Mine are touch and go - usually something along the lines of the one I was given last week. I have to coordinate a rewards & recognition luncheon for about 50 people. It has to be in a place that is away from the eyes of the union folks because it for contractor employees. So that entails gaining access to a door that you have to travel "executive row" (gated parking area for the big wigs)to get to and arrange with security to have the alarm deactivated. Because we're a secure facility, the caterers have to be escorted during their trips up and down the elevator to the conference room they want to use. The last time I spent half a day "babysitting" the caterer.
Personally, I hate event planning. Around here there are just to many variables to work around to get a simple event set up. If everyone is internal, no problem - just coordinate schedules. But quite a few do not keep their calendars up to date or don't send responses when they accept so a lot of time is wasted in follow up.
The only meeting planning I did that wasn't do bad was a series one manager asked me to schedule back in January for the whole year. I had to work up a spreadsheet based on weeks of the fiscal month and go in and book conference rooms for each week to make sure we would have them. Then the meeting invite to 10 folks per meetings. I got a lot of good natured complaints about overloading e-mail accounts but at least it was a structured task and I have so few of those with this job it is really starting to wear on me.
Michelle
