Delegation – benefits and risk

Except for the smallest of events, the event manager cannot possibly do everything, so they must learn to delegate. Delegating organisational responsibility for various elements of the event to deputies or assistants spreads the workload and takes advantage of specialist expertise that the deputies may have. It is, however, very important that the event manager retains control, in order to deliver the event on time and within budget.

Though delegation is one of the most important tools available to the event manager, it must be used with caution. There is a level of delegation beyond which and quality of arrangements made will deteriorate. Delegating down through too many levels distances the event manager from decisions, increases the number of ‘managers’ involved and increases the risks of errors and oversights due to misunderstandings and communication problems.

As a general rule, organisational and management authority should not be delegated to more than two levels below the event manager.