Sunday, August 26th, 2007
Planners make events special
By ALICE ADAMS
Employment Correspondent
If you’ve ever attended a convention, festival, wedding, reception or other special event, you probably enjoyed the handiwork of an event planner.
Just ask Robert Shipman, president of Houston’s Haute Soiree or Alfred “Alex” Rasmussen, senior vice president of the Sullivan Group, a Houston-based event-planning and destination-management company.
“Event planning includes budgeting, establishing dates and alternate dates (in case of rain), selecting and reserving the event site, coordinating food and beverages, acquiring any necessary permits, and planning transportation and parking,” said Shipman, a professional event planner since 2001.
Event planning also may encompass some or all of the following, depending on the event: developing a theme for the event; arranging for speakers and alternate speakers; coordinating location support (such as electricity and other utilities); and arranging decor, tables, chairs, tents, event support and security, portable toilets, parking, signage, emergency plans, health-care professionals, and cleanup.
“One of the most important roles for the event planner, aside from the obvious, is being there for the clients, helping them through the initial planning stages, through last-minute jitters and celebrating a successful event,” Shipman said.
For anyone interested in entering this demanding, sometimes nail-biting and rewarding profession, both Shipman and Rasmussen encourage gaining experience through entry-level positions in any related industry, from administrative assistant at an event-production company, as Shipman did, or in Rasmussen’s case, working at a variety of country clubs, which often are venues for special events.
Shipman said formal training, such as that offered by the Conrad Hilton College of Hospitality at University of Houston, also is beneficial for those seeking careers in event and meeting planning.
Who hires event planners?
“Anyone who wants to entertain but doesn’t have the time or the expertise to put the party together,” Shipman said.
Working with corporate clients, Sullivan Group looks not just at the event planning aspect but the marketing opportunities for the event.
“We look at branding opportunities as well,” Rasmussen said. “It’s not just a party. When corporations have meetings and dinners, we look at making it much more than just an event; we look at what those attending will take away. We want them to leave feeling serviced and remembering that corporation’s brand.”
What qualities do successful event planners have?
“First of all, you need to be a master socializer in all aspects of that concept,” Shipman said. “I’m not sure that particular skill can be learned, but you also need extraordinary organization skills, exquisite ability at handling details, patience, strong communication and listening skills, as well as being an adept relationship expert. Without my professional relationships with hoteliers, designers and many, many other vendors, it would be impossible to do this job.”
He finds these close working relationships especially valuable when the client has a sudden change of mind or makes last-minute decisions.
Shipman, who specializes in weddings and other galas, sees his professional expertise as that of helping people make educated decisions about what they do.
“I help them spend their money in the most effective way,” he said.
For those thinking about the industry, Rasmussen recommends speaking to people in the industry with experience.
“Come to an event, work alongside a seasoned planner to make sure you realize it’s not just a glamour job,” he said. “There’s a lot of preplanning, organization and hard work. “