What I Learned from Coursera’s “Introduction to Event Management by Marta Sotto-Mayor” Course: Events are more than business meetings — they’re experiences.
Have you ever felt like you want to be in charge of an event? Like a simple get-together or a birthday party?
I actually have. I love seeing people enjoying an event, loving their food and drink, and most importantly, telling other people about their fascinating experience afterwards. This means they had a blast, and we exceeded their expectations. But the thing is, it doesn’t always go as planned. Attendees don’t always enjoy it, you might get lucky at times, but most of the times, you end up feeling exhausted while not a single thing went right. This was why I decided to take this course. Despite my education in hospitality, I’ve never been taught about how to manage an event. So, here we are now.
Marta Sotto-Mayor, the instructor of the course pointed out how important it is to meticulously plan every single detail to perfection. Now, let’s imagine an important business event. These events are held for many reasons: promotions, product launches, celebrations, or exchanging ideas. As an event manager, your job is to transform these ideas into unforgettable experiences. So basically, as an event manager, you are supposed to transform these visions and ideas into unforgettable experiences and create meaningful connections in order for the event to have its usual impacts on economic, society, and businesses.
Marta introduced us to an event cycle: conceptualization (where ideas are born and creativity meets logistics), planning (the backbone of event management), execution (which demands flexibility and acute attention to details), and closure (analyzing feedback and setting grounds for future events).
I for one would like to categorize the cycle this way:
- Before the event: determining the event’s concept, understanding our targeted customers’ behavior, getting creative with how we want it to be performed, organizing ideas so they fit logistical realities while still delivering an unforgettable experience, and most importantly, planning meticulously (vendor management, budgeting, venue selection, etc.). Don’t forget to ALWAYS have a contingency plan.
- During the event: trusting our trained staff to make decisions on their own in critical situations, making sure everyone (staff and attendees) knows what to expect and how they can contribute to the event’s success, and focusing on assertive communication.
- After the event: making sure that guests have a personalized get-away to remember the event by, analyzing their feedback, and setting grounds for future events.
To wrap that up, I believe what Marta was trying to teach us about event planning was that events aren’t just formal business rooms filled with people talking shop. They’re opportunities to surprise guests, exceed expectations, and create memories about which they might talk for the rest of their lives.