important to remember that it is just another aspect of an event professional’s job. Other industries such as TV, film, and music have critics – it is their job to be critical. In the event world, there are three primary elements that lead to criticizing.
The top 3 reasons event professionals are critical:
- High Standards and Expectations – A client has high expectations for their event, and certainly for the event professional they’ve hired to execute said event. In turn, the event professional would also have high standards for themselves and their vendor team in executing the event to the client’s expectations.
- Money on the Line – This raises the stakes. Not only is the clients’ money in the hands of the event professionals, but attendees also spend their money to participate in the event itself. For that reason, there is no room for error. Managing large budgets is a carefully crafted skill for event professionals, and leaves the planning process open for criticism if what is being asked is not followed.
- People Want an Experience – Remember, the attendees’ experience is the most important aspect of an event. People spend their time and money to participate in an event, and get a one time experience they can cherish and make memories of forever. It is the responsibility of the event professional to give them that experience to the best of their ability. Being open to both positive and negative criticism can make or break your event.
To some degree, event professionals have to be critical as a part of their function to execute events for the reasons above. This does not mean criticizing everything, but rather making the planning process collaborative with vendors and other professionals to provide and accept positive feedback for the event.
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