Event Organiser

Event Organiser
Old_site
Event Organiser: Monika Breytenbach

Event organisers are the people that plan and organise events of various kinds, from industry exhibitions, academic conferences, business seminars and career fairs, to product launches, gigs, film festivals, fashion shows and charity fundraising events.
Monika Breytenbach has been working in the event and wedding planning industry for the past 22 years.
Her average day involves meeting clients and discussing their events, designing a concept for the client and then sending a quote. If the client is happy, a demo table is organised for them to see how the tables will look. Once the client is happy, preparation is done for the event with any extra details that need to be organised or ordered. Site visits are attended at venues to see how the space will work and how everything will fit together. Before events, everything is packed and made ready according to lists so that nothing is left behind.
On the day of the event, the team works according to a plan for the set up and makes sure items are setup based on importance first. Tables are laid with tablecloths, underplates and glasses, centrepieces are carefully placed in the middle and candles are placed on the tables ready to be lit just before the guests arrive. After the event, clean up takes place and missing and broken items are counted and the final invoice is sent to the through the client. It’s not always needed to stay at the event while it is on unless the client requests on-site assistance.
She says being able to think outside the box, being organised and being a people person are good traits to have as an event organiser. One also needs to handle stress well and must be able to work under pressure.
“The highlight for me is once the set-up of an event is done and you see the final picture, you know all the stress and long hours was worth it and the client is excited and more than happy, then you know it’s a job well done,” says Breytenbach.