Anyway, it happens, and even if you thought it would be fun, when faced with task, it can be daunting. You are about to become conductor of a large orchestra. Here are some ideas from my years as an event planner.

FIRST THINGS FIRST

Find out your budget. If they didn't think about that - money, you know - you'll have to jump ahead and make your plan so you can provide a realistic request for money.

With or without a large budget, you can do a great event. More on this later.

If there's a history, get your predecessor's file.

THE NETWORK

If you're in a loop, in other words if you get out, go to parties, trade shows, luncheons, anniversary banquets, and charity balls, you have enough information. It's just a matter of connecting names, and your gut instincts will tell you where yentas are that can provide this.

Failing that, book your event in a reputable hotel and get with their Catering Coordinator. She'll have a full rolodex of great leads for you!

Other sources for information are any good PR firm, or 'designer' florist or stationer in your town. These people are often event-planners in disguise.

THE ELEMENTS

These are basic elements to an event:

·Food ·Liquor ·Master of ceremonies ·Speaker ·Entertainment ·Program ·Photography ·Invitations ·Decorations ·Door prizes And you may need seating chart and table markers, and in some cases insurance and a Health Dept. permit.

PRELIMS

In meantime, get out and look around. Do a quick Internet search and check out websites like: http://www.specialevents. com and http://www.event-solutions.com.

EXPERIENCE? VOLUNTEER

Churches and non-profits offer a plethora of opportunities for practice. That's how I got started - working with pros. They weren't being paid, but if you're putting on a Charity Ball for 1,000 people that brings in $100,000, you're a PRO.

I went and hung out. Got on a committee, then headed a committee and worked my way up. The Mavens were grateful for help, and, like anyone else with serious responsibility, they parceled out projects to me as my abilities warranted. A true apprenticeship.

Keep your eyes and ears open, and you'll learn political side of it, which is tricky. You'll also learn things you really need to know, like for heaven's sake don't ever be one who manages seating chart night of event. It's hideous! Assign someone who's firm but pleasant, or just naïve enough to agree.

TACT

Of course everything you do, you do with tact, and you've worked to develop your emotional intelligence competencies, which is good, because you're going to need them.

Well, you know how fairytale goes … Little Red Riding Hood heads out into woods to see her grandmother. First she fails to notice wolf when he approaches her in woods, but goes gaily on her way.

Then, when she arrives at her Grandmother’s house things look suspicious and she sticks around to comment – “Grandmother, what big eyes you have!” ending with familiar line “Grandmother, what a big mouth you have!” followed by “The better to eat you with my dear.”

Fairytales were designed to teach us life lessons. The lesson in this fairytale is one of key points in emotional intelligence – learning to pay attention to your emotions, your instincts.

Emotional intelligence means understanding and managing your own emotions and those of others. Our emotions predate our ability to “think” as human beings, and are strong cues to us for one reason: survival.

Part of emotional intelligence is learning to hear how your emotions and your intuition talk to you, to pay attention to message, trust it and act accordingly.

When I ask people in workshops how they know when it’s intuition, they say “because I’m absolutely sure.” Intuition is an EQ competency that can be developed and it can help you make better decisions, use better judgment, and maybe even save your life.