Event planners aren’t putting out literal fires — but they often feel like it.
They’re consistently ranked among the most stressed professionals in the world, next to firefighters, surgeons and emergency dispatchers. That’s likely due to factors inherent to the job, including unpredictable hours and extensive problem solving. But the current state of the events industry isn’t helping either: Thanks to trends of staffing shortages, budgetary constraints and late registration, planners end up with fewer helping hands, more hats to wear and less information to work with.
As stress and burnout run rampant, many event planners find their personal lives falling to the wayside. So how do they recognize the need for improved work-life balance? Where can they start, and what tools and tricks can they use to get back on track?
Here’s what three busy event professionals had to say about restoring a sustainable rhythm at work and at home.
Know the Signs
Fixing a problem requires acknowledging the problem exists. For meeting and event planners, it can be challenging to recognize the signs of an unbalanced work and personal life until it’s too late. They need to be on the lookout for some of the most common signs that things are amiss.
“I think some signs would be whenever our expectation conflicts with what our experience is,” said Naomi Tucker, founder of Planners on Purpose, a coaching firm dedicated to helping event planners maintain harmony between work and life.
This conflict could look like missed deadlines, disappointed clients or lackluster events. Everyone has off days or difficult projects, but if expectations aren’t being met on a routine basis, that’s a sign things are falling through the cracks and the planner needs to take inventory of their workload.
Angie Johnston, owner and lead planner for Colorado-based event planning company Sapphire Celebrations, said another sign is missing out on the things that are really important, like family time or even sleep: “A sign is if they’re working at 2 a.m. all the time, or if they’re always on the phone with clients instead of watching their kids’ sporting events.”
Another sign may be how a planner feels about their work. If dread or anxiety are the primary emotion that comes with clocking in, it may be well past time to change things.
If a planner is starting from a position of being completely overwhelmed or burnt out, it may be beneficial to reevaluate how they feel about the industry and their job. Huong Nguyen, founder and CEO of Shiloh Events, recommends “slowing it down, remembering what your purpose and your event vision is” when planners find themselves feeling unbalanced.
“To fuel your midnight oil, ask the purpose of what you’re doing; remind yourself why you’re doing it,” said Nguyen. “It’s getting out of the weeds and being able to get a high-level vision.”
Set Boundaries
Boundaries are an important part of maintaining separation between home and work, which can lead to more fulfilling and focused time spent on each.
“I set boundaries with my clients without them even knowing it sometimes,” Johnston said. “I always say this lovingly, but not every emergency is really something I need to deal with on a Sunday morning at 7 o’clock.”
One of the best ways for planners to set boundaries is to communicate expectations for when they will or won’t be available. Informing clients that they won’t respond to emails late at night or on certain days of the week can keep the clients from becoming demanding and allow the planner to enjoy life outside of their job.
Johnston also recommends using a calendar-planning app, such as Calendly, that lets clients schedule time with a planner based on availability. That means clients can still book time to discuss their concerns as they occur but not at a time that interrupts the planner after hours.
“Event planners are often yes-people; when we’re given a project we want to say ‘yes,’” said Nguyen. “But taking a step back and understanding what you can output and slowing it down is important. At the end of the day, planners should clearly communicate and be transparent with their boundaries.”
It’s not just clients event planners need to set boundaries with; they also need to have strong boundaries with their employers — and themselves.
In addition to honestly communicating working hours and what they’re able to produce, planners should incorporate breaks, vacations, and physical and mental wellness into their schedules. Sticking to this discipline helps them prioritize their health and their life outside of work.
Johnston implements tricks like color-blocking on her calendar to make sure she’s getting a healthy balance of work, family and personal activities into her week.
It’s also important to have preventative mental health measures in place to avoid burnout.
“You can have a stress management plan on how you can do different things to mitigate the burnout, like taking walks, journaling and doing things to resolve your stress,” said Tucker.
Communicate Openly
Honesty is always the best policy, including on an events team. That’s because isolation and noncommunication in the workplace are major causes of work-life issues.
Many event planners feel stigma or shame about asking for help. They may think they will be perceived as less competent if they ask for a lighter workload or an extension to complete their duties. This can easily add up to working unmanageable hours, feeling extreme stress or being burnt out, which can result in absenteeism and lost productivity.
“It’s important we’re able to talk about it, because many of us struggle in silence until we put in our two weeks,” Tucker said.
For event planners who are employed at an agency or work with a team, Tucker recommended being open with their leadership, especially if they’re struggling.
Johnston agreed.
“Make sure you’re communicating to your superiors, your peers and your family so they can hold you accountable to what it is you’re trying to do,” she said. “That way you don’t burn out and go crazy.”
For event planners who are self-employed or contract workers, one of the best ways to balance work with life is to ensure they are delegating tasks. Whether that’s turning to AI to help manage their workload or employing an assistant to help with day-to-day details of planning, determining what’s necessary to do themselves and what they can take off their plates is a helpful way to make sure they’re not doing too much.
It’s also important for planners to be honest with themselves about the work they can comfortably take on; if they don’t know their limits, they may be continually biting off more than they can chew.
“I think knowing your capacity is No. 1, in terms of knowing within a given day how much output can you produce,” said Nguyen.
Lead Intentionally
Lead event planners and business owners are captains at the helms of their ships, responsible for events and for their teams. They have a lot of say in making sure their employees are supported and have a healthy work-life balance.
The first way to ensure that employees aren’t being overwhelmed is by allocating staff appropriately. Nguyen recommends assigning at least two planners to each task.
“When I have a project coming on, I never assign a single person on it, even if it’s as simple as venue sourcing, I have two people to back each other up,” Nguyen said.
This is very important when the events are taking place because they often entail 16-hour days for multiple days. Giving staff appropriate resources, assigning them to work in shifts, giving them breaks and prioritizing downtime can help everyone think clearly and tend to their other priorities.
Another way to help is to set clear staff expectations. There should be a service level agreement in place that lets them know when they’re expected to be reachable and the time frame they have to respond to communication.
Giving employees flexible hours, especially for remote work, can also help them take care of their life outside of work, from personal wellness to parenting responsibilities. Some employers could even offer flex hours to make up for especially busy seasons.
Lead planners can also provide their employees benefits or at least point them in the direction of resources, including mental health resources.
“It’s good to take a look at your employee support programs and benefits available,” said Tucker. “It could also be bringing them in to talk more about stress and overwhelm so you’re opening the conversation and pointing people toward the resources.”
Ultimately, setting a good example for employees is the best way to promote balance.
“I think a big thing is encouraging them to do all the things I’m doing myself, like taking vacations, finding hobbies that take them away from their work, making sure they understand that work-life balance is only going to make them a better member of our team,” Johnston said.
