Laura Hammarstrom is a professional event manager with over ten years of experience in the industry. She has worked her way up in the industry to take on roles such as Senior Event and Project Manager for the Walmart International President and CEO, Director of Special Projects in the United Kingdom, and Director of Global Associate and Executive Communications. Now, as an entrepreneur and founder of her own events management company, Laura Hammarstrom, CMP, LLC, Hammarstrom admits that she still gets asked the question from time to time: What does an event manager do?
Reflecting on her diverse skill set and professional background, including domestic and international initiatives for Fortune 1 executives, high-net-worth families, and the Northwest Arkansas community, Hammarstrom answers the above question with thorough detail.
What Does an Event Manager Do?
Before diving into what an event manager does, let’s break down the definition of event management. Event management falls into the profession of project management that primarily centers attention on every angle of event execution, which may include everything from selecting a venue to vendor management, staffing and guest relations. The event manager can be a single person or made up of an entire team that essentially makes the event happen.
There is also sometimes confusion within the event industry on whether event planners and event managers are synonymous or if they have different roles. While there can be some overlap in the roles, they technically serve two different functions. In the simplest explanation, the event planner is the driver and developer of the big picture strategy, while the event manager dives into the details of managing the event execution. An event planner may spend months with the client building out the strategy, including what is the event purpose, target market, budget, location, content, marketing, and registration.
In comparison, event managers are the fairy godmothers that bring everything to life, focused on on-site event execution, operations, and logistics. The to-do list for an event manager includes event set-up, vendor management, guest services, food and beverage, event staff, audiovisual support, parking plan, VIP management, entertainment, and so forth.
“An event manager is responsible for managing the details and execution of the actual event. They will be there on the day ensuring that event operations such as staff management, food and beverage, room layout, and schedules run smoothly,” said Hammarstrom.
When it comes to making an event happen, event managers have a process, and this process is usually broken down into three key phases. An event manager with a full calendar might be managing several events, and each event might be in a different phase.
- Pre-Event – Event managers will ideally receive a clearly defined strategy already defined by the client or event planner, including the event purpose, goals, objectives, target audience, location, key stakeholders and budget. The role of the event manager is to bring the strategy to life and dive into all of the details, including – venue, vendor, production and budget management. Event managers will also create contingency plans for various problem scenarios, develop duty of care practices, and set health and safety expectations.
- Event Execution – During an event, the event manager oversees all the moving parts of the event to ensure flawless execution. The event manager keeps the event on track and deals with problems as they arise. Some would argue that event managers tend to be more experienced members of the event industry, as they have to be prepared and remain professional for any problem that arises.
- Post-Event – Following the event, the event manager will debrief with the on-site event staff, various vendors, and the client to provide post event reconciliation, measure the success of our efforts, prepare reports, and close out all billing details.
About Laura Hammarstrom
Laura Hammarstrom serves as the CEO of Laura Hammarstrom, CMP, LLC, an events management company founded in 2017 that provides a comprehensive suite of professional, customer-focused, on-site event management services. Hammarstrom’s event management portfolio includes Walmart International Associates Conference, Walmart Presidents’ Roundtable, Bentonville UP Urban Air Mobility Summit, Rapha Prestige Ozarks, Oz Trails Glow Ride, Rotary International Women’s Day Celebration, Bentonville Film Festival, and many more. The company specializes in VIP experiences, corporate meetings, international conferences, pharmaceutical programs, festivals, and experiential marketing.
Laila Azzahra is a professional writer and blogger that loves to write about technology, business, entertainment, science, and health.