As it turns out, event planning is one of the toughest jobs in the world.
It is not for the faint-hearted, folks! Even research statistics vouches for it, propelling this career path in 5th place among the most stressful jobs out there, just straddling behind dangerous professions like being a soldier and a firefighter.
How can this be possible?
Well, event planning involves a mountain of work. From the initial planning and dealing with logistics to coordinating the team all the while having to maintain positive relationships with clients, there are so many details to take care of.
Needless to say, the rewards of being an event planner are great enough to just pass up which is why you can see the growing demand for this industry.
So, if you have ninja-liked organizational skills that allow you to operate on several events while working against time and budget, then this might earn you some real cash.
But while everyone can make a go for it, what separates the sought-after planners from the regular bunch is that the former understands the importance of the right support. And this is the part where an event planning virtual assistant can make a massive impact.
In this post, we’ll let you in on the best-kept secret of every successful entrepreneur; event planning virtual assistant.
A virtual assistant is an independent professional who offers business-related activities to an entrepreneur or a company.
Typically, the main duties of a VA revolve around administrative work which includes the following:
While others with specialized skills play more complex roles such as; virtual assistants for content creators, graphic designers and social media managers
The bottom line is, the responsibilities of these offshore workers are highly dependent on their client’s needs at the moment and the industry they’re working in.
We all know that planning events can be intimidating. But it doesn’t have to be, you can always delegate tasks to an event planning virtual assistant and have an amazing experience instead of brewing worries.
Like your usual event planner, a virtual event planner focuses on helping clients plan events. This is a remote role where duties rely on the employer’s needs; what occasions they need to celebrate or important meetings they need to set.
While some virtual event planners go beyond online, others solely work remotely. But all in all, the objective is to always work within the customer’s budget and allotted time.
The list of things to do to plan a successful event seems endless. However, we’ve listed some of the tasks that you can throw to your event planning virtual assistant.
Of course, these are just a few, since the support a VA can deliver is pretty much reliant on the uniqueness of every demand.
Finding the right venue is a rough assignment. With considerations escalating from parking, capacity, location and even layout, you’re bound to have a field day at work.
While you can go for the popular spots, they’re not usually commendable because they can be either booked early or really expensive.
Well, well, don’t panic, you can always let your event planning virtual assistant do the initial scouting for venues and make multiple suggestions for you. Whether it’s a business meeting in a conference center or a private dinner at a cheeky restaurant, they can turn these visions into a reality.
By handing it over to your virtual assistant, you can save time making phone calls, sending emails and laying out plans for the next venue stop.
The success of an event relies upon the line of communication. To keep the flow, you have to be in regular contact with different people from vendors, sponsors and guests to caterers.
But a busier line is no problem, your event planning virtual assistant can be your main contact, taking outgoing and incoming calls. With their listening skills and likability, they can easily up the services you deliver.
On average, a person takes around 2 to 3 hours to read through emails and tagged them. With that length, you are bound to a slow start at work.
So, we think that instead of wasting too much time hovering over your inbox, you can just hire an event planning virtual assistant to screen emails, respond to queries and flag important messages that need to be prioritized.
This task might be very basic for an entrepreneur. But scheduling events still eats time, hours that you could’ve used doing the more important stuff.
We promise you, setting that one date when everyone is free can pull your teeth out.
Let your event planning VA take charge, finding the perfect time and event for that one-time gathering while consequently communicating with attendees.
Have you heard the popular phrase that “two heads are better than one?”
As always, working in a group is better than doing it alone. When your headspace is flying to la la land, you can count on your virtual assistant to keep the information flowing.
When planning an event, it’s wise to discuss things and cover some key details such as the budget and other constraints that might snag the event’s progress.
It goes without saying that wrangling logistics is a complex process. Whether it’s renting speakers or hiring a band, keeping things in place for the big day is no easy task.
Fortunately working with an event planning virtual assistant can stir you away from those fretful chores. Your VA can ensure seamless operation, by providing support through the preparation down to the execution.
Four eyeballs can see things better than two, correct?
Outside of bringing a client’s vision to life, being able to sell a project/event is also an essential element of an entrepreneur’s work. We mean, every entrepreneur needs to spin stories on social platforms to create online visibility.
A virtual assistant can help through all this by carefully checking written materials and graphics for errors before it is shared or published.
Yes, your event planning virtual assistant can handle booking arrangements, not just for you, but for the speakers and the sponsors too.
VAs will search fights and come up with the best deals, making sure you and the attendees get to the event on time in a comfortable state.
Negotiating contracts. Selecting the best vendors. Vendor onboarding. Monitoring vendor performance. Monitoring risk. These are the number of activities that entrepreneurs have to deal with when it comes to planning an event.
Vendors need to be managed effectively so that you can also harness the cost savings opportunities in a project. And lucky you, because your event planning virtual assistant can get you there.
Event planning virtual assistant can help you build strong relationships with your vendors by paying them fully on time, and by maintaining communication with them.
With lots of confusion getting thrown at the value of a personal assistant to an event planner, let us be the ones to paint you a clearer picture of the subject. Because apparently, a PA can take a manifold of responsibilities, tailored to support an event planner every step of the way.
A Personal Assistant’s Key Responsibilities:
If you want to plan a successful event, you need to understand that you can’t do it alone.
Streamlining business operations with virtual assistants can lighten the load on your shoulders. From conducting research venue to logistics management, rest assured, every detail of your event planning is being taken care of.
What more can you ask for? Do it now, work with a virtual assistant for event planning and get better values.