IET Venues launches Event Planner 101 toolkit to address the lack of training of event planners as 8 in 10 are lacking the opportunity of any formal training…
A survey by IET Venuesย for its Event Planner 101 toolkitย has revealed that almost 84% of respondents received no employer-led training before planning an event. Developed with leading industry partners, the toolkit is designed to help plug this gap in formal training, providing new and occasional event planners with the support they need to plan and deliver successful events.
Conducted in November and December 2025, the survey analysed the experiences of 93 professionals from a wide range of sectors who plan at least one event per year either as part of their main role or in addition to it. It revealed that more than half are now turning to colleagues as their main source of support (57%), while 16% of respondents highlighted getting direction and clarity from senior management as the hardest part of event planning. Those who did so emphasised difficulties such as โGetting senior managers buy-in and commitment to do their actionsโ, โKnowing what is needed and what to ask from a flimsy briefโฆโ and โTime constraints that are not considered by the bossesโ. Despite its growing presence in the workplace, only 10% of respondents used AI (Artificial Intelligence) for advice.
Nevertheless, the survey makes it clear that people enjoy planning events. Indeed, 53% of respondents associated positive words with the process and 98% were willing to plan events again in the future. The lack of training and guidance, however, makes event planning more difficult, with 49% of those surveyed finding the experience stressful to a moderate or significant degree.
The Event Planner 101 toolkit is a result of industry partner collaboration
Launched on January 12, and developed in collaboration with industry partners including The Business of Events, PA Life, Greengage, West Midlands Growth Company, The Power of Eventsย and Searcys, the Event Planner 101 toolkit is a comprehensive learning resource and practical guide. Packed with top tips, expert guidance, and real-life, evidence-based insights, it takes a deep dive into everything from working with a venue team and designing with sustainability in mind to security considerations, F&B pointers, and accessibility and inclusivity must-haves, to name just a few.
Sean Spencer, Head of IET Venues, said: โWe knew from our own experience that new and occasional event planners faced unique challenges. Indeed, itโs why we were inspired to create the toolkit in the first place, but this survey has been a real eye-opener as to the specifics of those challenges and their extent. Given this data, the Event Planner 101 toolkit couldnโt be timelier. Designed to demystify the event planning process and build the confidence of new and occasional planners, it will give those who need it the tools and support to thrive and deliver successful events time and again.โ
About IET Venues
As part of the Institution of Engineering and Technology, IET Venues delivers contemporary events spaces with unmatched audio-visual capabilities at its award-winning IET London: Savoy Placeย and IET Birmingham: Austin Courtย venues.
You can access the Event Planner 101 toolkit here.
