With the worldwide enterprise occasions sector growing at a compound rate of 6.4 percent per annum, it’s not stunning that it is among the most profitable facets of the conferences, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions (MICE) business.
It’s estimated that, at any given time, there are no less than a number of 1000’s of enterprise occasions of various magnitude all through the world, powered by the intrepid efforts of the occasion administration and MICE professionals who organise them and make them work.
Likewise, the pandemic gave rise to the idea of hybrid occasions: a livestream might be broadcast from the bodily venue, enabling those that are unable to attend in particular person to get in on the motion on the flooring.
This has enabled occasions to spice up their attendance numbers in addition to revenues streaming from each in-person and digital participation.
However such success has its drawbacks, significantly the place the psychological well being and wellbeing of occasions administration personnel are involved.
Burnout hits laborious
In response to a report from the Skilled Conference Administration Affiliation (PCMA), over a third of event planners worldwide declared that they were exhausted and burnt out from the job.
Cumulatively, a 2023 report from The Culture Collectors identified that 79 % of occasion professionals now discover their roles extra nerve-racking than ever earlier than.
Small surprise then that MICE and occasions administration usually are actually presently ranked third among the many world’s most nerve-racking occupations, not too far behind army service and home-based medical care providers.
That mentioned, occasion administration corporations, MICE suppliers, and even authorities organisations tasked with dealing with large-scale conventions and exhibitions want to seek out methods to maintain their individuals from inevitably burning out and dropping their ardour for the job.
What’s fuelling burnout within the business?
UK-based occasions administration firm Goho studies that round 42 percent of events professionals have jumped ship, lots of whom cite rising stress and stress within the office as their purpose for quitting.
The identical report factors out that as much as 28 % say that their burnout is pushed by the dearth of work-life steadiness of their occupation, as seen within the fixed should be prepared for any eventualities earlier than, throughout, and even after an occasion.
Another excuse for burnout that ought to be given critical consideration is that occasion administration personnel are likely to care for the wants of occasion attendees earlier than their very own, with some even displaying up even when unwell to make sure that there are sufficient to care for issues on the occasion ground.
As selfless as this sounds, taking one for the group even when one’s thoughts and physique are screaming for relaxation advantages nobody, least of all the person.
SOS for occasion professionals
One of the crucial putting talks I’ve personally encountered on the topic is the one from Penang Adventist Hospital’s Dr Prem Kumar Chandrasekaran at BE @ Penang 2025.
In his discuss The Unbroken Wave: Mastering Boundaries and Workload to Future-proof Psychological Well being, Chandrasekaran known as out the best way occasion professionals sacrificed their private well-being to make sure desired outcomes.
That mentioned, his sage recommendation was for professionals to safeguard each their psychological and bodily well being by making certain a correct work-life steadiness.
This could contain studying to say no as a way of stopping burnout, together with opting to clock off skilled tasks at an inexpensive time.
To be sincere, that may be a difficult proposition, particularly if corporations don’t supply their individuals the right sources with which to enhance each their psychological and bodily well being.
Now what?
If we go by Chandrasekaran, one of the best ways by which occasion administration corporations can take correct care of their individuals is by giving them the mandatory medical, psychological, and, each time essential, religious measures they want.
However there are a variety of extra sensible strategies by which to attain this finish:
- Permit for ample post-recovery time Organising occasions is actually not a light-weight enterprise, usually taking weeks and even months to plan and involving everybody from workplace employees to suppliers to floor crews. All that effort mandates ample day off to relaxation and recuperate from each the bodily and psychological rigours of the job. By giving individuals sufficient relaxation, you get a group that’s rejuvenated and able to get again within the area;
- Chorus from scheduling back-to-back occasions One of many challenges of latest MICE and enterprise occasions is that occasions should be scheduled one after one other in rapid succession, one thing which may be profitable but in addition exhausting and detrimental within the long-term for the well being of most individuals concerned. Correct scheduling must be considered to handle time, individuals, and sources in the very best method attainable;
- Automate wherever essential With all of the know-how obtainable at our fingertips, counting on individuals to do all the standard paperwork is now seen as impractical and inefficient. Tech groups can develop submitting and stock options that may assist groups maintain monitor of issues with out an excessive amount of paperwork concerned, and fewer human intervention additionally means much less errors can be made;
- Open dialogue issues We can not underestimate the significance of autopsy discussions following an occasion as these are the very best venues whereby to debate areas of enchancment together with any points encountered by the group within the technique of organising and staging the occasion. Open dialogue additionally encourages occasions professionals to candidly talk about their wants with administration, enabling each events to seek out methods via which to handle key issues; and
- Know your limits On the finish of the day, allow us to keep in mind that occasion professionals are people slightly than machines and there may be solely a lot that may be performed by both individuals or organisations. Figuring out your limits additionally allows all events concerned to correctly handle expectations for an occasion from begin to end, leading to nice outcomes and far much less stress for everybody.
