The 10 Biggest Event Planning Myths

If you’ve worked in the event planning industry for any length of time, you’ll have noticed some commonalities that seem to apply to events across every field.

But while there are common truths to the event planning industry, there are also plenty of myths. People often believe in those myths even when their better judgment tells them otherwise.

But what are the biggest event planning myths, and what do we need to know to overcome them? Let’s take a look.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. It’s easy

This is perhaps the most common myth that I’ve come across, and as you can imagine, it drives me crazy. It’s insulting to all of the professionals I’ve worked with who have put their blood, sweat, and tears into making events happen. The good news about this myth is that it’s an easy one to dispel because as soon as someone starts planning an event, they’re going to quickly learn how difficult it really is.

2. It’s glamorous

People who think that event planning is glamorous have probably formed their opinions from looking at high-profile events like the Oscars. Sure, there are occasional elegant events out there, but not in every field. For example, if you’re working as an event planner in the oil and gas industry, it might not be as glamorous as you thought.

3. It’s a 9-to-5 job

A lot of people act as though event planning is a 9-to-5 job, but the reality is far from it. Sure, you might use those regular office hours to set up the event and book your venue and speakers, but you’re also going to have to work weird hours to cover the actual event. For big events like conferences, it’s not unheard of to work 16-hour days.

4. You need big budgets

People looking at the Oscars may also be to blame for this event planning myth. They assume that you need a huge amount of money to put an event on, and while that may be true for bigger events, you can also bootstrap an event on a shoestring budget. For example, when I ran the launch party for my first book, it took place at the local arts center. This allowed me to use the venue for free in exchange for volunteering there for a while.

5. It’s a job for extroverts

A lot of people think that event planning is a job that’s only for extroverts, but that’s not always the case. I’m a die-hard introvert, and yet I’ve been more than capable of planning dozens (if not hundreds) of events throughout my time. Introverts just have to push themselves a little harder when the event comes around, and that’s fine. Plus, they tend to come with other strengths, such as their empathy.

6. You can plan an event in a week

This myth is an interesting one because it’s half-true. Sure, you can plan an event in a week, and I’ve done so in the past when I’ve had clients with aggressive deadlines. It’s just that it’s not a great way to put together a decent event. And so while you’ll hear the myth that you can plan an event in a week, you have to ask yourself about quality. Perhaps you could plan an event in a week—but why would you?

7. It’s a young person’s game

I’ve heard this myth across every industry I’ve worked in, from social media marketing to publishing and event planning. People love to say that their trade is only for younger people, but that’s rarely true. If anything, older people are better suited to the event planning industry because they have more experience with events and they have the trade connections they need to find speakers.

8. You don’t need insurance

Don’t even get me started on this one. You’d be surprised how often I’ve come across people who think they don’t need insurance when they’re running their events. Insurance isn’t just about protecting yourself; it’s also about protecting your speakers and attendees. You owe it to everyone involved to make sure that you’re insured up the wazoo so that if something does go wrong, you’ve got financial protection.

9. Events need food and entertainment

This is another one of those myths that’s perhaps half-true because it’s always nice if there’s food and entertainment at an event you go to. That doesn’t mean that it’s mandatory, though. Of course, it also depends entirely upon the event. If your event is a concert and you’re not putting on any music then… well, your event isn’t a concert. But any food and entertainment that you offer should just be the icing on the cake.

10. Event planning is the same everywhere

You’ve probably picked up on this from everything else that we’ve covered, but event planning varies drastically from one field to another. That’s one of the reasons why a lot of event planners specialize in a specific industry, such as only planning automotive events. That allows them to better get to know the specifics and to make the connections they need to host killer events in their industry of choice.

Conclusion

Now that you know our thoughts on the biggest event planning myths out there, we want to hear from you. What are the biggest myths that you’ve come across? Do you agree with the myths on our list?

As always, we’d love to keep the discussion going, so be sure to share your thoughts in the comments. You can also follow us on your favorite social networking sites for more. We’ll see you soon for another article!