Behind Every Great Event is a Professional Planner

Did you ever experience a great event and wonder how that experience came to be? Most people have experienced at least one great event in their lifetime. But, very few people actually think about the amount of time, effort, and energy that was expended in creating that experience.

Behind every great event is a professional event planner… Our Achilles heel is that we make it look easy. I field at least one call per week from another person who thinks they would make a great event planner. They’re organized, creative, and a great people person. Their friends tell them they throw great parties. That makes you a great host, not necessarily a great event planner.

I’ll admit, when I started my event planning business 12 years ago, I stumbled across the industry and discovered that I possessed many of the skills and characteristics that make for a great planner. But I also pursued my newfound profession with abandon. I joined the industry’s professional organizations, I subscribed to industry trade publications, attended industry conferences, and I purchased books and read anything I could get my hands on. I worked hard at becoming not just an event planner but an event leader. And after 12 years, I continue pursuing knowledge.

The event industry has seen tremendous growth over the past 20 years, with a real explosion of independent or third party planners in the past 10 years. I see it in the Central New York market. Where there used to be 2-3 companies there are now well over 10. Some are true professionals and others are “posers.” So how do you know who to hire and how do you know if you are hiring a professional?

The International Special Event Society (ISES) is the leading professional organization for the special events planning industry. The ISES Guide to Hiring a Special Event Professional is a great tool to use in finding the true professionals. (http://www.ises.com/GuidetoHiringaSpecialEventsProfessional/tabid/127/Default.asp) ISES is the accrediting organization for the Certified Special Events Professional (CSEP). I am the only professional planner in the Central New York region who has earned this designation and the only company who maintains membership in ISES.

Meeting Professionals International (MPI) is the leading professional organization for the meeting planning industry. MPI is the accrediting organization for the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP). My husband (who is also my business partner) is the only independent planner in our market to have earned this designation and again, we are the only independent planning company who maintains membership in MPI.

The Events Company is dedicated to being a leader in the event industry and working with our clients to create an amazing event while achieving the desired outcomes.

OUR MANTRA
Producers of WOW!
Professionals providing creative solutions to the needs
and demands of our clients’ meetings and events.
Create a “WOW” experience
Ease the clients’ pain
Achieve “ROE” (Return on Event)

OUR CORE VALUES
Be the BEST
Care about each other
Respect our vendor partners
Belief in the value add of our services
Obligation to support our Community
Have FUN!

So, if you are thinking of hiring a planner for your next event be sure to do your due diligence in hiring a professional who has the expertise and experience to produce your desired results.
Do they have a web presence?
Do they respond to your inquiry within 4 hours?
Do they have staff or are they a team of one? Being a team of one is okay, but who is their back-up in case of an emergency?
Do they charge a fee for their services or are they taking a percentage of the budget or doing it for free with a commission from the service providers they contract?
Do they have a proven track record? Anybody can hang out a shingle and call themselves a professional event planner. If you’re not sure, call me and I’ll give you an objective answer. I don’t claim to be all things, we often times refer business to our colleagues if it does not fall into our realm of expertise.