Searching For More Answers About Event Planner Interviews
How do I prepare for an event planning interview?
Be prepared to give relevant examples and use your experience to back up answers during an interview. Spend some time thinking through the learnings and value you bring to the table as a result of your experience before any interview.
What questions should I ask an event planner?
When interviewing for an event planner role, the questions you ask should highlight the strengths of the type of employee you are searching for. Ask specific questions about the important components of the job, and give them an opportunity to highlight what makes them special.
Events Coordinator Interview Questions
An Events Coordinator will work independently, or with a small team, to organise a wide range of events for your brand. This could be product launches, press releases, company celebrations, exhibitions, or charity events.
Some of the most important criteria to look for while interviewing Event Coordinators are:
- Excellent communication skills, a good Events Coordinator will be able to work across different teams seamlessly.
- Outstanding organisational skills. Coordinating events means multitasking quite often so great planning is essential.
- Good negotiation skills, as well as the ability to work with large budgets.
- Of course, a good knowledge of whats needed before the event starts, such as risk management and health & safety.
What Do You Do When A Given Aspect Of Your Event Does Not Go According To Plan
This question seeks to assess whether you are competent enough and can effectively manage minor challenges in your work as an event coordinator. Your job, therefore, is to convince the panel that you are up to task and value transparency in your event coordination.
Sample Answer
I have been in situations where events fail to progress as per the established schedule. I have learned that the best way to respond to such is first to identify the root cause of the problem. I then meet with different stakeholders who may help me fix the issue and get the event back on track. I value transparency in my work and do not, therefore, hide any issues to avoid complications and mistrust.
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What Do You Understand By The Term Sponsorship Negotiations
As an event manager, you will certainly be required to crack deals with sponsors. An interviewer wants to know your level of acquaintance with the same.
Sample Answer
Sir, sponsors are the business organizations who are willing to advertise their businesses at events, especially sports, movies, and cultural events, where the footfall is usually very high. They pay lucrative fees in lieu of this, which funds the overall organizing costs of an event. It is necessary to enter into careful negotiations with these sponsors and try to crack a deal that is profitable for both the event management company and also the sponsors.
Describe A Time In Your Previous Position When You Had To Plan An Event With A Small Budget
A hiring manager may ask this question to determine how creative you can be when a client has a small budget. You can use your response to show that you maintained and exceeded a previous client’s standards while remaining within their budget. If you don’t have an example that relates to the question, you can consider sharing a time when you exceeded the client’s established budget and describing what you learned from the experience.
Example:”In my previous position, my employer had a client who wanted to host a party to celebrate the opening of a new local restaurant. The restaurant had a limited budget because it hadn’t been generating revenue yet, but the owner wanted to host a memorable event so that the community would see it as a great new eatery. My employer trusted me with the challenge of hosting this event and adhering to the established budget, and I exceeded the client’s expectations.
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Why You Chose Us
Through this question, an interviewer wants to know your level of seriousness and commitment towards the business organization. The best way to prepare for this interview question is by noting down all the relevant facts and details about the company. Add your personal interests in your noting, and try framing a structured answer for this question.
What Is Your Experience With Social Media
Im in a school theater group and in charge of all their social media accounts. I also know how to use all the major channels. I post about the cast and behind-the-scenes photos 35 times a week leading up to each performance. I also make unique hashtags for each performance to get people to interact. Since I took over, 15% more people have come to our shows. I also have a strong personal presence on social media and an extensive network of contacts built over the years.
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Event Manager Interview Questions And Answers
Learn what skills and qualities interviewers are looking for from an event manager, what questions you can expect, and how you should go about answering them.
From weddings to trade shows, every event has a manager who is responsible for the planning and execution of the event. Event managers are responsible for the budget, the vendors, the guests, and the overall success of the event. Event managers also need to be skilled in marketing and public relations.
Before becoming an event manager, you will need to go through a job interview. In order to get the job, you need to be able to answer event manager interview questions. In this guide, you will find questions and answers that will help you get ready for your interview.
What drew you to the event management industry?
Employers ask this question to learn more about your background and motivations. They want to know what inspired you to pursue a career in event management, so they can understand how your personal experiences have shaped your professional development. In your answer, share the specific events or circumstances that led you to choose this career path.
What do you think sets successful events apart from unsuccessful ones?
Describe a time when you had to manage a difficult or challenging situation.
I decided to rearrange the schedule for the day so we could serve our guests without any issues. The vendor arrived just as planned, and we served our guests without any problems.
Final Thoughts Answers To All Questions
It is sometimes tricky to say what exactly will happen in your event manager interview, since it goes about a specific position, and the hiring managers may have no experience with leading similar interviews.
But you can expect mostly situational and behavioral questions, and also a role play . Hiring an event manager or planner is often hit and missfor the employer.
Its tough to say how candidates will fare in the actual job, since it presents a lot of challenges and can be extremely stressful. Such things can hardly be emulated in an interview.
You, as a job candidate, should simply try your best to show motivation and enthusiasm, and prepare for the questions from this article. If you come up with good answers, the chances are good that they will hire you. Whether you will enjoy the actual job, however, and keep it for longer than a few months, is another question altogether :).
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Do You Consider Yourself An Entrepreneur
Everyone loves an entrepreneur, right? Wrong. For clients, this is often considered a positive because it shows you are full of ideas but for a potential employer having your own dreams and aspirations shows that you might not be in it for the long haul. They wont want to invest time and energy in training you if they think you are going to take it all and leave. Find an answer that implies you are creative and have vision for the future without making them feel like you cant be loyal.
What Tactics Would You Use To Persuade A Difficult Client
This question can be as much about morals than anything else and they want to know how you would convince a client to take your suggestions as well as how far you would go. Dont dwell on the difficult client aspect, stick to your persuasions and letting your expertise speak for itself. You could make suggestions such as:
I would create an opportunity for the client to accompany me to test or view things for themselves to give them a better first-hand experience that allows me to better explain my recommendations.
Be sure to put across that you are flexible and want to find the best solution that works for everyone and that this may involve suggesting lots of ideas to the client until you find the perfect solution that gets them excited.
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Head Of Events Interview Questions
Ice-breakers
Management style
Skills to look for:
Skills to look for:
- Understands full-circle marketing
Problem-solving questions
Skills to look for:
Skills to look for:
The tech check â
Skills to look for:
Skills to look for:
- Good at prioritizing
Problem-solving questions
Skills to look for:
- Ability to work well under pressure
- Bigger-picture mentality
Skills to look for:
- Always has a backup plan
What Do You See As Some Trends In The Event Management Industry
More and more events are hiring corporate event planners. In my last job, I worked with a team of experts who took care of everything from choosing the venue to making sure there was food. The client loved this plan because they only had to work with one company instead of a bunch of different ones.
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Additional Event Coordinator Interview Questions
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Describe the largest function you have organized.
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When planning an event in an unfamiliar area, how do you go about finding reputable vendors and services?
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What budgeting methods or software do you typically use?
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How flexible are you with last-minute changes?
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How do you ensure your client stays informed during the planning process?
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How many events can you manage at one time?
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How do you market yourself to potential clients? What promotional methods do you use?
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How do you prioritize and manage your time?
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How do you manage relationships with vendors and venues?
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How do you utilize social media for promoting of events?
What Is An Event Manager
An Event Manager is a person responsible for the planning and implementation of events.
Typically Event Manager has a Bachelors Degree in business administration, marketing, communications, or a related field.
They gain experience by working in event planning or similar roles with different organizations.
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Have You Ever Planned Multiple Events At The Same Time How Did You Prioritize Your Time And Resources To Meet Critical Deadlines
Planning memorable, highly-visible events and juggling the demands of multiple clients while meeting important deadlines is no easy task. Ask this question to find out if a candidate knows how to manage a heavy workload without sacrificing quality. What to look for in an answer:
- Ability to multitask
- Ability to think on their feet
Example:
When Im planning multiple events simultaneously, setting key milestones and prioritizing my time based on deadlines is essential. I pride myself on my time management skills and use to-do lists and productivity tools to keep everything running smoothly and satisfy all of my clients.
Tell Me About A Mistake That You Made While Event Planning What Did You Learn From The Experience
The hiring manager might ask this question to gauge your problem-solving abilities and how well you take responsibility for your actions. While it’s important to share a specific time that you made a mistake, the majority of your response should be focused on what you did to resolve the problem and what you learned from it.
Example:”During the middle of planning an event, one of the event coordinators quit. I was overly confident and told my manager that I could handle her responsibilities in addition to mine. I ended up forgetting a few important details that could have caused much bigger problems. I put in some extra hours over the following week to catch up, and while the event went smoothly, I learned the importance of not taking on more than I can handle. I also learned why it’s so important to ask for help when you feel yourself getting overwhelmed rather than let things build up. Since then, I’ve been much better at communicating what I need to my team.”
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Tell Me About A Time That You Had A Very Small Budget For An Event What Was The Outcome
Staying within a budget while trying to meetâor exceedâclient expectations is always a top priority for event planners. The hiring manager may ask this question to evaluate your ability to deliver a great product while staying within the constraints of a small budget. In your answer, show that you have a process and plan for staying within the budget and that you can get creative in order to make the budget work. If you experienced this situation but went over budget, be honest. Share how it was a learning experience and what you would do differently next time.
Example:”I once planned a festival that had a tight budget. It was especially challenging because the organization wanted live bands. We increased the admission price so we could afford the bands we wanted and hired volunteers to work the event to save on costs. The volunteers were excited because they got free admission to see the great bands, and we coordinated for a special meet and greet before the event just for volunteers. The event was successful, and everyone was happy.”
What Is The Largest Function That You Have Organized
This interview question seeks to reveal your experience. While answering this question, make sure that the interviewer is convinced of your event coordination skills and ability. The function you mention must have been successful.
Sample Answer
The largest event that I coordinated was a car meetup of all Audi owners in the country. It had over 10,000 people in attendance, and the parking lot was overflowing with cars. I was given early notice, and the clients were clear on their expectations. We had to work night and day with the vendors and site managers to make it successful. To date, it remains the largest event that I have ever witnessed, leave alone organizing.
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What Are Your Salary Expectations
It is a common habit of the interviewers to ask about your salary expectations during an interview session itself. It is always advised that you share a salary figure that is based on some deep research of the industry to which you belong. Quoting any salary figure that is random and is too high or too low from the median salary would deplete your selection chances.
How Do You Manage Your Stress During Especially Busy Times
Event planners tend to work under tight deadlines, which may lead to feelings of stress. Employers ask this question to make sure you have techniques to keep yourself calm while planning an event. Think about what techniques help you ease feelings of stress and stay focused on what you need to do. Show the interviewer that you can keep a positive attitude in high-pressure situations.
Example:”I’ve noticed that the most stressed I feel during the event planning process is the week before the event. Ever since I figured that out, I have learned to combat these feelings of stress with a brief meditation. Removing myself from my source of stress and taking a few seconds to breathe deeply helps me regain my focus and feel calm once again. Before and after work each day, I take a long walk and use these deep breathing techniques to recharge myself and feel ready to do my best work.”
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