5 Tips For Event Coordinators
After working as a lead coordinator and DJ for my friend’s entertainment company for almost 4 years as a side gig, I finally decided to do what it takes to turn my passion, into a full-time lifestyle.
The first step is to start putting out content for other event coordinators to utilize.
Which is why, in this blog post and the posts soon to come, I plan to give advice and tips to fellow coordinators, in hopes of teaching someone something new they can use to better their career.
#1 Be A Consultant
A client is reaching out to you because they trust you to educate them on what they need for an event.
However, when your only goal is to sell your services, you lose sight of this and start pushing for sending a quote out as soon as possible.
As a consultant, you take your time to understand the customer’s requests and the “why” behind them.
For example, if a customer requests microphones and you simply say yes to move on to discuss pricing, you’re trying to sell more than you are trying to consult.
You should instead ask what the client plans on using the microphones for. This way you’re able to understand and consult on why a wireless handheld mic would be best for their event since they plan on having a Q&A session with the audience.
#2 Go Above and Beyond
It is those who go above and beyond the call of duty that clients remember.
Doing more than what is requested is easy if you are intentionally looking for ways to do so.
If you show up to an event early and have already completed your pre-event responsibilities, take the time to ask the host(s) of the event if there is anything extra you can do to help get the event ready. Maybe that’s helping the bartender bring alcohol out of their truck. Maybe that’s helping the venue employees set up chairs and tables. It could even be as small as helping the host’s younger cousin tie his tie.
#3 Be Responsive
I’ve had gigs won and lost due to how responsive I was to a client’s request.
As an event coordinator, the more responsive you are to your clients the better.
9 times out of 10, if a client is reaching out to you with a question, it is not something that can just be answered whenever you feel like it.
For example, for a wedding, if a groom asks if you are able to provide a projector so they can present a slide show/power point. It could be because the bride’s mother is the one who actually wants to present the slideshow and wants to know now if a projector is available before she spends time putting the slideshow together. The groom is relying on you to respond soon, so he may give his future mother in law an answer.
#4 Be Prepared By Learning New Skills
You make yourself immensely more valuable to others when you’re able to take over a task that is not in your usual domain.
For me, that meant learning the ins and outs of staging and sound set up for an instance where our technician thought the gig was on a different day. (More on that in the next tip.)
By having these extra skills, I don’t have to have a conversation with a client about how an agreed upon request cannot be fulfilled due to someone not showing up. I’m able to take control of the situation and handle the task on my own which keeps the client happy and our reputation as a company intact.
#5 Follow Up and Confirm
As a coordinator you are usually reaching out to different vendors who all need to come together and seamlessly provide an exceptional experience for your client.
What prevents this from happening often in my experience is miscommunication.
I’ve had an instance where I called my technician, and he misheard me and thought I said the 5th of May instead of the 1st. When the day of the event came, he was no where to be found.
After the initial conversation with any vendor or partner, I always recommend you follow up 3 days to a week later and confirm everyone is on the same page with the details of the event.
Thank you for reading this and I look forward to receiving any feedback you have.
- Marcus A. Lampley
