Hiring Event Coordinators
What makes an event memorable? A lively group of people gathered in a beautiful venue, eating delectable food, while enjoying an engaging program all make for an awesome event. Without a doubt, behind every successful event is an amazing event coordinator armed with all the event details, lists, and technical know-how to make a party or work function run smoothly.
An event coordinator is a role that is not for the faint of heart. Tasked with managing an event from conception to completion and everything else in between, an event coordinator must pay great attention to detail and possess a relentless passion for events and bringing people together.
Hiring an event coordinator begins with drafting an enticing and compelling job description that evokes both curiosity and excitement in job seekers. It is first and foremost important to highlight the role’s importance in a company’s daily operations. Job seekers must be able to picture themselves working for your company through the details provided in the job description.
Responsibilities
An event coordinator wears many hats. For an event to run smoothly, all the details and aspects that constitute the entire event must be covered. An event coordinator handles design, planning, and execution while managing all deliverables within a set timeline. This includes identifying the client’s needs and vision for the event, taking into account budget and time constraints. It is up to the event planner to also conduct market research on various vendors and suppliers and make the necessary suggestions to the client.
Ensuring compliance with legal, health, and safety obligations of all involved parties is another responsibility. Is the food set-up properly? How about the speakers for the conference? If one of the spotlights suddenly burns out, what is going to happen? The event coordinator must be able to think rationally under pressure, ready to troubleshoot any concern that may arise.
Tasks under the administrative umbrella include management of all forms of correspondence with the events team, external vendors, clients, and venue staff. The event coordinator must know the ins and outs of the venue and allotted space, the people responsible for each aspect of the event, the timeline, the sequence of program events, and even financial transactions such as rental payments and deposits. Everything should be right on budget, as set by the client.
Additionally, the Event Coordinator collaborates with the venue maintenance staff and external vendors in making sure that the needed equipment such as machines, sound systems, light and music equipment, and venue facilities are all functioning well. Lastly, a post-event evaluation is conducted to give feedback and areas for improvement. This is useful for the team’s growth and success.
Skills and Qualifications
The ideal candidate for an event coordinator is a person who has a passion for people and events, someone who is organized, energetic, meticulous, and detail-oriented.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are crucial since the role will entail conversing with staff, clients, vendors, and guests. Leadership, time management, and organizational skills are also important. Apart from these, knowledge of office software systems such as Microsoft and Google, as well as prior experience in events management are required.
Hiring managers have the prerogative to decide on the educational background qualifications of the role. While a high school diploma or GED may be the minimum qualification for most companies, a Bachelor’s degree or higher education may be required, depending on company policy.
With all the responsibilities of an event coordinator, it is undeniable that this role may seem daunting to job seekers. However, a wonderfully crafted job description and a customer-centric recruitment process will surely be key to hiring a rock star event coordinator who will deliver flawless results, one event at a time.
