Event Planning at Foxwoods Resort and Casino

By: Christina Mott

I chose to interview an events planner at Foxwoods because my major at Central Connecticut State University is Hospitality and Tourism with a concentration in Event Management. Naturally, I had many questions relating to the field. The following is a summary of my interview with Latavia Fahnbulleh, Special Events Coordinator.

Latavia described the daily duties and activities of an event planner as filling out paperwork and permits, drawing up floor plans for the venue, contacting vendors, sending invitations, finding bands, and writing contracts among other things. She also described the design elements involved in event planning in which I was particularly interested. Choosing themes, colors, menus, and concepts for events are all part of an event planner’s preparation process. Events planners also work with florists, caterers, and engineers to make their vision for an event become a reality. I was particularly interested in this aspect because I have always been interested in interior decorating and designing everything from architecture to costumes. From my interview with Latavia I feel event planning will allow me to use my creativity to decorate and design beautiful settings for parties and gatherings.
When I asked her about the job requirements and qualifications she mentioned an event planner must be really outgoing, good with people, gracious at greeting guests, creative, organized, be attentive to details, have good time management skills, and most importantly have a genuine love for parties and gatherings. She also mentioned one job requirement of event planning I did not expect to hear. She told me about how it is necessary for an event planner to be price savvy when buying items needed for the event. It is the event planners job to find the items at the lowest cost. Therefore, it is imperative the planner is knowledgeable about the materials they are buying. An event planner must also be persuasive when negotiating prices and must be assertive toward stubborn or pushy vendors. Finally, an event planner must have a “hands on” attitude toward planning their event, especially when setting up the venue for the event. The planner must do whatever is necessary for the success of the event, whether that is setting up tables or carrying food trays.
The job perks and compensation for event planners is anywhere from $30,000 to $80,000 a year. The salary is really a factor of what type of event planning is being performed. Based on my research for my career paper I found corporate event planning is on the higher end of this scale when working for large corporations. On the other hand, tourism related event planning is usually on the lower end of the salary spectrum according to Latavia in her interview. Then there is private event planning such as wedding and party planning that could be anywhere in between depending on the scale of the event. Job perks unique to working as a Foxwoods Event Planner would be tickets to games and shows, discount shopping, and lunch and gifts from potential vendors.
I was originally concerned about the amount of nights, weekends, and holidays I would be working. However, in her interview Latavia mentioned that the weeks prior to an event are 9-5 days doing mostly office work. She finds that the only times she works nights or weekends is on the day of the event. Because the Foxwoods event planning department is so large, there are many planners who each do about 3 or 4 events a month. In the years she has been working there, she has not had to work Christmas or Thanksgiving yet, but she says New Years Eve is the busiest time. New Years Eve is a large event that usually works out to be a 12 hour long day.
Latavia’s advice to anyone starting in the field of event management is to be very patient when getting people to collaborate and organizing their activities. She recommends an event planner be firm when dealing with difficult vendors or employees. She also says, “Have fun with the process and enjoy watching you plans come alive.” Finally, she stressed being positive and enjoying yourself as an important way to combat the stress of planning large scale events. For education she approved of the Tourism and Hospitality track, but mentioned that experience in the field is really the key to success. She also believes that the skills needed to make a successful event planner are more personal traits rather than skills that can be learned through school or training.

http://www.foxwoods.com/