The Accidental Event Planner Syndrome (And How to Cure It)

You were hired for sales. And then they mentioned they needed someone to manage participation in the largest tradeshow on island too.

That was me, 30-odd years ago, kicking off my corporate career, determined to prove that I was capable, competent, and worthy of a challenge. Eager to please, I fell into the same trap that so many accidental event planners fall into: thinking that events are glamorous and fun, and that anyone can plan them.

While that’s true, anyone with experience in events (as a full-time career or an occasional one) knows exactly how hard it can be to plan an event well. What started out as an enviable assignment managing tradeshow exhibits for the Guam Business Show quickly morphed into anything but. The excitement wore off, anxiety set in, and I realized I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. Without a playbook, guidelines, or anyone to turn to for advice, I did what anyone would do: I winged it.

Although everything turned out well enough in the end, it was far from ideal. I experienced what many planners navigate routinely: inconsistent communication, unclear goals, and unrealistic timelines. The difference is that seasoned planners usually have built detailed roadmaps and tools for success. I had no map and only vague directions akin to “Turn left at the green house with the coconut tree”. It’s no wonder I felt lost.

Fast forward to when I landed my first full-time role as an event planner for a Fortune 500 organization. I had spent 8 years prior to that figuring out how to plan and execute events on my own but was by no means ready for “the big time” - a team of 18 experienced planners collectively managing over 1,000 events a year, complete with processes, templates, project plans, and binders galore. My early days there felt like an event operations boot camp, instilling in me the value of and need for documentation and standardization to ensure consistency and increase efficiency. It was so ingrained into our ways of working that I assumed it was how every events team ran.

It turned out that assumption was wrong. In the years since, I’ve worked for a number of other organizations managing events both large and small. I’ve worked individually, cross-functionally, and as part of a team of seasoned event professionals. And through it all I’ve learned that many companies don’t have detailed processes and documentation in place, even for events that they execute over and over again. Which basically means they start from scratch every single year.

I know first-hand how hard this can be. I stepped into a role where I managed complex, high-profile events that the organization had sponsored for several years. The previous event manager had left and there was little documentation of how things had been done. I felt desperate for information, and spent weeks combing through files, invoices, and anything else I could find for clues. I wasted a lot of time and energy looking for resources that didn’t exist, feeling stuck and not knowing how to move forward. Without much to go on, I slowly and painfully pieced things together on my own. And then I began to create my own detailed project plans, process documents, and templates, because I didn’t want anyone else to experience the stress and frustration that I had.

Was it a lot of work? Yes. Mapping out processes and creating templates takes time, discipline, and attention to detail. It’s not glamorous work, and it’s not what most people would call fun either. But for me, it was essential. I couldn’t afford not to do it if I wanted my work to be less chaotic, stressful, and anxiety ridden. In every organization I’ve been a part of, there has been a drive to do more with less, to be more efficient, effective, and agile. Results like that don’t just happen. You either spend sleepless nights worrying about them, or you plan for them. And one of the most effective ways to do that is through standardization and documentation.

Do I still wake up in the middle of the night worrying about something I’m convinced I’ve forgotten? Of course. Do I feel sick to my stomach with anxiety on occasion? Yes. But it happens far less than it used to. I’m grateful to work on a team that is process driven. In fact, we’re a little obsessed by it. We have templates and timelines and documentation in place so we can pivot quickly and work together (or individually) seamlessly. If one of us wins the lottery and leaves, whoever takes over has an excellent chance of transitioning smoothly.

Does the idea of stepping away for a week, a day, or even a few hours fill you with dread? Do you panic at the thought of leaving your work in someone else’s hands? Do you worry about all the things that might go wrong or be left unaddressed if you take even a little time off?  Many people would tell you that those reactions are the natural result of working in events. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Systems bring sanity and create peace of mind. Systems provide the structure and stability and confidence to take that time off and enjoy it with no guilt and no compulsive email checking.

Have you ever inherited an event with no documentation and had to piece it together from scratch? I’d love to hear about it.