The Importance of Client Management

This past semester, I interned for Remembered Events, an event planning business out of Virginia that specializes in weddings, corporate & special events primarily in the DMV area. I was brought on the team as an Event Planning Intern and my experience has been nothing short of amazing. I have found myself veering towards the events industry for a while now and the opportunity to intern with Remembered Events has only solidified my interest and encouraged me to dive into it further. 

When it comes to the events industry, and the advertising field as well, there is such a large aspect that is focused on communicating with a client. Through my time at this internship, I have learned the importance of client management. 

Similar to an account manager, event planners work directly with clients to meet their needs and make a vision come to life. There are a lot of things you need to take into consideration when communicating with potential and current clients like personalities, preferred communication styles, and just getting a sense for the overall ‘vibe’ of the people involved. With the events industry specifically, you never know who you will be working with, so being adaptable and flexible when partnering with new people is incredibly important. 

As an Event Planning intern, I had the opportunity to attend an in-person event (they were super limited due to COVID, so I feel really lucky to have been able to experience it!). The event happened to be a wedding ceremony and reception and it was super rewarding to see the event come to life after months of planning and preparation. 

As part of the Remembered Events team at this event, we were responsible for a number of things like guest management, assembling decor and centerpieces and most importantly, keeping the couple happy. There were a couple matters that popped up throughout the event that were very important to our client and our team worked diligently to get the issues resolved. I learned through being present at this event that these last minute changes are a real test of your ability to remain calm under pressure and still please the client no matter what the resolution is. Sometimes there has to be a compromise when it comes to solving such last minute issues, but having effective communication skills and the ability to be honest with the client is key in being a good event manager. 

Before this internship, my passion for event planning was more of just an idea. Through my experience with Remembered Events, I have found that event planning is really something I could see myself doing post-graduation. Amanda, the business owner, works so hard to keep her company going and expand it into whatever she wants it to be, and I take a lot of inspiration from that. I have learned valuable skills in the event planning industry through my time with Amanda and the rest of the Remembered Events team that I will carry with me into the next chapter of my life.