By nature, event professionals are driven to be highly productive in order to meet the demands of our stakeholders and keep all attendees happy. When we get really busy, however, it can be hard to stay on track and accomplish reactionary tasks as well as staying ahead on bigger, more forward-thinking projects.
Here are five ways that highly productive event professionals get more done:
- Trade to-do lists for a calendar
Studies show that less than half of people’s to-do items never get completed. Why? Because the nature of written lists give us the opportunity to push things we don’t want to do to the bottom (and never complete them!). As event pros, we live by deadlines. Using an online calendar as a way of staying on track ensures we meet those deadlines instead of procrastinating.
- Avoid overtime all the time
That’s right, we said no overtime all the time. Being overly busy can equate to lack of focus and wasted energy. We all have a breaking point where our highest level of performance gets compromised by overextending ourselves for long periods of time. Good event professionals prioritize tasks, create backup plans and delegate wherever possible to avoid burning out.
- Bundle up those temptations
A concept introduced by Katherine Milkman of the Wharton School at Penn and featured on Freakonomics is temptation bundling. Tie two polarizing activities together–one you need to do but don’t want to, and one you love to do (such as going to your favourite restaurant, but only when your inbox is clear). Temptation bundling in this way pushes us to get more work done so we can get to the things we really want to do. Event managers can apply this to their design and planning phases by working sequentially and then rewarding themselves along the way (Venue secured? Time for a fancy coffee!).
- Practice Self Care
This means learning to say NO to commitments that don’t add much value or even de-rail you from your most important tasks. Take care of yourself physically, mentally and emotionally. We strive to create experiences that serve our attendees’ needs but we also need to remember to serve our own. This can mean anything from eating well to drinking enough water, staying active, making time for loved ones or simply getting enough sleep.
- Let Technology do the Heavy Lifting
Use the right applications and event management technology to increase your efficiency and help minimize manual or repetitive tasks. Keep notes, discussions, and files in the cloud so every person on your team is on the same page. Good event professionals don’t keep the details in their heads or in a notebook where they can get lost or forgotten.
Event professionals have unique demands that put extra pressure on us to be efficient. Let’s make sure we lean on tools, strategies and technology that can help us work smarter, not harder. There’s nothing more human than that!
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About Attendease
Attendease is the event management platform trusted by teams running some of the world’s biggest, most exciting, design-forward and tech-advanced events. At Attendease, we believe that having the most effective events as part of an overall digital marketing strategy is all about giving organizations the right code, design and access to innovations. With ultimate flexibility in design and integrations, the Attendease powerful platform helps teams focus on developing amazing events that grow great companies. For more information, visit www.eventupplanner.com.