{ "version": "https://jsonfeed.org/version/1", "user_comment": "This feed allows you to read the posts from this site in any feed reader that supports the JSON Feed format. To add this feed to your reader, copy the following URL -- https://www.seebtm.com/en/tag/event-organisation/feed/json/ -- and add it your reader.", "home_page_url": "https://www.seebtm.com/en/tag/event-organisation/", "feed_url": "https://www.seebtm.com/en/tag/event-organisation/feed/json/", "title": "SEE Business travel & meetings magazine", "description": "Magazin za oblast poslovnih putovanja i kongresnog turizma Jugoisto\u010dne Evrope", "items": [ { "id": "https://www.seebtm.com/en/how-to-deal-with-stress-in-the-event-planning-industry/", "url": "https://www.seebtm.com/en/how-to-deal-with-stress-in-the-event-planning-industry/", "title": "How to Deal with Stress in the Event Planning Industry?", "content_html": "

Did you know that the job of event manager / planner \u2013 according to numerous annual surveys related to stressful jobs \u2013 always ends up in the top ten? What\u2019s more, over the last five years it\u2019s been rapidly climbing these lists, and the latest surveys show that this line of work comes in fifth \u2013 right behind soldiers, generals, firefighters, and pilots.

\n

Careercast.com has developed a special rating method that points out to different specifics of certain job groups \u2013 whose common denominator is stress. Further each of these specifics is considered on its own: is the job physically demanding, does it require frequent travel, is there room for advancement, are there deadlines, does it involve the public, does it pose risks to the lives of the person doing it or other people, does it involve competition, and is it subject to any outside factors, for example those dictated by the environment.
\nYou\u2019ll agree that the result is not surprising \u2013 event management professionals come in fifth.

\n

If you\u2019re involved in event management \u2013 either directly or indirectly \u2013 don\u2019t let the statistics scare you. Remember that despite all the effort, hard work, and planning, you can\u2019t have everything under control always.

\n

Being a professional in this business doesn\u2019t necessarily mean that you must predict every possible issue or complication every time something comes up at an event you planned. Being a professional means that you accept the fact that this isn\u2019t always possible. In our line of work, the first lesson is that which pertains to reducing stress. The quicker you accept it, the more time you\u2019ll have to react when the situation requires a quick response!

\n

\"\"Let\u2019s consider the following situation: the event is about to start, and someone spilled a drink over the middle area of the carpet in the conference room, right in front of the stage. This is something you most definitely did not plan for could have done anything about. At this point,for starters, the single most important thing is that you take a deep breath, normalize your heartbeat as much as possible, completely eliminate the stress that \u2013 without a doubt \u2013 must be overwhelming, and start resolving the issue before the attendees enter the room.
\nFor example, you could move a plant to the spot on the carpet. The more level headed you are, the more quickly the solution will emerge. Skills to understand can be helpful in this case and You can read about them in the article Develop a Skill to Understand Yourself and Others.

\n

Lesson number two pertains to your smile. Never drop your smile in front of your client. The reasoning behind this is simple and backed by science \u2013 people who smile a lot experience evidently lower stress levels thanks to two happiness hormones: serotonin and endorphins.

\n

Science has proven that even what we call a fake smile can sooths us and help
\nus relax when in stressful or tense situations. Not mention another very important benefit of smiling \u2013 it makes all your attendees (including your client) feel secure and safe, trusting
\nthat you have the situation under your control no matter what. Indeed, this is your job exactly.

\n

It\u2019s interesting that in Western countries there are forms of smile therapy used in treating stress. It is crucial that you never ever lose your nerve. And you\u2019ll agree that this isn\u2019t always easy and simple. However, if we look at this from a different perspective, should this happen to you, you could be well on your way to ruining the entire event you worked so hard and diligent on. When a situation arises that indicates a catastrophe, always ask yourself this: \u201cWhat\u2019s the worst that could happen?\u201d The event is already underway, so you can\u2019t really stop it. Stay calm and quickly deal with your priorities. Separate the \u201eurgent\u201d from the \u201eimportant\u201d and get down to it.

\n

\"\"If your calmly and politely speaking to the person who should help or assist you in resolving the situation is futile, be even more polite and ask that person to call another coworker or a superior to continue your communication. Including new people in the conversation almost always leads to solutions. Next on our advice list is people management. If you want to be overcoming obstacles and unforeseen situations on your own \u2013 without any help or assistance from others \u2013 we must tell you that this just isn\u2019t possible. This job mandates teamwork regardless of you being the individual in charge of the event planning itself.

\n

So if any segment goes wrong, or if the event is heading toward a direction that was not planned for, it is important to have people on your team whom you can rely on. In these situations, the people supporting you should be dealing with the participants \u2013 in line with
\nthe instructions they received from you \u2013 while you\u2019re troubleshooting the problem. Stress levels decrease very quickly when you know that there\u2019s someone close by who will assist you and keep everything in connection with the participants under control.

\n

Finally, perhaps the most important advice of all mentioned to help you lower your stress level as much as possible \u2013 be self-critical. Acknowledge and embrace all your faults and virtues. Remember that you \u2013 if you are honest to yourself \u2013 are the only person who really knows if everything at an event you planned went well and if there were any omissions. And even if there were, don\u2019t deny them. Analyze each one and learn from them. What led to the situation that made you lose your nerve? Or be in a bad mood? Maybe you were under stress because you kept thinking about the possible unforeseen situations that never even came about?

\n

\"\"If you adopt this attitude and have an open mind, you won\u2019t repeat the same mistakes next time. Determine whether your behavior has a pattern in these situations. If the answer to this question is yes, change your approach.

\n

Despite the fact from the beginning of this article stating that the event manager profession is one of the five most stressful jobs, there are countless methods that you can use to eliminate stress entirely or \u2013 if that\u2019s not possible \u2013 then at least reduce it to a reasonable level. Change the things you can change \u2013 one of them being the way you deal with stress. Try to always be prepared, take breaks whenever possible, set realistic expectations of what you are doing, and in turn this will help you lead a healthier life.

\n

The more attention you give to these things, the more you will realize that the stress you feel when planning events is lower, and each next step goes better than the last. We also believe that changing mind of perspective can be very helpful, and more on this subject read in article Yoga as a Way of Life. So breathe in fresh air, believe in yourself and your planning and organizational skills, work on them every day and modify them to different situations, and your mind and your event will be grateful in the end!

\n

The post How to Deal with Stress in the Event Planning Industry? appeared first on SEE Business travel & meetings magazine.

\n", "content_text": "Did you know that the job of event manager / planner \u2013 according to numerous annual surveys related to stressful jobs \u2013 always ends up in the top ten? What\u2019s more, over the last five years it\u2019s been rapidly climbing these lists, and the latest surveys show that this line of work comes in fifth \u2013 right behind soldiers, generals, firefighters, and pilots.\nCareercast.com has developed a special rating method that points out to different specifics of certain job groups \u2013 whose common denominator is stress. Further each of these specifics is considered on its own: is the job physically demanding, does it require frequent travel, is there room for advancement, are there deadlines, does it involve the public, does it pose risks to the lives of the person doing it or other people, does it involve competition, and is it subject to any outside factors, for example those dictated by the environment.\nYou\u2019ll agree that the result is not surprising \u2013 event management professionals come in fifth.\nIf you\u2019re involved in event management \u2013 either directly or indirectly \u2013 don\u2019t let the statistics scare you. Remember that despite all the effort, hard work, and planning, you can\u2019t have everything under control always.\nBeing a professional in this business doesn\u2019t necessarily mean that you must predict every possible issue or complication every time something comes up at an event you planned. Being a professional means that you accept the fact that this isn\u2019t always possible. In our line of work, the first lesson is that which pertains to reducing stress. The quicker you accept it, the more time you\u2019ll have to react when the situation requires a quick response!\nLet\u2019s consider the following situation: the event is about to start, and someone spilled a drink over the middle area of the carpet in the conference room, right in front of the stage. This is something you most definitely did not plan for could have done anything about. At this point,for starters, the single most important thing is that you take a deep breath, normalize your heartbeat as much as possible, completely eliminate the stress that \u2013 without a doubt \u2013 must be overwhelming, and start resolving the issue before the attendees enter the room.\nFor example, you could move a plant to the spot on the carpet. The more level headed you are, the more quickly the solution will emerge. Skills to understand can be helpful in this case and You can read about them in the article Develop a Skill to Understand Yourself and Others.\nLesson number two pertains to your smile. Never drop your smile in front of your client. The reasoning behind this is simple and backed by science \u2013 people who smile a lot experience evidently lower stress levels thanks to two happiness hormones: serotonin and endorphins.\nScience has proven that even what we call a fake smile can sooths us and help\nus relax when in stressful or tense situations. Not mention another very important benefit of smiling \u2013 it makes all your attendees (including your client) feel secure and safe, trusting\nthat you have the situation under your control no matter what. Indeed, this is your job exactly.\nIt\u2019s interesting that in Western countries there are forms of smile therapy used in treating stress. It is crucial that you never ever lose your nerve. And you\u2019ll agree that this isn\u2019t always easy and simple. However, if we look at this from a different perspective, should this happen to you, you could be well on your way to ruining the entire event you worked so hard and diligent on. When a situation arises that indicates a catastrophe, always ask yourself this: \u201cWhat\u2019s the worst that could happen?\u201d The event is already underway, so you can\u2019t really stop it. Stay calm and quickly deal with your priorities. Separate the \u201eurgent\u201d from the \u201eimportant\u201d and get down to it.\nIf your calmly and politely speaking to the person who should help or assist you in resolving the situation is futile, be even more polite and ask that person to call another coworker or a superior to continue your communication. Including new people in the conversation almost always leads to solutions. Next on our advice list is people management. If you want to be overcoming obstacles and unforeseen situations on your own \u2013 without any help or assistance from others \u2013 we must tell you that this just isn\u2019t possible. This job mandates teamwork regardless of you being the individual in charge of the event planning itself.\nSo if any segment goes wrong, or if the event is heading toward a direction that was not planned for, it is important to have people on your team whom you can rely on. In these situations, the people supporting you should be dealing with the participants \u2013 in line with\nthe instructions they received from you \u2013 while you\u2019re troubleshooting the problem. Stress levels decrease very quickly when you know that there\u2019s someone close by who will assist you and keep everything in connection with the participants under control.\nFinally, perhaps the most important advice of all mentioned to help you lower your stress level as much as possible \u2013 be self-critical. Acknowledge and embrace all your faults and virtues. Remember that you \u2013 if you are honest to yourself \u2013 are the only person who really knows if everything at an event you planned went well and if there were any omissions. And even if there were, don\u2019t deny them. Analyze each one and learn from them. What led to the situation that made you lose your nerve? Or be in a bad mood? Maybe you were under stress because you kept thinking about the possible unforeseen situations that never even came about?\nIf you adopt this attitude and have an open mind, you won\u2019t repeat the same mistakes next time. Determine whether your behavior has a pattern in these situations. If the answer to this question is yes, change your approach.\nDespite the fact from the beginning of this article stating that the event manager profession is one of the five most stressful jobs, there are countless methods that you can use to eliminate stress entirely or \u2013 if that\u2019s not possible \u2013 then at least reduce it to a reasonable level. Change the things you can change \u2013 one of them being the way you deal with stress. Try to always be prepared, take breaks whenever possible, set realistic expectations of what you are doing, and in turn this will help you lead a healthier life.\nThe more attention you give to these things, the more you will realize that the stress you feel when planning events is lower, and each next step goes better than the last. We also believe that changing mind of perspective can be very helpful, and more on this subject read in article Yoga as a Way of Life. So breathe in fresh air, believe in yourself and your planning and organizational skills, work on them every day and modify them to different situations, and your mind and your event will be grateful in the end!\nThe post How to Deal with Stress in the Event Planning Industry? appeared first on SEE Business travel & meetings magazine.", "date_published": "2017-06-09T13:50:53+02:00", "date_modified": "2017-12-13T12:46:27+01:00", "author": { "name": "Milica Novak", "url": "https://www.seebtm.com/en/author/milicanovak/", "avatar": "https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/Milica-Novak.jpg" }, "image": "https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/bigstock-137787155.jpg", "tags": [ "event industry", "event manager", "event organisation", "stress", "tension", "Hot topics" ] }, { "id": "https://www.seebtm.com/en/event-organisation-as-an-integral-part-of-ngo-activities/", "url": "https://www.seebtm.com/en/event-organisation-as-an-integral-part-of-ngo-activities/", "title": "Event Organisation as an Integral Part of NGO Activities", "content_html": "

Non-governmental organisations are non-profit organisations and they represent a specific form of organizing of citizens, with the often-used term \u2018\u2019citizen association\u2019\u2019 and \u2018\u2019civil society\u2019\u2019, founded with an objective of contributing to promotion of people’s living in the environment in which they act, to democratic development and enforcement of political, economical and social reforms, as well as to the rights of citizens in freedom of thinking, religious and cultural beliefs and preferences.

\n

One of the useful definitions of civil society is that it is: \u2018\u2019A sphere of institutions, organisations and individuals, located among family, state and market, in which people participate voluntarily in order to promote common interests.\u201c

\n

The original task of non-governmental organisations in transition societies was to provide human and political rights, which is why they often came into conflicts with the governing regime.

\n

The promotion of people\u2019s living in the environment in which they live is a common goal of the non-governmental sector and the media, therefore their close cooperation is an ultimate necessity, in order for the media and interest groups to familiarize with the subject of work of non-governmental organisations and their role in the society.

\n

The NGO work requires constant familiarizing of the target groups and the media with the problems of the society which they are dealing with, therefore organising of press conferences, round tables, seminars, debates and all other types of events makes an integral part of each NGO activities, and we might say that the activity of these organisations is measured with the number of events organised or attended by them during one year. The events organised by the NGO sector should possess a dash of attractiveness, in order for the cooperation between them and the media to be more successful.

\n

\"nvo\"In the beginning of 2011, SEEbtm magazine conducted a survey among the non-governmental organisations from Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia on importance of event organisation in the activities of these organisations.

\n

All the NGOs which responded to the survey agreed with the statement that organisation of and attendance at the seminars and conferences is extremely important in their operations.

\n

At these events, they have an opportunity of presenting their work, their opinions and information, as well as to get an insight in other\u2019s opinions and work, and, as the people from the NGO – Citizen Initiatives from Belgrade say, organisation of and attendance at\u00a0such events make an integral part of their operations.

\n

The people from the Youth Centre Vermont agree on the fact that such manner enables constant education and following of the trends in the area in which they act. In addition to that, every project within some NGO has also a part related to its presentation to the public, through press conferences, round tables, and similar.

\n

At the end of each year, non-governmental organisations adopt annual plans of activities for the following year, and plan events in accordance therewith. Also, each month they adopt monthly plans, which elaborate the activities accompanying the realization of the projected annual plan in detail, along with some possible new, additional activities, depending upon the situation and the current status.

\n

\u2018\u2019Very important, significant and motivating for many members, participation in events provides exchange of experiences, knowledge, but also realization of a series of contacts and mobility of people\u201c, emphasizes Mr. Samir Halilovic from Democratic Centre Nove Nade from B&H.

\n

Goce Todoroski, the executive director of the Centre for Civil Initiative from Macedonia, says: \u201cAttendance at the events of various profiles is very important in our organisation\u2019s functioning. Participation in such events provides our organisation with new information, new knowledge, discovery of new partners, new funds, and similar. Many of these events have helped us to endorse our opinions or to correct them. That is why we estimate the attendance at seminars, conferences, and similar as very important.\u201d

\n

On average, the regional NGOs organize various kinds of events once a month, and we can say that, on average, they plan event organisation 30 days in advance. As far as duration of event is concerned, the events organized or attended are mostly one-day events, although, of course, there are some events which last longer, mostly up to 2 days.

\n

The people from the Centre for Civil Initiative of Macedonia say that the time for planning organisation in advance depends on type of event, whether it is one-day event or lasts several days, on number of participants, and similar, but it is not less than 30 days. When it comes to the events which last several days, with the participants from several countries who need to be provided with airplane tickets, or other types of transportation, accommodation (visas), a required protocol for the persons on certain positions and similar, the organisation starts more than 60 days in advance, emphasize the people from the Centre.

\n

As far as the location is concerned, NGOs organize events in the country in which they operate and in which they have representative office. Besides that, they choose the location based on experience and service which has previously satisfied them, as well as based on the project activities determining their users. The explicitly mentioned destinations are Belgrade, Novi Sad, Novi Pazar, Banja Luka, Sarajevo, Tuzla, Doboj, Br\u010dko, Teslic, Jahorina, Kotor, Cetinje, Podgorica, Ohrid, Prilep, Skopje, Pristina.

\n

\"nvo_02\"The results of the survey, in answer to the question \u2018\u2019what is the most important at choosing the location, venue and possible event organisation agency\u2019\u2019, show that, for the non-governmental organisations in the region of Southeast Europe, an adequate capacity of congress and training rooms comes to the first place with the share of 15.4 %, followed by almost equally important criteria such as price, experience and professionalism in organisation, with 13.7% and 12.9% respectively.

\n

Behind cost price and experience, by importance, come the very location of the hotel, then the quality of accommodation, convention contents and technical equipment, food and service in hotel/restaurant and other criteria less affecting choice of location and conference and training venue (Chart: Factors influencing choice of venue and agency for events organized by NGOs in the SEE region).

\n

A standard also mentioned as important is architectural accessibility and quality of accommodation for persons with disabilities. The people from the organisation HO Partner from Banja Luka emphasize: \u2018\u2019It is very important for our staff and participants in trainings that the room is accessible for wheelchairs, the bed is tall, the toilet is wide enough, the toilet seat is tall, and similar. It would be good that these standards are requested by other organisations as well, because it happens to us that we are not able to participate in the seminars organized by others due to non-existence of adequate conditions for wheelchair users.\u201d

\n

\"chart

\n

The post Event Organisation as an Integral Part of NGO Activities appeared first on SEE Business travel & meetings magazine.

\n", "content_text": "Non-governmental organisations are non-profit organisations and they represent a specific form of organizing of citizens, with the often-used term \u2018\u2019citizen association\u2019\u2019 and \u2018\u2019civil society\u2019\u2019, founded with an objective of contributing to promotion of people’s living in the environment in which they act, to democratic development and enforcement of political, economical and social reforms, as well as to the rights of citizens in freedom of thinking, religious and cultural beliefs and preferences.\nOne of the useful definitions of civil society is that it is: \u2018\u2019A sphere of institutions, organisations and individuals, located among family, state and market, in which people participate voluntarily in order to promote common interests.\u201c\nThe original task of non-governmental organisations in transition societies was to provide human and political rights, which is why they often came into conflicts with the governing regime.\nThe promotion of people\u2019s living in the environment in which they live is a common goal of the non-governmental sector and the media, therefore their close cooperation is an ultimate necessity, in order for the media and interest groups to familiarize with the subject of work of non-governmental organisations and their role in the society.\nThe NGO work requires constant familiarizing of the target groups and the media with the problems of the society which they are dealing with, therefore organising of press conferences, round tables, seminars, debates and all other types of events makes an integral part of each NGO activities, and we might say that the activity of these organisations is measured with the number of events organised or attended by them during one year. The events organised by the NGO sector should possess a dash of attractiveness, in order for the cooperation between them and the media to be more successful.\nIn the beginning of 2011, SEEbtm magazine conducted a survey among the non-governmental organisations from Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia on importance of event organisation in the activities of these organisations.\nAll the NGOs which responded to the survey agreed with the statement that organisation of and attendance at the seminars and conferences is extremely important in their operations.\nAt these events, they have an opportunity of presenting their work, their opinions and information, as well as to get an insight in other\u2019s opinions and work, and, as the people from the NGO – Citizen Initiatives from Belgrade say, organisation of and attendance at\u00a0such events make an integral part of their operations.\nThe people from the Youth Centre Vermont agree on the fact that such manner enables constant education and following of the trends in the area in which they act. In addition to that, every project within some NGO has also a part related to its presentation to the public, through press conferences, round tables, and similar.\nAt the end of each year, non-governmental organisations adopt annual plans of activities for the following year, and plan events in accordance therewith. Also, each month they adopt monthly plans, which elaborate the activities accompanying the realization of the projected annual plan in detail, along with some possible new, additional activities, depending upon the situation and the current status.\n\u2018\u2019Very important, significant and motivating for many members, participation in events provides exchange of experiences, knowledge, but also realization of a series of contacts and mobility of people\u201c, emphasizes Mr. Samir Halilovic from Democratic Centre Nove Nade from B&H.\nGoce Todoroski, the executive director of the Centre for Civil Initiative from Macedonia, says: \u201cAttendance at the events of various profiles is very important in our organisation\u2019s functioning. Participation in such events provides our organisation with new information, new knowledge, discovery of new partners, new funds, and similar. Many of these events have helped us to endorse our opinions or to correct them. That is why we estimate the attendance at seminars, conferences, and similar as very important.\u201d\nOn average, the regional NGOs organize various kinds of events once a month, and we can say that, on average, they plan event organisation 30 days in advance. As far as duration of event is concerned, the events organized or attended are mostly one-day events, although, of course, there are some events which last longer, mostly up to 2 days.\nThe people from the Centre for Civil Initiative of Macedonia say that the time for planning organisation in advance depends on type of event, whether it is one-day event or lasts several days, on number of participants, and similar, but it is not less than 30 days. When it comes to the events which last several days, with the participants from several countries who need to be provided with airplane tickets, or other types of transportation, accommodation (visas), a required protocol for the persons on certain positions and similar, the organisation starts more than 60 days in advance, emphasize the people from the Centre.\nAs far as the location is concerned, NGOs organize events in the country in which they operate and in which they have representative office. Besides that, they choose the location based on experience and service which has previously satisfied them, as well as based on the project activities determining their users. The explicitly mentioned destinations are Belgrade, Novi Sad, Novi Pazar, Banja Luka, Sarajevo, Tuzla, Doboj, Br\u010dko, Teslic, Jahorina, Kotor, Cetinje, Podgorica, Ohrid, Prilep, Skopje, Pristina.\nThe results of the survey, in answer to the question \u2018\u2019what is the most important at choosing the location, venue and possible event organisation agency\u2019\u2019, show that, for the non-governmental organisations in the region of Southeast Europe, an adequate capacity of congress and training rooms comes to the first place with the share of 15.4 %, followed by almost equally important criteria such as price, experience and professionalism in organisation, with 13.7% and 12.9% respectively.\nBehind cost price and experience, by importance, come the very location of the hotel, then the quality of accommodation, convention contents and technical equipment, food and service in hotel/restaurant and other criteria less affecting choice of location and conference and training venue (Chart: Factors influencing choice of venue and agency for events organized by NGOs in the SEE region).\nA standard also mentioned as important is architectural accessibility and quality of accommodation for persons with disabilities. The people from the organisation HO Partner from Banja Luka emphasize: \u2018\u2019It is very important for our staff and participants in trainings that the room is accessible for wheelchairs, the bed is tall, the toilet is wide enough, the toilet seat is tall, and similar. It would be good that these standards are requested by other organisations as well, because it happens to us that we are not able to participate in the seminars organized by others due to non-existence of adequate conditions for wheelchair users.\u201d\n\nThe post Event Organisation as an Integral Part of NGO Activities appeared first on SEE Business travel & meetings magazine.", "date_published": "2011-07-13T11:55:54+02:00", "date_modified": "2016-12-08T10:48:00+01:00", "author": { "name": "Miona Milic", "url": "https://www.seebtm.com/en/author/miona/", "avatar": "https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG-20240224-WA0003-e1728981138373.jpg" }, "image": "https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/GrafikonENGL.jpg", "tags": [ "event organisation", "Non-governmental organisations", "Hot topics", "Statistics" ] } ] }