Interview with Anita

I was delighted to share my experiences when a college student studying event management emailed the following questions for an assignment of interviewing an industry professional.

How long have you been involved in this industry?
I’ve been managing projects, events, trainings and workshops since 1998. I’ve owned Reach Partners since 2005 and was employed by the company from 1998 to 2005.

What education did you receive before getting involved in the industry?
I have a B.S. degree from a liberal arts college (Concordia College, Moorhead) and majored in political science with a minor in women’s studies. I’ve learned much through experience.

What is a typical day like for you?
I don’t know if there is one! Reach Partners is a project management firm – we manage all kinds of projects, including events.  Examples of other projects include managing the team and details to publish a book on an organization’s history, scheduling locations for a commercial video, handling the details for the creation and installation of a large piece of public art.

What are your hours like?
As the business owner I have the flexibility to be a Mom when I need - I can to go to my son’s football game in the middle of the workday - yet the work has to get done so I choose to work later at night after my kids go to bed. I’m in the office most of the time between 8-5 Monday through Friday and work evenings and weekends as needed for the project or event.

What are some job responsibilities you have?
As a small business owner, I do everything. In addition to client work, I manage the company finances, office and staff and I spend a great deal of time in marketing Reach Partners’ services through networking and project proposals.

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What are some certain skills and attitudes needed for success in this career?
Attention to detail.  Attention and the willingness to double and triple check details.

Can Do.  I don’t stop just because a barrier gets in the way. I find a way to make it happen (so long as it’s not illegal).

Calm. When an issue comes up in the middle of a project or an event, people tend respond emotionally because they are overwhelmed and under pressure. If I also respond emotionally, I can’t help the situation and a solution is not going to come any easier. This leads to the next point…

Know that something always goes wrong. There’s no way around it. For an event, think through the day/s from a myriad of perspectives so that you can imagine a solution or imagine what ­­­you’ll need in place to respond, so when that one thing you didn’t think of actually happens, you have time to deal with the issue. You aren’t fully prepared if you haven’t planned for risks.

It’s effortless (so it seems). When a project or an event is done well, people won’t see or understand the work and effort it takes to deliver. Honestly, that’s what I want in an event: all the right pieces in the right places. Often, it’s only when a detail is forgotten or a mistake is made (big or small) that people notice an event planner’s work.

What is the most exciting part about your job?
I get to work with passionate people, people who work in industries that care about the mission and the people they serve. I learn so much about their industry and topic when planning an event with them. For example, I’ve learned how I and the media communicate stories of suicide and balance of timeliness of news and not create additional stress on the surviving family or cause contagion (additional suicides).

I love the challenge of creating the experience that the client has envisioned. I love when my planning allows an event to flow smoothly, without issues. Finally, I enjoy learning and growing to make the next event even better.

Anita, Reach Partners