For Mystery Trip, a team bonding event planning company, communication is key to creating unforgettable events that keep attendees engaged. Courtesy of Dave Green

In today’s meetings and events industry, one of the most important things separating you from the competition is the experience attendees have, and that experience is dependent upon your event team. While it’s no secret that event planning companies face high turnover rates, the cost of replacing an employee is high. Add to that the specific knowledge required for meeting and event planners, and many event professional managers will spend much more time and money finding replacements than they could have spent building a positive team culture that translates into memorable experiences for event attendees.

Leading event planners have responsibilities that go beyond managing multiple to-do lists. They also must work in and/or manage a team of event professionals in planning events. As such, planners need to have a core set of skills for proper team management.

“First, you need to be sure you have the right mix of skills for the tasks that need to be done,” says Jay Klein, meeting planner and chief operating officer at A-Plus Meetings & Incentives.

“The multiple ‘to-do lists’ both for planning and for on-site support is a good start. Given that most planners are ‘control freaks’ by their nature, delegation is probably the most important skill for a team leader.”

That’s not “abdication,” assigning tasks you don’t want to deal with to someone else. Rather, good delegation means figuring out the team member that is best equipped to execute each task. The biggest thing to remember when delegating is to understand the task at hand and who is the best person to handle it based on the skills/knowledge required, their confidence in executing the task, as well as their availability. “Delegation is not about whether team members are ‘good’ or not. It’s about whether they can handle the specific task at hand, either on their own or with coaching,” Klein says.

At A-Plus Meetings & Incentives, they use a combination of personal leadership and supporting technologies as part of their team management process. They also have a project management system for tracking task status and critical path items, a customer service ticket tracking system to make sure no changes/requests fall through the cracks, and they use Slack as a collaboration tool to share information and questions/answers with each team.

“Onsite, we generally use WhatsApp groups to manage our team internally, as well as our hotel, transportation and other vendor partners,” Klein says. “For larger, more complex events, radios are invaluable for communicating to the entire team and getting immediate responses. This is our process for all events and it works exceptionally well.”

Having been a meeting planner for 14 years, Dave Green, chief mysterious officer at Mystery Trip, a team bonding event planning company, understands the nuances involved in effective team management. Green, along with the Mystery Trip team, creates bespoke on- and off-site events and experiences for clients across North America. The “mystery” is that none of the attendees know what they’ll be doing until they arrive.

Green says effective team management in the meeting and events field hinges on a planner’s ability to lead with clarity, inspire cooperation and foster a positive team culture. This requires excellent communication skills to articulate goals and delegate responsibilities clearly. Strong leadership is crucial, as it involves motivating the team, setting a clear vision and being able to nimbly problem solve on the fly.

“Emotional intelligence plays a significant role, too, enabling planners to understand and respond to team members’ emotions, and promoting a supportive and collaborative atmosphere,” Green says.

As Mystery Trip is a small company, they all wear many hats (or, as Green says, “one hat with many brims …”), so it’s important for Green to know each team member’s strengths and designate tasks with their best abilities in mind so they can succeed as efficiently as possible.

“Again, clear communication is key: outline the objectives, expectations and deadlines of each task to prevent confusion,” Green says. “I encourage my team to always ask questions and bounce ideas off me throughout the planning process.”

Jodi Brockington, founder & CEO at NIARA Consulting, coaches and consults with meeting planners on managing teams. She says that key skills for event planners in team management include clear communication, delegation, conflict resolution and leadership.

“Efficient event team management involves setting clear goals, assigning tasks, regular check-ins and adaptability,” Brockington says. “For instance, our team used project management software during a recent conference to coordinate tasks, resulting in seamless collaboration and timely execution.”

Healthy delegation involves understanding team strengths, setting clear expectations, providing necessary resources, offering support and trusting team members to deliver.

“It’s about empowering your team while maintaining accountability,” Brockington says.

Developing A Positive Team Culture

To develop a positive team culture, Klein says it is imperative that there is respect for each other’s capabilities and trust that each person will execute their duties well (with appropriate coaching/advice). That, he says, makes all of the difference.

“Having a little fun along the way and making sure the team is well fed and caffeinated onsite goes a long way as well, since we ask our team often to spend long hours onsite,” Klein says.

Brockington also fosters a positive team culture by promoting open communication, recognizing achievements, fostering collaboration, and creating a supportive environment where team members feel valued and motivated.

In order to manage his team efficiently while working on a project, Green makes sure to prioritize clear communication, structured planning and consistent feedback. The process begins with defining clear roles and responsibilities for each team member, ensuring that everyone knows what is expected of them.

“Regular team meetings and updates are crucial for maintaining alignment and addressing any issues promptly,” Green says.

As his business is all about helping others create positive team cultures, creating culture hits very close to home for Green. It’s all about connecting on a human level and understanding who his team is so he can better help them succeed in their jobs.

“Open and honest communication is at the heart of it all, too. It is so important to me that everyone on my team feels heard, understood and appreciated,” Green says. “I work hard to create an environment of respect and inclusivity, where every contribution is valued and diverse perspectives are embraced. Recognizing and appreciating team members’ hard work and achievements regularly can boost morale and motivation, too.”

Sharon Reus, president of CPG Agency and a veteran of the meetings and events industry, represents a wealth of knowledge in corporate events with decades of experience. She leads the team at CPG, a nationally recognized experiential and event production agency, specializing in the design and execution of large-scale corporate meetings and events.

Because of her extensive team management experience, Reus recognizes that everyone comes into the event industry sideways, it seems. It’s rarely a linear path.

“Event producing isn’t for everyone, especially corporate events. You have to enjoy getting up early and thrive on little sleep; you’ve got to be detail-oriented, and at the same time, keep the big picture in mind; you’ve got to remain calm, even when things are blowing up around you. Events seem to suit my temperament,” Reus says.

She believes the biggest reason for her success in the meetings and events industry and her success at being a team leader is the people who taught her how to navigate this industry. From her early days as a production assistant, she worked with great producers, creative directors and account people who taught her every step of the way.

“They showed me how to treat clients, how to think strategically and how to lead teams,” Reus says. “That was a tremendous gift.”

The first lesson in effective team management that Reus learned is that the way you show up offstage is the way you show up onstage. If your paperwork is sloppy, or if you’re not organized in meetings, that will express itself in a sloppy event.

“We teach our teams to take care with all the elements of an event, from pre-production start to post-production finish,” Reus says.

Second, Reus recognizes that she and her team don’t produce events for themselves. Often, she’ll see less experienced team members get frustrated when a client chooses to do something differently than we would advise.

“The client ultimately has the final say, whether we believe their choice is ‘right’ or not. We are trusted advisors and will give our opinion, but ultimately, if the client chooses not to follow our advice, we will execute gracefully and to the best of our ability,” Reus says. “Getting frustrated because something isn’t the way we want it is an unnecessary drain.”

Finally, Reus would say she’s learned to hire for personality and train for skills. “I can teach someone the difference between a lectern and a podium; it’s harder to teach them to read a room, treat their crew with kindness and stay calm under pressure,” Reus says.

Team Motivation

A big part of proper team management within the events industry is motivating team members to perform well under pressure. Whether a planner chooses to use cash or non-cash awards as your motivational tool, motivational tactics will improve the effectiveness of a team across events both large and small.

Also, uncover what motivates each individual on your event planning team and look for opportunities to give performers what they want beyond financial gain – it may be things like recognition, paid time off or spending a day shadowing leadership.

Remember, annual review time is not the only time when you should acknowledge the work of your team. Take time regularly to recognize people individually. When possible, offer on-the-spot recognition to link the praise with the behavior.

Also, be sure to provide your event planning team with growth opportunities. Give your team members the opportunity to attend industry events, conferences or training programs. Not only will they learn new things, but they will also have the opportunity to socialize with their co-workers and industry peers. These gatherings are a great place to spark innovation and ideas for events that your company may plan in the future.

Leadership Styles in Team Management

Leadership styles play a key role in effective event team management. As Brockington explains, in the event team environment, a balanced leadership style that combines aspects of democratic, transformational and situational leadership is often effective.

“This approach encourages team input, inspires creativity, and adapts to different situations and team dynamics,” Brockington says.

Klein is a big believer that what makes you a leader is that you have followers. A leader needs to walk the talk, delegate appropriately, coach or demonstrate when necessary, explain why a team is doing certain things and welcome input from all team members when issues arise.

“Then, they need to do it with decisiveness, good humor and confidence,” Klein says. “Everything we do needs to be about the attendee experience and the experience for our main client contact. In the planning phase, the entire team needs to put themselves in the shoes of the attendee, thinking through every step of the program. We then need to communicate effectively through a variety of channels to ensure they have all of the information they need. This includes being highly visible onsite to interact with the attendees to be sure they feel taken care of.  A well-constructed, happy team will be able to deliver that experience to the attendees and our main client contact as well.”

Green empowers his team by showing trust and avoiding micromanagement, while still being available for guidance and feedback. “I find this approach not only boosts team members’ skills and confidence, but also fosters a sense of ownership and accountability, leading to more effective and motivated teams,” Green says.

Brockington adds that effective team management and positive team culture translates into successful events by ensuring smooth coordination, high-quality execution and a cohesive team effort. “When team members feel valued and empowered, they are more motivated to deliver exceptional experiences, resulting in memorable events for attendees,” she says.

Starting with a positive team culture and a sense of ownership among Green’s team weeks or months before an event translates to a sense of pride and ownership, leading to high-energy and enthusiastic interactions with attendees, which creates a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

“In a well-coordinated team bonding event, the detailed planning and enthusiastic delivery by my team can turn simple activities like a scavenger hunt or a culinary challenge into memorable experiences that foster connection and camaraderie among participants,” Green says. “By ensuring that the back-end planning is robust and the front-end delivery is dynamic, we can create a cohesive and enjoyable experience that attendees remember long after the event concludes.”   I&FMM