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Planning a meeting can be a stressful endeavor. There’s a long list of things that need to be done right, and often a planner is juggling multiple things at one time, with changes coming in last-minute and demands being made up to the day of the event.

“The number of details to develop and execute conventions and conferences is massive,” says Lauren Nance, chief consultant of Nance Communications, Meetings & Events in Wayne, New Jersey. “The number ensuring those details are carried out successfully places immense amounts of stress on the planner. The responsibility is weighty, and planners feel every ounce of that weight.” Some of the things contributing to the stress are often things a planner cannot control, such as executive decisions, lack of financial support for the plans stakeholders want, lack of cooperation or response from a supplier, or stakeholders who may consider the details needed for early/proper planning not a priority. “Add to it delays, speakers, sponsors or exhibitors who wait until the 11th hour to comply with requested information, inclement weather for outdoor events, or meetings that require air travel that can send a panic through the management team,” Nance says. “Planners are completely vested into every detail needed to create a successful event. Think of it like a puzzle. We can’t relax until all missing pieces of the puzzle are in place.”

The planning industry is a stressful business for numerous reasons, shares Kim Becker, CMP, DES, MBA, president of Emerald Meeting & Event Planning in Louisville, Kentucky. “You are bringing together large groups of people for work or fun, or both, and there is an inherent weight on the meeting planner that all things must go well from start to finish,” she says. “Then, there is the incredible amount of details which need to be thought through, communicated and then put into place, also, the reliance on other people to turn those details the meeting planner has on paper into reality. Other people have to do their jobs in order for the meeting planner to be successful, and that is probably the most stressful thing about it — for me, anyway.”

Laura Mayfield, owner & creative director for Wichita Falls, Texas-based Mayfield Events, notes the essence of a meeting planner’s job is to create a singular event that is as smooth and stress-free as possible for their clients. “This process can take months, or at times, years to plan, and then it culminates into a several-hour execution of those plans,” she says. “The stress of not being able to run simulations of an event prior to the day of is challenging.” In many other high-production jobs, there may be test runs or practice. However, these options are often not afforded in the event world. So, the simulations must take place in the head of the planning team. “In addition, as an event planner, you are also at the mercy of many of your creative partners [A/V, designer, venue, catering, etc.],” Mayfield says. “If one of these partners fails to perform their responsibilities or they are not fully prepared, it is the planner’s job to fix the issue in a rapid manner and in such a way that it doesn’t hinder the event experience.”

Laura Mayfield, owner & creative director of Mayfield Events, says she counts on her team to successfully plan meetings, and they monitor each other for signs of increasing stress.

Meeting Deadlines

There’s no way around it: If deadlines aren’t realistic, a planner isn’t going to meet them. That’s why it’s vital to set reasonable deadlines, and, if possible, include buffer periods in case you run into problems while working on the project. Planners establish aggressive timelines out of a desire to satisfy others and an overestimation of their own and their colleagues’ skills. However, having a backup plan is critical since things seldom go according to plan. For most meeting and event planners, there are not extensions; there are no second chances. “The best possible strategy is to trust the work that you have done — be rested and ready to solve on-site issues that may arise,” Mayfield says. “In addition, I cannot stress the value of a team enough. Having a team to support you during the planning process is essential.”

Dylan Shinholser has an extensive background as a meeting planner for Richmond, Virginia-based Experience Events, and is currently the CXO of the hybrid event software company ViewStub. He notes proper planning and project management play a huge role in decreasing deadline stress long before it’s crunch time. “The key is to lay out a well-structured timeline that gives you plenty of room to accommodate changes, mistakes and any other unplanned circumstances that will pop up, and then consistently work to achieve progress along that timeline,” he says. “Where most people go wrong is either waiting until the last minute or breaking the work up into a series of short and intense sprints, instead of consistently chipping away at it throughout the timeline they’ve created.” However, he adds, it’s important to remain present and focus on the task at hand. “Rather than trying to do 40 things at once, focus on one task at a time, because switching from task to task is wasted time and energy that detracts from making real progress,” Shinholser says. “You have a plan and a timeline; as long as you follow that, you will get everything done in time, so focus on the task in front of you until it’s completed.”

Making Things Easier

To alleviate deadline stress, consider establishing earlier completion dates for tasks, such as adding a day or two, and then rewarding yourself for achieving those deadlines. Additionally, stay accountable. When setting up a meeting, even the most seasoned professionals might lose their feeling of urgency. To keep yourself accountable and to check in with employees, clients or other stakeholders involved in the project, set checkpoints so things don’t creep up fast. Gathering details for events is the equivalent of herding cats. That’s why Nance notes having one searchable digital place where all event details live helps the planner and their team stay informed. “Whether a Google doc, Onenote page, or Google sheet, collecting details in a centralized location helps decrease the stress of searching and mulling for those details,” she says.

Marla Everett, CMP, CMM, CITP, director of consulting solutions for Event Travel Management, in Omaha, Nebraska, also suggests using a timeline and project plan to curtail any problems that could come up causing stress. “This helps to focus on important items at the right time and not to worry about some items until later,” she says. “Sometimes, it is better to wait to complete a task than to complete it too early.” Another tip from Everett is to create a meeting specifications document that holds all planning details. “The key is starting the meeting specifications document immediately when you start working on the meeting, otherwise it becomes too overwhelming to complete,” she says. “It also helps to show the gaps of information and what still needs to be answered. I’ve never had ‘specs’ done before going on-site for a program. They are always a work in progress — but at least I know what is open, which allows me to hand off to on-site staff or vendors to close the item.”

Tiffany Allen, principal, AEA Consulting Firm, a corporate event management company in Glyndon, Maryland, subscribes to the philosophy that “The best defense is a good offense,” explaining that event planners should try to prepare for everything that could possibly go wrong on the big day to avoid deadline stress. “The best strategy to accomplish this is to work your way backward,” she says. “By this, I mean start off by brainstorming with your team everything you need for your event and break that list down into bite-sized questions/tasks.” For instance, if there’s a need for security guards, the team should break that down further into questions, such as the following: “What security vendor will you choose?” “What is the map of the venue?” “Where will the guards be stationed?” “What shifts are needed?” “What is the budget?” — so that you’re fully prepared.

Don’t Let Things Boil

If a meeting planner doesn’t take steps to deal with stress, it eventually can catch up to them and cause serious mental, personal or health problems. “In my experience, planning is a high-burnout, high-turnover field,” Mayfield says. “Unfortunately, most planners do not even see that they are burning out until it is too late to stop it. I have seen wonderful people in my field have very unfortunate crashes, due to stress and overwork. For our team, we check in with each other regularly to monitor what we have found to be the key indicators of burnout.”

Becker adds that if you don’t de-stress, you will burn out, and possibly in a very public and embarrassing way. “We also have to remember to take care of ourselves,” she says. “Your body can’t handle constant stress without making itself sick, and then that doesn’t do anyone any good.”

Everett says to be mindful of the types of tasks that you take on as a planner. “If you are constantly hit by urgent short-term tasks, it will prevent you from taking care of long-term tasks, and then the long-term tasks become urgent,” she says. “Additionally, be mindful about your value and where your time is best spent. I once had a client who insisted that they could roll out the carpet for their exhibit booth on their own rather than paying a vendor to do it. But that took time away from spending with their clients and otherwise prepping content.”

And never be afraid to call for help. Very often there is an “all hands on deck” task that needs to get done, which can get done faster by calling in assistance from a team or hiring others on the meeting project. “I’ve done this for stuffing welcome packets and reprinting of name badges, etc.,” Everett says. “By implementing a laser-focused solution, you can overcome the issue more quickly, allowing you to get back to the other things that you had planned.”

Finally, no matter how much experience one has or how many meetings that have gone perfectly, expect at least one thing to go wrong and plan for it. Leave time in your schedule and give the capacity to your staff to react to the unforeseen.

Alleviating Stress

Being a professional planner involves a level of attention to detail and multitasking few understand. Even with excellent organization, the deadlines are endless, and living a life organized by the minute can harm mental health. One of the best methods Mayfield has found in her career to combat stress is to exercise. “Do something physical to help release the energy that has built during the process,” she says. “The events world has a very high burnout rate. I have found that this is because there is a fantastic ‘high’ that comes from the adrenaline of events and the problem-solving that comes from the adrenaline. While stress can be a wonderful companion to help produce creativity, over time, stress becomes dangerous. I cannot recommend therapy enough to help process the stress and build a sustainable relationship with a high-stress career.”

Kim Becker, CMP, DES, MBA, president of Emerald Meeting & Event planning, left, suggests planners take the time to de-stress, as the stress of the job can cause burnout. John Nation Photography & Center for Interfaith Relations

Confidence in one’s self, Shinholser notes, also plays a significant role in reducing stress. “Intelligent people often doubt themselves when the pressure is on, because that’s our brain’s way of trying to protect us,” he says. “In fact, the more intelligent you are, the more likely you are to face this kind of self-doubt. A simple solution is to compile a list of your successes over the years, and think through the emotions you felt and the challenges you faced in achieving them. This will help to reframe your mindset and restore your confidence. With practice over time, your confidence will become unshakable, allowing you to focus on the event rather than unfounded emotions.”

Deb Das, community manager for HomeGrounds, of Westbury, New York, understands the pressures of deadlines looming and notes there are some simple mind hacks that are available that can help meeting planners manage their stress. “Stress is a signal our bodies send to either escape from a situation or rest,” he says. “Unfortunately, many of us can’t run away from our deadlines, so we’re going to have to run toward them before they run at us. First, however, we should always acknowledge our body’s signal for rest. Your body knows best.”

He has found the best way to know when to rest is by doing the “Stress Bucket” exercise. “Visualize a bucket in your mind filling up with stress. If it starts to spill over the edges, spilling into other aspects of your life, such as sleep or a short temper, then it’s time to take that well-deserved break,” Das says. “Planners must practice self-care and mindfulness to ensure they don’t burn themselves out. But as far as physical tools go, sites such as Headspace.com are lifesavers for managing all that deadline stress, and Monday.com is one of the best planning tools I’ve found to date.”

While self-care is a fun buzzword, and there are some important aspects of a self-care routine that can be incorporated into a meeting planner’s toolkit, it’s not enough when the realities of the day are here. “An important process for any planner looking to have a long-term career is learning to have appropriate boundaries with the event,” Mayfield says. “For me, this meant that I had to trust my experience and my team. It also meant that I had to take active measures to not indulge in the pressure of my job. I found hobbies, friends not in my field, and balance.” She has also learned to celebrate after the meeting or event is over. “Our team takes a personal day to take care of ourselves, but we also have a team deconstruction celebration,” Mayfield says. “We talk about what went right, what went wrong, how we want to adjust for the next event. Then we celebrate the experience.”

Technology is now playing a role in helping people reduce stress as well. Becker, like others, notes there are many apps that focus on meditation or mindfulness, and this is a convenient way for meeting planners to take a quick breather. “You can set your meditation time so even if you only take 5 or 10 minutes each day, over time it will help keep you focused and less stressed,” she says. “Time blocking has been around, but I think it’s gaining popularity again.”

Still, self-care is Becker’s top tip for fighting stress — and she means self-care during the planning process and not just at the end. “I’m a big believer in massage therapy and regular massage therapy every four to six weeks,” Becker says. “Once you begin to get massage therapy on a regular basis, you can feel where your stress is and give your body that break every month to get the kinks worked out. It definitely helps keep a planner in control and focused, because you’ve been able to let it out all along the way of your planning process.”

She does recommend waiting a few days to pamper one’s self when a meeting is over, as the amount of time planners spend on their feet over the course of a three- or four-day meeting creates its own knots in your arms and legs; so you need to give yourself a couple of days of recovery after the meeting before treating yourself.

Nance has also found meditation and yoga breaks are popular with meeting planners, and suggests they can help remove some of the stress of planning a meeting for a while. “I believe, though, that stress can be greatly reduced by advanced planning, strategic communication, and by forging such great relations with venue staff and suppliers, they’ll run through a wall for you,” she says.   | AC&F |