Expert Advice for First-Time Meeting Planners

Event planning is one of the fastest-growing careers, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which reports that the employment of meeting, convention, and event planners is projected to grow 5% from 2024 to 2034, faster than the average for all occupations. So if you’re new to the field, you may very well not be alone. More importantly, there’s no need for you to learn things the hard way. We asked industry veterans Princess Castleberry, a global speaker with more than 20 years of experience in enterprise risk management, crisis response, and wellness, and Nicole Osibodu, co-founder of Club Ichi, a private membership club for B2B event marketers, for the advice they wish someone had given them when they started out in the business.

Below, we break down where beginners most often stumble and how to turn those moments into wins, with field-tested advice from our pros.

THE TOP 3 ROOKIE MISTAKES—AND HOW TO PREVENT THEM

You don’t know what you don’t know. So we asked our veterans how to avoid the biggest first-timer blunders. Here’s what they said:

#1: Skipping a seasoned gut-check. Events tend to surface the unexpected. As Osibodu put it: “I would say the first thing would be to get a mentor that you can run your specific event by three times.” She recommends an early walk-through of the plan and order of operations, a midpoint check-in covering the “top three challenges and top three things going well,” and a final pass “two days before the event,” she says. At that point, ask your mentor: “What did I miss? What am I not seeing? Where’s the hole?”

#2: Underplanning the true start of the event. Your opening impression begins long before the first name badge is printed. Castleberry warns, “The mistake people make is not thinking through the real start of their event. It starts even before registration, online when you download the app. People underestimate the power of that first impression. Map every early moment—save-the-date, confirmation email, app download, wayfinding—to reduce friction and set the right tone,” she says.

#3: Assuming vendors will “just handle it.” Ownership gaps create bottlenecks. Castleberry suggests holding what she refers to as a “partner talent show” in which each vendor partner is put “on stage” during a pre-conference meeting to explain how they’ll deliver. For example, say: “Registration, you’re up. What does it look like? I’m standing in line for how long? You have 15 computers, but you only have five people working. Who’s doing what?” Specifics prevent surprises.

WHERE PLANNERS MISJUDGE TIME MOST

Time management is one of the trickiest topics for event planners—even for the pros. Below, where they allot the largest proportion of pre-event hours.

● Registration and arrivals. Crowds arrive in waves, not a trickle. So you’ll want to plan for things like how many people can fit in a line at your venue and plot where the overflow should go. Pre-print as many badges as possible, and consider a light, optional activation that keeps guests happily occupied while lines move. Castleberry shared a favorite example, which took place at a meeting in Louisville, Kentucky, just after the running of the Kentucky Derby. “The very first activation was to make your own Derby hat. Immediately you had 1,000 people walking around in their Derby hats, networking and getting registered. It just flowed.”

● Rehearsals and sound checks. Run-of-show looks tidy in a spreadsheet, but in reality, there are mic swaps, clicker handoffs, and slide changes to contend with. Pad tech checks (especially for remote presenters), build in five minutes between sessions, and schedule a full show rehearsal with walk-ons/walk-offs to prevent running behind on your big day.

THE CONTINGENCY PLAN CHECKLIST EVERY NEW PLANNER SHOULD HAVE

Even the best-run programs hit bumps. Use this checklist to pressure-test your plan.

Talent/content. Always have a backup speaker or moderator on deck and a piece of preloaded “evergreen” content (such as a short fireside chat, case study, or highlight reel) that can fill a sudden gap. Print key remarks and keep them in your kit so anyone on the team can step in to keep the program moving.

Tech. Assume a laptop or file will fail at some point. Bring a secondary computer, duplicate show files, spare clickers, and clearly labeled cables/adapters. And have a simple “go-dark” plan for tech glitches. For example, if the screen or stream fails, turn on the house lights, send a facilitator on stage immediately, and run a quick audience activity (e.g., a show-of-hands poll, 60-second networking with a neighbor, or a brief Q&A) to keep people engaged while tech issues are resolved.

Venue. Have an overflow room ready to activate, along with clear weather contingencies for outdoor events. Mark these on your floor plans and brief your team so redirection feels seamless, not improvised.

People. Create a text tree for urgent updates. And designate which teammates have authority to green-light pivots on the spot so that precious minutes don’t get lost making decisions by committee.

Operations. Stock an emergency kit with gaffer tape, markers, and batteries, plus hydration and quick snacks for your crew. And schedule a 15-minute reset block before major moments to fix signage, seating, and the like. Those small buffers can keep your event running on time and your team calm.

First events feel big because they are. But they run better when you plan them with foresight, such as scheduling three check-ins with a mentor. And the importance of rehearsals with every member of your crew cannot be overstated. Add a short postmortem to help plan smooth future events and you’ll likely trade in cortisol spikes for total control.