Addressing the stress factors within the events industry

For years, event management has been named as one of the world’s most stressful jobs, ranking as the third most high-pressured in 2023, according to The World Scholarship Vault. What’s more, at last year’s AEO Forums, it was shared that 13% of industry work absences were due to mental health. These sad but not entirely surprising facts paint a worrying picture of an industry that, at its core, is all about celebrating people and connection. 

As many of the large organising companies proclaim that events are now hitting pre-covid numbers, you would hope that stress levels would be coming down – but with the added pressures of increasing costs, more varied competition, and public with less disposable income, it seems stress is well and truly here to stay. Additionally, as these pressures continue to build, crucial, irreplaceable talent and experience are leaving the industry, creating a whole new wave of problems and concerns. 

So how do we cultivate a workforce that loves what they do, feels supported in their roles, and wants the events industry to be their professional home for a very long time to come? Without a doubt, the only way that we can achieve this is for everyone across the industry to commit to creating safe, welcoming, understanding, and supportive environments for event professionals to do what they do best. 

Extinguish the match of burnout before it catches alight 

The event industry is unique in that we are always working towards an almighty peak with very little opportunity for correction or changes should something go wrong. Once an event is confirmed and promoted, more often than not, it’s happening – there’s no chance to ‘deal with it later’, it’s now or never. Unsurprisingly, this leads to moments of extreme pressure for those responsible for bringing them to life successfully. With these intense highs, it’s only natural that one could experience extreme lows. Anecdotally, we’re seeing burnout more and more across the industry, especially as experienced professionals are leaving or teams are being tightened due to cost-saving, but having higher expectations placed on them.

Event companies need to understand that staff are not robots and that, especially after the delivery of an event, are likely to need time to recharge and recuperate. Events often take people away from their homes and loved ones, sometimes for extended periods, and rarely take place during general business hours. We believe flexibility should be given after the delivery of an event so that EventProfs can breathe, reset, and be mentally resilient and ready before the next event takes place. They also need to be mindful of scheduling to ensure their staff has enough time to do this between projects. 

Say farewell to fingerpointing 

With one chance to get it right, there’s no surprise that, when mistakes happen surrounding an event, tempers can creep up, however that gets us nowhere. A solutions-driven approach to events, especially when you’re already onsite, is the best way forward not just for a show, but for the protection of staff’s mental health. As we increasingly rely on event profs who are new to the industry and filling gaps of those who have departed with more experience, we need to give grace and understanding, and adjust expectations, as they continue to learn. 

Money, money, money

With increasing costs across the board, we know just how tricky it is to balance budgets right now. That being said, your staff are not the place to cut costs. Every EventProf is also battling the cost of living right now, and fair salaries are the most important thing you can do to safeguard their mental health and keep invaluable experience and skills within the industry. Furthermore, if you provide incentives or rewards, consider what could make the most meaningful difference to your team right now. For example, if you usually gift a bottle of wine, perhaps consider a supermarket gift card instead.  

At Ways & Means, we’re a small team but we are passionate about playing our part in bettering the industry and fostering the next generation of event experts. If you ever need an ear, some advice, or a hug – know that we’re here for you and are always cheering our fellow #eventprofs on!