Whether you've been in the events business for a day or a decade, there's always something you wish you knew. For those starting out, you're probably wondering about how to write a proposal, what type of insurance you need or how much to charge a client. If you've been in the business for a while, you'll always need to learn new technologies and find out about new trends to keep your business fresh. The more people I talk to, the more I realize that we're all in need of information so today I'd like to talk about a few ways to find it.
Research
I think this type of information-gathering comes pretty naturally for most of us since it's quick and easy. There's so many resources available that sometimes a simple Google search or LinkedIn question will get you the answers you need. Of course, this is more useful when you know what kind of information you are seeking. If you don't know about a topic, you might not even know what to search for or where you might find your answer.
Informational Interviewing
In this economy, this is a process that is all too often overlooked and these types of information sessions can be very valuable to you whether you are a job seeker or not. The concept is that you request time with an industry expert to learn about what they do. There are no strings attached to these sessions - all that's required is your curiosity and the generous honesty of the person you are speaking to. Searching for information this way is invaluable because it gives you the message straight from the horse's mouth. It also makes a connection with someone that you may also be able to help in the future.
Mentoring
For those of you who follow me on Twitter, you probably saw this coming. The value of a mentor can not be compared to anything else. An experienced industry professional who can take you under their wing and answer your questions, share information you may not even know to ask or just be a listening ear is priceless. A mentoring relationship is a long-term RELATIONSHIP where two people share their career paths with one another. It removes the element of competition and reminds us that we are in this business together and we need one another to survive.
Of course, mentoring goes both ways because there's not one of us that has all the answers. If you have someone who is generous enough to be your mentor (as I do), you also need to be open to being that resource for someone else.
I'm in the process of working out some ideas for an #eventprofs mentoring group and I would love your feedback. I'd like to create an environment where it's safe for people to ask questions and where we can give and get information freely. I know other groups like this exist so I hope to work with them to serve as many people as possible. If you have ideas on how we can collaborate, I would love to hear them. I'll be sharing more of my ideas in the coming weeks as things begin to come together, but I hope that even this journey can be one we take together!
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Tags: #eventprofs, event planner, event planners, Mentoring, Networking
