8 Books The Modern Event Planner Needs to Study Carefully

When it comes to research or brushing up on your knowledge the internet is the best thing since sliced bread. However, it still struggles to replace the feel of a book in your hand and how can you impress anyone with titles if they’re not sat on your shelf? The internet is a wonderful thing and we’ve all come to rely on it in a million different ways. But have you ever counted up the hours you spend sat in front of a screen? It’s likely to be several which poses the question, do you really need to spend another couple reading a book? Turning paper pages and digesting valuable information from something tangible can be rather relaxing. Taking a break and picking up a book is time well spent and anyone who spots the following titles on your shelf is going to be nothing less than impressed.

The most adept professional should resist the temptation to sit on their laurels because the world is constantly evolving, with new ideas and concepts being introduced every day. What might be a great idea today has the potential to be thrown out of the window tomorrow. Leaving you struggling to come up with something new, innovative and astounding. Every now and again we come across an essential read and we’re happy to share them with you.

This blog has been written because there’s nobody on the planet who should be afraid to take on board a spot of advice every now and again. The title above clearly speaks for itself and it’s pretty obvious what we’re going to be talking about. Time to get on with the list and share what we’ve found.

Confessions of an Events Planner: Case Studies from the Real World of Events – How to Handle the Unexpected and How to be a Master of Discretion by Judy Allen

More a book for the beginner rather than an expert, but also a great read for the project manager to be. It takes the reader on a journey revealing some real life examples of events, including all the ups and downs.

Amazon Review: Funny as heck! Experienced planners will nod their heads at the shenanigans described. If people only knew what went on behind the scenes! – Cristina

Special Events: A New Generation and the Next Frontier (The Wiley Event Management Series) (6th Edition) by Joe Goldblatt

A one stop shop for anyone connected to the organising of events with interviews, theoretical case studies, chapters on green events and corporate social responsibility, and more than 200 new Web resources covering how to save time, money and make your next corporate gathering a resounding success.

The Events Marketing Handbook: Beyond Logistics and Planning by Allison Saget

Marketing events are big business and this book, written by an industry expert, shows you how to maximise that all important return on investment. It’s more of an A-Z guide covering such subjects as public relations, advertising and direct mail. Written not just for planners but the project manager and marketing professional too.

Event Planning: The Ultimate Guide to Successful Meetings, Corporate Events, Fundraising Galas, Conferences, Conventions, Incentives and Other Special Events by Judy Allen

Updated and revised, this all-in-one guide brings the latest trends and best practises, in this competitive world, together for you in an easy to read book that will fit neatly in your briefcase. Full of useful tips, checklists, forms as well as real life examples and case studies, not just of successful events, but examples of those you hope will never form part of your portfolio.

 Amazon Review: Very practical and useful to make sure not to forget many important factors. I really highlighted a lot of it – Alejandra Poupel

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

This book has been gracing the shelves of successful people for more than a decade. A number one bestseller that’s been read by millions of people across the globe, from all walks of life. It includes practical advice and techniques delivered in a light-hearted and enthusiastic way. And has been written to encourage people to get out there and make the most of their lives.

 Amazon Review: I really enjoyed this book as it was an easy read and gave a good insight into how the human mind reacts to different techniques. – Kindle Customer

The Accidental Creative: How to Be Brilliant at a Moment’s Notice by Todd Henry

In today’s fast paced world we seem to find ourselves under increasing pressure and expected to be quicker, more cost-effective and more amazing than anyone else. This book aims to help us all embrace new ideas and innovative ways of thinking and unleash the hidden creative potential we all have inside.

Amazon Review:A great insight into breaking down the barriers we all have to just getting down to creative work. – Amanda

The Event Manager’s Bible: 3rd edition: The Complete Guide to Planning and Organising Voluntary or Public Events by D G Conway

This is a go to guide for anyone organising a special function whether voluntary, public or corporate. It could be a fete, fun run, jumble sale, sports tournament, pop festival or Formula 1 car race. Covering such subjects as health and safety, traffic management, staffing, first aid, emergency procedures, accounts, advertising and much more. This manager’s bible can be used to help you plan, from the initial idea through to the clearing up and final debriefing.

Amazon Review: As an event manager this book is a great manual . It is a very detailed book that looks into the world of event managers. The lay out is great for a quick read. – Mummeg

The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology that Fuel Success and Performance at Work by Shawn Achor

Do you want to enjoy success? Do you want to be happy? Most people are going to answer yes to both questions, but such goals aren’t always the easiest to achieve. We all think that working hard is the answer but Shawn is eager to explain achieving happiness and success is far more complex than that. With the help of lessons learned during the course of his own survey Shawn shares the principles we can use to help us all improve our own performance at work as well in our daily lives and thereby move ever closer to happiness.

Amazon Review: It’s a good book for those interested in positive psychology and how to improve your work performance. It incorporates much scientific research and is easy to follow. It is an interesting read even if you are not looking to create better performance. – Amazon Customer

All these books can be read online but why would you want to spend more time sat in front of a computer screen? Don’t you do enough of that anyway? For any professional involved in making events happen and come to life, an essential read could be any one of these books. But which one would you choose to grace the office coffee table?