Event Planner interview questions and answers

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Event Planner Interview Questions

There is no single educational route into becoming a great event planner. So when interviewing candidates, it’s better to start with a picture of the hard event planning skills you would be looking for. These might include a knowledge of logistics, vendor management and budgeting. You can also ask them about their knowledge of the events industry and look for current knowledge of specific terms or standards.

The best sets of event planner interview questions will also be vital to assess soft skills. What evidence is there of the candidates’ organizational and coordination skills? The best candidates will combine creativity and practicality with considerable patience and keen communication skills.

Since every event has different elements, situational questions are the best to assess the eligibility of an event planner. Find out if they have experience in managing large or small scale events as well as what type of events (corporate, social etc.). Try to understand their event management approaches as they describe past events, their successes and issues they faced. Look for the systems they employ to do their job; how they use technology and how they prioritize tasks.

It’s a good idea to provide candidates with a situation and ask them how they would handle it. This will help you evaluate the way they think; whether they rush to do things or are calculating and analytical. Event planning is a high-stress occupation, so dig into their stress management approaches.

Operational and Situational questions

• What information would you ask for from a potential client? Why?
• How would you choose the location/venue for an event? What are your priorities after choosing a location/venue?
• How do you choose partners (e.g. caterers) when organizing an event? What are your criteria to assess their eligibility/quality?
• Have you ever had to plan more than one event simultaneously? How did you do it? What was the result?
• How do you use social media for your event planning or for attracting customers?
• Describe a time when you went over budget. What went wrong and what did you do to fix it?
• How would you manage stress as the date of an event draws near?
• How would you react to technical problems during an event? What are the most common/serious problems you have encountered during an event and what did you do about them?
• Describe a time when you provided a creative solution to a problem. What was the result?
• Describe your most successful event planning experience. What did you do that made it so successful?
• Describe an event management experience that didn’t have the results you aimed for. What happened and what did you learn?

Role-specific questions

• How do you remain up-to-date with the event industry?
• Do you know the most popular venues in X location? Why are they popular?
• What do you know about DMS (Delegate Management System)? What is DDR etc.?
• What technology/software do you use/prefer? What do you know about event technology?
• How many events do you plan per year?
• What types of events do you usually plan? Do you have a specialty? Why did you choose it?
• What elements must be considered before you start planning an event?
• How do you assess the success of each of your events?
• What do you like most about your job? How do you stay motivated when things don’t go as planned?
• How would you persuade a client of the value of your services?