Real-Life Communication
Event planners are responsible for every detail of a special event.
This includes everything from planning the menu to ordering the floral arrangements
to negotiating with suppliers.
"You have thousands of people you're
responsible for, and there are literally thousands of things that can go wrong
-- from food allergies to heart attacks, staff robbing, security considerations
and more," says Martin Metcalfe, an event planner.
An event planner
must understand the client's wishes and be able to communicate them to the
hundreds of people involved in putting on such an event.
"One of the
foremost criteria for event coordinators is that they must have a bit of a
background in psychology," says Metcalfe. "They have to be able to read people
and to be able to bring together all the components so that the client, the
hotel, the union and everyone else is happy."
You're an event planner,
and you've been hired to coordinate a bar mitzvah.
You're not of the
Jewish religion, so you know nothing about a bar mitzvah or what's involved
in such an event.
Research bar mitzvahs and find out what they are.
Learn about the customs, food and festivities. Write a few paragraphs with
the key points you need to remember. This knowledge will help you understand
your client's needs and plan the perfect event.
Then develop your action
plan. Make a list of all the details you need to attend to during the course
of coordinating this event.