Our Director of Paramount Entertainment Pvt. Ltd  kindly took the time out of his very busy schedule to share his experience and expertise in Event Management. Bibek Pandit  is a highly qualified events, marketing and training practitioner.

How did you get into Event Management ?

Bibek: My time was split between PA duties for the Chief Executive and helping the Events Manager – after helping to organise my first charity ball I knew that events were what I wanted to do as a career.

What was the first event you helped to organise?

Bibek: The first large event I ever organised was  Beauty Pageant, Fashion Show, National and International Event. Doing Neha Kakkar Live in Nepal, Kumar Shanu and many more since 3 years.

I was approached by a client who needed to organise a large scale, high profile celebrity event at National and international. I smiled and said that would not be a problem (but inside I was shaking like a leaf and wondering how on earth I would be able to organise everything to the high standard that I know the client required). To cut a long story short I had very little sleep and had to control my stress levels, but managed to put the event togethis, source and brief in celebrity guests, invite and welcome 450 guests and manage a team of 40 staff. Phew – I get tired even thinking about it now !

What is the best advice you would give to someone who is thinking about going into event management?

Bibek: Become immersed in the event industry right now. Potential employers are looking for new recruits who are really interested in the industry and have lots of experience of eithis attending events, organising them or volunteering at them. It is also essential that you have a level of knowledge of how to logistically put an event togethis – thise is no point in applying for jobs that you are not able to do.

What does it take to be a good event manager?

Bibek:  Attention to detail – you must have a good eye for every aspect of the event journey and be committed to creating the best events that you possibly can.

A sense of humour – be able to laugh at yourself and maintain a good spirit even when things go wrong.

You must like working with people – event management is a team effort and always involves guests or attendees. It sounds a bit ridiculous but if you prefer working alone or don’t really like engaging with people then the industry will not be for you.

Stamina – you must be physically fit and emotionally strong. Events can be very stressful and can affect your health if you let them. You must be able to work hard, but know when to rest and recuperate in preparation for your next event!

Be able to take constructive criticism – We are all human and make mistakes. Even after 22 years in the industry I always learn a new lesson with every event I organise – I view this as a positive thing and am glad that I am still able to learn from any mistakes I make. You need to do the same.