For Senior Event Manager Ellie James, the end of the year period gave her the opportunity to reflect on the pain points of the past year and identify areas for improvement in event management.
We sat down with her to discuss her year-long project aimed at helping event managers streamline tasks, reduce oversights, and consistently meet client expectations.
“This is how you get events done.”
“Without established processes, events simply won’t happen,” says Ellie. She highlights the many benefits of a structured approach, including setting clear standards, enhancing productivity, and reducing the overall workload.
Sometimes, more access means less work
During the post-event reporting period, event managers and accountants often find themselves buried under a mountain of invoices and spreadsheets.
Seeking to reduce paperwork and streamline communication, Ellie implemented a system that grants event managers direct access to the accounting platform. This allows them to upload invoices for payment and code income and expenses directly, fast-tracking the tedious reporting process.
Now, event managers no longer depend on accountants for transaction reports or invoice submissions, freeing accountants from administrative work. This change also minimises the back-and-forth needed to verify accounting codes, as event managers with the necessary knowledge can manage this aspect independently.
Ellie advises reviewing the number of people involved in each task to determine if everyone is essential for task completion. She also recommends reviewing system permissions to ensure team members have the access they need.
“The solutions may seem obvious, but without dedicating time to review your current processes, they might not become clear at all,” says Ellie.
Positioning the team for change
Some people embrace change, while others prefer to stick with “the way it’s always been”.
So, how do you communicate changes in event management to your team and ensure they understand and embrace them?
It helps that Ellie is a “practising” event manager. She’s on the ground with the team she leads. She knows what works and what doesn’t.
She engaged her team early on by soliciting their opinions on existing processes and suggestions for improvements. “Even if you think you know the solution, involving the team is crucial. It builds consensus and can’t happen if you bypass them,” she emphasises.
By the time Ellie was ready to finalise the new process, she had two advocates who had tested it and provided valuable feedback. Embracing change takes time, so she checks in with the team every six months and annually to review the process together.
Tools for better event management
Asana and Harvest serve as essential tools for our event management process. We have created templates in Asana, such as the Critical Path, that can be replicated for each event.
Meanwhile, Harvest aligns with contract deliverables, allowing us to effectively track our efforts throughout the event cycle.
Together, these tools provide a reliable framework for managing events, with Ellie noting, “it has worked very well for us“.
Keeping essential details front and centre
How does a high-performing team in a high-pressure environment ensure that critical details aren’t overlooked? “It all comes down to having the right processes in place,” says Ellie.
“Additionally, breaking the event into daily tasks and assigning reminders and firm deadlines in a project management tool like Asana is key.” For example, teams can input accommodation attrition policies, supplier deadlines, and payment schedules into Asana.
Organising an event is a large undertaking, making it essential for event managers to work from milestones. This approach ensures they know exactly what needs to be accomplished each day.
Change can be exciting, but it’s not always welcomed.
As Ellie reminds us, the goal of change should be to simplify our lives – not to disrupt existing workflows or suggest that current methods are wrong. “It’s about helping event managers efficiently get things done and move on to the next task. Effective processes enable this while impressing clients,” says Ellie.
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What project management tool do you use for event management, and how are you maximising its features? Share your thoughts in the comments below!