The challenges of balancing work and family in the events industry

When you’re an events planner, it’s likely you will have experienced the challenges of balancing work and family life, while attempting to seamlessly manage both.

The nature of the events industry means planners can face conflict in trying to work and enjoy a reasonable quality of family life. If this isn’t properly managed, it can have a detrimental effect on both aspects of your life.

If you’re struggling to devote sufficient time to your job, this can lead to job dissatisfaction, decreased employee performance and lateness. So what measures can you take to reduce the conflict?

Challenges of the events industry
When you’re an events planner, you face additional challenges, compared with if you’re working from one regular location, close to your home. The nature of the industry can make it a breeding ground for work and home conflict, largely because you’re likely to be commuting to venues outside the regular workplace.

In addition, your work schedule must correspond to those of other industries, so you may be working at weekends and during the holidays, to manage conferences outside your normal working hours.

You may be required to entertain clients in the evening or to work late and even take work home. Perhaps you’re obligated to go to events staged by the companies with whom you’re doing business. This can all lead to extra stress.

Conflict occurs when the amount of time devoted to one role is affecting a person’s ability to participate in the other role. There isn’t an infinite amount of time – and when neither role can be properly fulfilled, it can have a detrimental effect on your well-being, as well as your work.

Unfortunately, there’s no easy solution. Everyone’s needs are different when it comes to quality time, but it’s important to fulfil your job requirements, especially if you’re the family’s main breadwinner.

Take time out
A good starting point to come to a reasonable balance is to have a conversation with your family about their needs. Ask them if they feel like they’re not receiving enough of your time. Have a chat with them about what you feel might work and try to come up with a plan.

It can be something very simple, such as setting aside just an hour or two each week to go to the park, or go for an ice-cream with the kids. This will benefit your loved ones, making them feel special, while it will also help you to unwind and take time out.

No-one can work full-pelt all the time without suffering from some kind of side effects, usually in the shape of stress and a dip in your emotional wellbeing. It’s important to take time out for yourself too – even if it’s just one hour a week to go for a massage or a coffee with friends.

You may feel you don’t have time to work less overtime and that your job will suffer if you’re not there, but in reality, your work is more likely to be below par if you’re over-stretching yourself. Your personal life may also suffer, as you’ll be arriving home too mentally exhausted to spend any quality time with family members.

Reorganise your diary
Have a re-think of your work diary, and put a plan in place that includes strategies to handle the challenges that travelling and long hours present. This may mean delegating some tasks occasionally, when the workload is making a huge dent in your personal time.

While your role at work is an important one, no-one is indispensable and you need to learn to trust your colleagues to handle things that come within their remit. Taking on too much may mean the work isn’t being completed to your usual high standard, so it will benefit both you and your company to reorganise your diary.

Make sure your family members understand that as your event draws closer, there will be more demands on your time. Tell them that while you love them, they must realise that sometimes, you’re going to be busier than others. If your children are older, explain to them exactly what your job entails.

Being an event professional is certainly not the same as having a typical 9-5 job. It comes with abnormal hours and often hectic schedules. As long as you communicate this to your loved ones, while taking as much time out as you can manage, it is possible to achieve a reasonable balance.

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