Every day I receive a lot of applications and every week I conduct interviews for prospective new members of our organization.

I always include the question “Why do you want to be in the events industry?” and most of the times their answer is that the event industry is a fun industry. After this answer I make a follow-up question “Yes its fun but are you aware of the hard work it demands for us to create a fun and great event?” This second question almost always illicit a blank stare.  

A large number of applicants grapple to answer this question. It seems that all they have in mind is the fun and entertainment side of the event. It seems they always place their role when judging the industry as the audience or user of the events. When in fact, as part of the industry they will be the service provider of making the audience or user of the events experience the fun and entertainment they have experienced in attending past events.

Indeed, the truth is that events are fun and some events are entertaining. But there are a lot of events that are created to achieve an objective other than to make it fun and entertaining. And as events professional, we must be prepared to deliver objectives that clients asked us to achieve - most especially, if the objectives are reasonable.

In fact, that is what I advice all of those aspiring to be part of the events industry. As events professional, we are tasked to create an event that meets the objectives of the client often times in the middle of the back draft where scarcity of resources and time are two of our constant companions.

These two companions can shake our spirit and make us lose our focus and bow to pressure, but we are professionals who must battle these two companions until the actual implementation of the event. In the end, hard working and creative event professionals earn the smile and accolades of the clients for an excellent job which is a byproduct of sleepless nights and a lot of near bouts with nervous breakdowns.

Of course, for some sleepless nights and bouts with nervousness are taken as an adrenaline rush savored like the steaming hot coffee in your table.

Events industry is about hard work and creativity. Only those with the passion to be in this industry can withstand the constant pressures. Only those that embrace the challenges that knock everyday at the door of an events company can comprehend the fun part that this industry offers.

So to those who are planning to apply to our organization, you already know how to answer me back once I throw the two questions to you. But even if you answer these two questions that does not guarantee you are in. I guess that is another matter reserved for another discussion.