How to Write an Event Planning Mission Statement: The Ultimate Guide
Do you really need an event planning mission statement? According to Forbes, most corporations don’t need one. That is, of course, unless you want to be a great leader.
Being a leader for your clients, your event planning team, and even your event planning community can begin with this deceptively simple exercise. Writing an event planning mission statement won’t just define and communicate “your purpose, whether that’s in the office or simply in life.” It can also help propel you to the next level of your career.
Keep reading to discover what an event planning mission statement is. Then, check out some excellent real-world examples you can use to inspire your own.
What is an event planning mission statement?
An event planning mission statement is a short, written explanation of the purpose and values of you or your organization. These types of mission statements often differ from traditional, corporate ones. For example, Coca-Cola’s mission statement ” To inspire moments of optimism and happiness … To create value and make a difference ” is likely much broader than one you’d see written by an event planning company.
What should an event planning mission statement include?
An event planning mission statement is different to every person or organization, but at its highest level, it should include: Your personal tone of voice, a message tailored to your specific audience, and what makes your services unique compared to others.
Tone
As the Grammarly team puts it, tone is “the attitude your writing employs.” Your tone, attitude, and authentic voice can subtly mean more about who you are than the words you choose. Elements such as a formal or corporate tone or a cheesy pun help others understand whether or not they will vibe with you.
Message
The actual content of your mission statement should be authentic to you and resonate with the audiences you already serve. As you’ll see demonstrated in some examples below, your message can be as simple as creating memorable moments or as personal as serving your very own community.
Uniqueness
This section is two-fold: unique selling point and experience of what it’s like to work with you.
Unique selling points can be anything from your excitement to learn and grow your craft by going the extra mile for your very first client to offering a full team with catering, event decor, and more. But don’t forget to set expectations of what it’s like to collaborate with you. If you’re a color-coding genius or an improvisational wizard, put a hint of that spice into your mission statement.
Why is an event planning mission statement important?
It’s important because it acts as a guiding light for your goals, actions, and events. It’s not just a section of your website’s About page. It’s a declaration of who you are as an event planner and what your business is all about.
Sure, you could skip this step. There are plenty of people who hire event planners without reading their mission statement first. But why not take advantage of this unique opportunity to sum it up for potential clients? Not only is it memorable, but it can also reach people on a level deeper than a resume or list of reviews.
Real-world examples of event planning mission statements
According to Nirjary Desai of KIS (cubed) Events, the best event planning mission statements are the ones that are authentic.
In a nutshell, Desai says to create a mission statement that reflects who you are and how your unique essence helps clients in refreshing ways. Don’t just write what you think people want to hear. Write what feels true to you.
It’s hard to know what to write a mission statement about if you haven’t seen many. While there isn’t an industry standard for what to say and how to say it, examples like the ones below have been helping experienced event planners win more clients.
We spoke with event planning professionals who generously offered their real-world mission statements as examples for this piece. Here’s what they are and why we love them.
- Every MOMENT is UNIQUE, the EXPERIENCES should be MEMORABLE, and when you walk into a space, your STYLE should stand out and be UNFORGETTABLE. ” Desai, KIS (cubed) Events
As Desai said earlier, it’s important that your mission statement reflects who you are. That task can seem daunting at first until you see examples like this one. Desai’s mission statement stands out in two distinct ways:
- Her philosophy is clear. Desai puts the spotlight on her clients and what they’re really after: Experiences that are unique, memorable, and deeply personal. No matter what type of event it is, Desai’s mission statement makes it clear that it will be unforgettable. And isn’t that what we all want when working with an event planner?
- The formatting choice is unique. The capitalizations here are intentional and interesting. If big, bold formatting choices like these reflect your personality, make sure to sprinkle them in whenever possible. Another great idea for interesting formatting in a mission statement is to add an emoji or two.
- Our mission is for you and your coworkers to love your work. We believe teams are made of extraordinary individuals, and that together we can really shake the world into its best alignment. We obsess over building strong teams, so that yours can achieve its highest potential. ” Michael Alexis, TeamBuilding
Michael Alexis is the CEO of TeamBuilding, a team-building events company for brands like Apple, Amazon, Google, Johnson & Johnson, Netflix, Chipotle, and many others. Social Tables spoke to Alexis about his mission statement and why they chose it.
We chose this mission because it is a meaningful impact we can have as event planners, says Alexis. We can’t cure COVID, but we can support the team that does. We can’t build the rocket that goes to Mars, but we can support the team that does. We can’t solve the environmental crisis, but we can absolutely support the team that does.
Here’s what stands out to us about this example:
- It’s focused on the client. This mission statement does a great job at reflecting the needs of their niche audience: Corporate events. When brands are looking to invest in team-building activities, every dollar counts. A statement like this one will really get to the core of why they’re spending the money in the first place.
- The benefits of working with them are clear. Having strong teams, fulfilling potential, and loving what you do are all some of the biggest hopes and dreams any corporation can have when hiring an event planner. That’s why this mission statement really knocks it out of the park. They cut to the chase in an exciting way, acknowledging what they can and cannot do while also being honest about the ways they can provide support.
- Our mission is to change the world of hospitality, meetings, and events to be truly equitable and inclusive, instead of maintaining a status quo that doesn’t work for everyone. ” Ryan Kroening, Events by Lady K
Ryan Kroening is the Founder & President of Events by Lady K, an LGBTQ-owned benefit corporation based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In Kroening’s own words, We partner with clients to create events where every attendee feels welcomed, celebrated, and included!
In an email to Social Tables, Kroening shared, my advice for those working on crafting their own mission statement, think about what drives you at the core of your work ” the motivation? The inspiration? The passion? The creativity? The purpose bigger than yourself?
Kroening’s mission statement showcases exactly what Events by Lady K’s answers are for all the above.
Some of the standout elements of this mission statement are:
- A strong vision. Events by Lady K makes it clear how they plan to impact the world with their event planning artistry. Heartfelt statements like these are easy to connect to on a deeper level than most others. The brand also positions themselves as a leader in this space with just a single sentence.
- A cause worth fighting for. Equity and inclusivity are more than just buzzwords in this powerful mission statement. Taking on the problems of the world at large through your natural gifts and abilities is really admirable. If you serve a cause bigger than yourself, spell it out in your mission statement to manifest your dream clients and begin making an impact on the world that much faster.
If you’re still not sure if your mission statement draft is good or not, Kroening offers this bonus tip: Run it past some friends, a mentor, or colleagues to get feedback, and help fine-tune it. Then harness it all into what makes you, you!
What are some alternatives to a mission statement?
Social Tables recently interviewed Madeline Raithel of Entire Productions via email to get her perspective on why her company chose not to have a mission statement.
Instead of a mission statement, we have a set of core values that reflect each of our team members’ biggest strengths, explains Raithel. It’s important to have a mission statement or a set of core values to influence the impact that your business makes. The new generation of business heavily emphasizes impact over profit so having your mission statement or values at the forefront will tell customers that you acknowledge an event’s potential for impactful change.
Plus, core values and mission statements share many of the same benefits. As Raithel points out, here are some additional reasons to have core values:
- “They define our culture. Our core values will set the tone of this organization.
- They inform the way we do business. It gives us a standard to hold to and helps us operate more efficiently.
- They attract like-minded people to our organization.
- They dictate how we review, reward, and recognize employees.
- Core values give us a measurable standard and make it easier to show appreciation and recognition to the team.
At the end of the day, either method helps potential clients understand who you are and what your company is about. So choose whichever speaks to you more, then follow examples we’ve set out above to craft your own.
Boost your event planner marketing today!
Now that you know the anatomy of a great event planning mission statement and why it’s so important to have one, you’re ready to prep the rest of your marketing materials. Up next, read all about event planning resume must-haves to see if yours stands out. Or spruce up your event planner website design with inspiration from some beautiful examples.
