Confessions of an Events Sl*t: Why We Do It All

The secret is out: the events industry is full of sl*ts! Promiscuity runs rampant—events leading into events, switching roles, changing locations, working across multiple industries…

As much as I love pushing the envelope with my content, this, surprisingly, is not about the romantic lives of event professionals (I couldn’t possibly comment on that). Today, I’m talking about the nature of the industry and the Swiss Army knife that is the event professional.

Jack of All Trades, Master of Events

The phrase “jack of all trades, master of none” is my least favourite slur when used to describe someone’s skill set and experience. It suggests that being multi-skilled means you’re not a specialist, which is rarely true, and it completely disregards the value of having a diverse skill set.

For Event professionals, we should be wearing “jack of all trades, master of everything” as a badge of honour.

My Industry Isn’t Listed on This Form

Ever filled in a form, searched for your industry in a dropdown, and found that “events” wasn’t listed? Yet, you could probably tick half the other options because you’ve spent your entire career working within them.

In 2024 alone, I worked on events in accessibility, finance, healthcare, psychology, leadership, and training—just to name a few. To authentically deliver those events, I needed to know more than just surface-level facts. I had to research key industry speakers, understand audience expectations, and sometimes even get familiar with internal systems and organizational politics (yes, I do know which organizations refuse to sit next to each other).

Being an event professional means becoming an expert in everything… and then, as soon as that event wraps, becoming an expert in something entirely different.

Okay, this applies more to agency and supplier-side event pros than to industry-specific organizers, but everyone in events wears multiple hats.

I Often Wear a Fedora, Beanie, and Top Hat

No, I’m not about to dive into the literal costumes we wear (though, let’s be real, we’re versatile with those too). Let’s stick to the metaphor.

It’s rare for an event professional to do the same thing on Monday as they do on Tuesday. To the dinner party guest who asked, “So what do you actually do?”—I’m sorry if I seemed vague. I just didn’t want to spend the entire evening listing the dozen different jobs I do in a single week.

But if I had, I would’ve said: I manage clients. I update project trackers. I design and create presentations. I brief technicians. Sometimes, I am the technician, just to name a few. And I do it all while wearing a Fedora, a Beanie, and a Top Hat at the same time.

And it’s not just me. Many roles in the events industry require professionals to juggle multiple responsibilities. Take an Event Manager—they don't just oversee logistics, they negotiate contracts, manage client expectations, liaise with venues, and sometimes even step in as a stage manager. Production Managers are expected to handle technical coordination, crew management, and sometimes even step into creative direction when needed. Then there are Venue Coordinators, who need to be well-versed in AV, catering, room layouts, and emergency planning, often all in the same day. The ability to switch between these roles seamlessly is what makes event professionals truly versatile.

We all spend our weeks doing something different every day: Monday creating floor plans, Tuesday discussing catering, Wednesday designing graphics, and Thursday through Saturday delivering high-quality events.

It’s more than just the Craig David song—all he did was get very romantic with one woman for seven days. (Apologies for that very millennial reference.)

Well-Travelled… But Not in the Glamorous Way

I’ve worked in about 12 different countries, but I’ve mostly seen the inside of hotels, airports, and venues. Traveling for work sounds exciting, but in reality? It’s just part of the job. It’s why every “Event Manager” job ad includes the line: “May be required to work in different locations.” That’s not because their office has hot desking.

At a conference last week, a keynote speaker discussed burnout, revealing that a staggering 66% of event professionals have experienced it. The only industries that scored higher? Emergency services and finance.

I’d hazard a guess that constant travel, long hours, and a complete lack of routine play a huge role in that number.

An Ad for Superheroes

So—do you have what it takes? Can you juggle multiple tasks at once, balancing technology, logistics, and creativity, all while running on four hours of sleep and a double-shot espresso? or if you are me two Monster Energy drinks (don't judge)

Unfortunately, I’m not hiring right now. But if you said yes, I’m sure you’d fit right in.

That said, I don’t want to glorify this lifestyle. Yes, event professionals need to be multi-skilled, but that doesn’t mean we should be doing everything. If your company expects you to? Run.

Leatherman, the multi-tool manufacturer, offers a lifetime replacement and repair guarantee on their products. Not because they believe their tools won’t break—but because they want their customers to trust that when they do break, they’ll be taken care of.

Hopefully, you see the parallel.