M&IT 09-21 - Alexa Martinez | Meetings & Incentive Travel

Alexa Martinez is an event manager at St. James’s Place Wealth Management.

The events industry is one of the hardest out there. The hours are bonkers, and the pressure can be insane. This industry isn’t for the faint-hearted, and you need to be strong to succeed. Happiness has been the key to my strength and is a constant state of mind that I choose to be in. Why? Because it makes everything I do more enjoyable.

Being self‐aware of your mood and how it can affect everyone around you should be a priority as an event professional. Personally, I know that my positivity and energy will trickle down to everyone I meet, work with, or pass in the lead up to the event as well as during the event. Making the conscious effort to put on my happy pants and slapping on my game face at every opportunity has become my favourite habit.

Being an event professional for more than 10 years, the most constant remarks I have received are how enthusiastic I am during the planning of an event, how calm I am during the event, how I remain with a smile plastered on my face no matter what happens.

I know that these comments might seem trivial, however, these may contribute to the success of every event I host. If I make the effort to build meaningful relationships, showcase my best self and make everyone I come in to contact with feel like a VIP, the benefits will be tenfold.

Having arranged a multitude of events across a diverse audience, my number one rule has always been to put your “game face” on. Your face is what people will see when you first walk into a venue, it’s the face that can set the tone for the whole event, it’s the face that can change the mood of those around you and most importantly it is the face that keeps the atmosphere in the room right where you want it to be.

Wait a second, I know you might be thinking to yourself, ‘I’m only one person, I work behind the curtain, and no one cares whether I am smiling or not as long as I get the work done.’ Well, I beg to differ.

Show your attendees the cool, calm and collected person who is running the show with ease.

Let’s look at this another way. You show up to an event you’ve spent weeks pulling together and problems begin to crop up one after another. Your frustrations begin to pile up and when you finally locate the manager on duty, you let them have a piece of your mind. Instantly you’ve got a flustered manager who begins to bark orders at their staff, the staff’s mood begins to deteriorate, their enthusiasm drains, and their service levels drop.

The event professional sets the tone for the event. And it’s the way you act and react that can help get things back on track. Don’t let the attendees see the worry on your face, instead, show them the cool, calm, and collected person who is running the show with ease.

The good news is all your attendees want to be there and have signed up to be a part of something special. They all want to share their time in good company and be able to tell the tale to those who missed out. Our attendees want to be happy and make memories.

As an event professional, it is important we cradle this desire for our guests to have an unforgettable time and provide those joyful moments. How can we provide happy moments for our attendees if we ourselves are miserable? Be friendly, be engaging, be welcoming, be overly excited – show these attendees that you are happy to be there and want them to make the most of their time. Believe me, it all boils down to our own happiness.

My five top tips to being happy and staying happy as an event professional:

1. Smile. It’s infectious and once you give a smile away you may get one back or you might have started a chain reaction throughout the event. If you’re having a particularly tough day, try to fake a smile. Smiling is a natural pain reliever and when you smile your neurons will tell your body you’re happy or excited and your body will release dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin.

2. Be grateful. Showing gratitude will protect you from stress and will increase your energy levels. Say thank you for their hard work and effort. Tell them you appreciate the way they managed to sort something. Your words will mean the world and change that person’s energy levels too.

3. Give a compliment. Make someone feel special. Tell that guest how lovely her new hair looks. Let that waiter know how happy he’s made the guests feel. Set the positivity in the room in motion and you will be surprised by the vibe you’ve created.

4. Breathe deeply. You’re overwhelmed and need a moment, just take a breath, and another one, and another one. You will push through the negativity and begin to feel more energised.

5. A healthy body is a healthy mind. Make sure you have your down time, make sure you enjoy life and look after your mental health.