What does an event planner do? - defined by SU hospitality students

I teach an advanced event and meeting management course at Syracuse University. During the first class I asked the students (mostly juniors and seniors)to share what they thought an event planner does. I like to ask this question; it allows me to see what other people's impressions are. Here's what they had to say...

'An event planner creates an experience. The event manager works with the client and irons out the details of the event, from vague to extremely finitic. The event manager acts as a type of stage manager to the client and must be extremely flexible, proactive, and willing to break a sweat. Communication is key to successful events'

'An event planner listens to their client. It is your job to guide your client in the right direction.'

'make people's lives easier'

'The event planner handles details the common person would forget about or leave out. Event planners are there to serve the client and create the atmosphere the client requests. As you mentioned, the allusion of a perfect and flawless event is the goal. Event planners must think of everything that could go wrong in advance and have solutions to solve those problems.'

'An event planner helps individuals plan the event that they have come up with. A lot of people have very good ideas, they just don't know how to make them happen. That's what we are here for, to turn our customers' thoughts into a reality, and even to expand them and make it better than they imagined.'

'An event planner needs to be very customer oriented. Whatever they are doing should be geared towards their customers' interests and wants.'

'-develops an experience for a client based on criteria, ideas, or requirements that exceed their expectations. - develops new ideas and back-up plans when things go wrong.'

'from the beginning of the planning they focus on every detail of the event to make sure that it is perfect. Also, an event planner is pretty much the field general during the set-up of the event because they know exactly where everything goes and how everything should be.'

'An event planner works with all parties involved in an event to help make sure things are on schedule, problems are minimized, and the client's vision is realized.'

A marketing brochure couldn't say it any better. I think it's going to be a great semester.