I know that I'm not the only one that gets this question. Here's what a typical interaction with someone looks like.

"What do you do for a living?"

"I'm an event planner."

You can see their mind jump to the last great party they attended. "Oh, that's so cool! Do you get to attend all these cool parties?"

"No, not exactly. I'm the person working behind the scenes to make your experience enjoyable."

"Oh... so what exactly do you do?"

Event planning can mean a lot of things, and it's not always easy to describe. Meetings bring people together for a common purpose. Meeting planners arrange everything related to the meeting. Here's the short list:

• Accommodations
• Transportation
• Meals
• Sightseeing Activities
• Audio/visual equipment
• Programs
• Marketing
• Communication
• Registration
• Auctions
• Evaluations
• Budget
• Payments
• Speakers
• Receptions
• Exhibitions
• Vendors
• Photography
• Flowers
• And much more!

It feels like a lot, and if you're anything like me, checking things off my to-do list gives me a thrill! I love logistics, making schedules fit, and coordinating needs with a venue. 

Now not every event requires this lengthy list of things, but certainly every item is thought about and more!

Personally, I work mostly with lawyers and help plan educational events for government officials. When I talk about my clients, sometimes people get the misconception that I know a thing or two about the legal system and that I'm actually the one presenting legal material. That couldn't be further from the truth. While I have picked up some tidbits over the last 4 years I wouldn't recommend my services in court. If you need me to schedule a meeting around the existing court schedule or near a courthouse though, I'm your girl!

What I do know is, that if I'm doing my job correctly, you will have everything you need for your conference including accommodations, name tag, materials, a functional and comfortable meeting space, proper audio/visual equipment, perhaps a delicious reception (if the budget allows) and answers to questions like, "Where can I go to eat? What is the WiFi password? And, where is the nearest bathroom?" 

So what exactly do I do? It depends on the day. Some days I'm running with lunches and other days I'm searching for venues to host my meetings, still other days I'm answering client emails. The fact that my days are varied keeps me excited about what I'm doing. I can't wait for tomorrow, who knows what I'll do next!

To the event professionals out there, tell me what is your response to this question, "What exactly do you do for a living?" I'm sure you have some great responses. Leave a note in the comments!