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8 Tips for Making It As a Freelance Event Producer

With COVID-related layoffs, the event freelancer market is more crowded than ever. Here's how to stand out.

Creative Lab:shutterstock
Photo: Creative Lab/Shutterstock

It's estimated that 77% of live event professionals in the United States have lost their entire income due to the COVID-19 pandemic—and many of those are people who were furloughed or laid off from in-house positions. The result? Possibly the most experienced and diverse group of unemployed event producers the industry has ever seen.  

For many people, building up a freelance career—where you work as an independent contractor on a per-project basis—may be the key to staying afloat as live events make their slow return. It can be an appealing career choice for many reasons, including flexible schedules, the ability to only take on gigs that really interest you, and the chance to travel. But the tradeoff is, of course, the lack of a steady paycheck and an ongoing level of uncertainty about your next gig. 

Considering taking the plunge into a fully freelance lifestyle? Here are some important tips to keep in mind, from people who have lived it.

1. Focus on developing some essential skills. 
“You need a superior work ethic,” says Winifred Chane, a New York-based experiential marketing and production expert who went freelance in 2017 after working at various agencies and media companies; she now operates her own agency called Chane of Command. “Checking that ‘multitasker’ box is no joke when you are running your own business. You must be able to manage multiple timelines, clients and projects with ease and ahead of schedule.”

Chane adds that mediation skills, and the ability to pivot, are crucial. “You will need to solve unexpected problems (and with grace),” she says. “It doesn’t matter how well a project is progressing—you always need to be prepared with a B, C and D plan, because something nearly always goes wrong in executing plan A.”

Related: 10 Skills Every Event Planner Needs in a COVID-19 World

That flexibility and grace under pressure has been especially crucial during the time of COVID-19, adds Katie Youngkin Kubicek, an Austin-based producer who ran marketing and events at SPIN magazine before launching her own business, Padre Knows Best, in 2012. “[Right now,] you really have to think outside the box given there is a limited amount of events out there,” Youngkin Kubicek notes. “Think about the ways in which you’ve used your creative ingenuity and how you can apply it to something different with the same skill sets—for example, designing social media or helping a brand redo their logos or their websites. Or in my case, I started designing modular pools, because why not?”

2. Stay up to date on health and safety regulations.
“Get educated on health and safety, and include those capabilities in your marketing presentations and materials,” suggests Chane. “I saw the COVID-19 shutdown as an opportunity to gain OSHA health and safety qualifications through the Event Safety Alliance, and COVID and Pandemic Compliance Officer and Advisor qualifications through Health Education Services. Next up for me is the Crowd Training program by the National Association of Fire Marshalls. Event planners are always responsible for security and safety plans, and with the current heightened awareness, now is the time to learn more about your trade.”

3. Remember that it’s all about relationships. 
The event industry is built on relationships and face-to-face connections—and people will always remember if you treated them well. “Vendors, staff and partners can be clutch when you need it most,” says Chane. “Basic kindness and courtesy will take you far in this business. Make friends, not enemies, and you’ll always get the best out of your people and team.”

Those relationships can also lead to jobs, particularly in the competitive freelance market. Youngkin Kubicek says she’s gotten a number of gigs by keeping in touch with other producers, even if they’d be considered her competition. “Even though we are all vying for work, we are also a family—a family that looks out for each other when an opportunity arises and you can insert another producer who you know to have a similar skill set,” she points out. “The network of producers is truly how I have succeeded in this industry.”

Related: Ask BizBash: How Can I Network During Stay-at-Home Orders?

Personal connections can also give you a leg up with potential clients. “Research companies that you are interested in working for, then join a networking or happy hour group in that industry,” suggests Henry Guttilla, executive creative director at team-building company Virtual With Us who regularly hires independent contractors (and also has worked as one himself). “Once you are part of that industry’s networking groups, look for the assistants and junior account leads to mingle with, then take them out for drinks or dinner just to pick their brains on their company or industry. This allows you the chance to gain knowledge of the company and start a working relationship with someone who can advocate for you internally.” 

Related: 6 Ways Event Planners Can Maintain Client Relationships During the COVID-19 Outbreak

4. Use social media to maintain those relationships, and to market yourself. 
“Keep your LinkedIn up-to-date, and keep in touch with colleagues,” says Chane. “If they aren’t already ‘in your pod,’ it is especially easy to fall out of contact—but you need to keep in touch with any and everybody you can.” And introduce yourself to potential clients, she adds. “While they might not be activating now, you want to be top-of-mind when they are." While Chane has previously relied on word-of-mouth connections to build her business, she’s been using the recent downtime to polish her portfolio and develop her website. 

Guttilla also leans on LinkedIn. “[It’s] a great way to market yourself because you can showcase your previous projects and client references,” he says, adding “On Instagram, you can market yourself by posting your previous work and tagging companies you would like to work with in the post."

Related: How Should Event Pros Be Using Social Media During the COVID-19 Pandemic?

5. Look for gigs on a variety of different platforms. 
There are also a number of professional platforms that can connect freelancers with potential gigs; Guttilla recommends making profiles on Fiverr.com and Bark.com. “And you’d be surprised at the amount of events that are posted on digital platforms like Upwork or Indeed,” he says. “You can also find work through LinkedIn by reaching out to the event directors at companies offering your freelance services. Many event directors have budgets built in for freelance help, and by reaching out you can help them find a solution to a stressful problem.” For the event industry specifically, a good go-to is The Event Work, which allows event professionals to build profiles and market their services.

Happily is another great option for independent event producers. Founded in 2012 by former TED conference producer Sarah Shewey, the company bills itself as “the world’s largest and most diverse network of live and virtual event specialists.” It’s free to make a profile, and applicants go through a series of scenario-based tests and group interviews to determine their skill level in specific event types. When clients reach out for event-related help, Happily taps into its network to help assemble a team. 

Major companies like GES have also begun tapping into the skills of independent event producers. Last month, the international trade show and event producer launched its Flex Talent Pool program, which is intended to bring back operational talent for temporary work opportunities at exhibitions and trade shows. GES is partnering with staffing agency Epic Personnel to help recruit, onboard and manage the talent pool; click here for more info. 

6. Consider starting local, especially right now.
“Think local, and market yourself accordingly,” suggests Chane. “Many local businesses need advice and production/fabrication partners as they slowly open their doors to the public—better and safer retail displays, sales processes, builds for outdoor dining pop-ups, grassroots marketing initiatives to drive traffic, etcetera. ... Many companies that might have previously operated nationally now have team members facing travel restrictions, and will need locals to execute.”

7. Be flexible with your pricing, and be ready to negotiate. 
“The cost charged to the client varies depending on the city, client, your experience level and the project scope,” says Guttilla. “You should always go in high with the ability to negotiate a little. Do your research on their past event budgets.”

His personal rule of thumb? “Never accept less than $350 for an eight-hour day, or 10% commission on large-scale projects,” he says. “For hourly work, you should always go higher, because within a three-hour time frame you could be tasked with the workload of eight hours. Day rates are usually the best route for both you and the client.”

And don’t forget that you can always say no if a project doesn’t feel like the right fit. “You get to create your own schedule and say no to projects that aren't of interest,” says Guttilla. “Freelancing is one of the best ways to really get to know yourself and your creative skill set without being hindered by corporate guidelines and restrictions.”

8. Educate yourself on the real costs and other logistics before going independent.
The biggest challenge to freelancing is, of course, the lack of a steady paycheck. “You can make a great income, but you have to be the type of person who can be patient and keep building your business through the lull times,” points out Youngkin Kubicek. “A great freelance event producer is great solely because of the quality of their work ethic. You have to be a self-starter, self-motivated type of person who can sometimes work in isolation to get things done for a greater team that exists elsewhere—a concept everyone has adopted this past year.”

Chane notes that it’s crucial to take the time to understand the back-end logistics of running a business. “Maintaining and understanding things like insurance, payroll, tax filings and legal nuances every time you sign a new contract (especially dealing with projects and clients that are in other states with different tax laws) can be the difference between a profitable project and a painful learning experience.”

Setting boundaries and developing a work-life balance is crucial, adds Chane, noting that when you're first starting out, it’s easy to overwork yourself. “Get to know your clients (and their marketing calendar for the year) and take advantage of off-time when you can,” she suggests. “After two years in business, I noticed patterns—busy and slow times of the year—and was able to schedule personal time and stick to it. Finding that balance has allowed me to stay fresh and continue bringing creativity and new thinking to all my clients.” 

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