Survey methodology
The why
Recognising the unique challenges faced by new and “accidental” event planners - those who organise events outside their main role - along with other industry partners, we have created an ‘Event Planner 101’ toolkit.
This toolkit is a comprehensive learning resource and empowering practical guide to support the planning and delivery of successful events.
The toolkit is underpinned by top tips, expert guidance, and real-life, evidence-based insights.
To ensure the content is relevant, useful, and effective, we conducted in-depth research. This took the form of an anonymous survey hosted by PA Life (please see below). The goal was to gain a thorough understanding of the landscape for those new to event planning and its impact on professional and personal wellbeing.
We also worked with a range of leading industry partners to harness their specialist knowledge and maximise expertise. All data was then utilised to create the Event Planner 101 toolkit - a pragmatic, supportive and motivating resource for new and accidental event planners.
The survey
The findings presented in the Event Planner 101 toolkit are based on an anonymous survey and qualitative analysis.
The survey was conducted across November and December 2025 and received a total of 93 responses. It was run as part of a paid-for collaboration with media partner, PA Life, who were chosen for their trusted credibility in the corporate hospitality market.
Their readership (personal assistants, executive assistants, office managers, and similar roles) also aligned well with the survey’s target audience: accidental event planners.
The survey was distributed via two newsletters and one Solus email to PA Life’s 21,000-strong database. PA Life also promoted the survey on their social media, with four LinkedIn posts (reaching a following of 24,570) and one Instagram story (reaching 2,777 followers).
It was also promoted with three social posts on The Business of Events’ (TBOE) LinkedIn and Instagram accounts, which have a combined following of 3,075. A leading global thinktank for the business events sector, TBOE, was partnered with for their vast reach amongst events professionals, extensive knowledge network, and respected industry authority.
The questions
All survey respondents were asked the following mix of multiple-choice and open-ended questions:
- What is your primary job role?
- How often do you organise events as part of your role?
- What type of event are/were you responsible for?
- On a scale of 1–10, how confident did you feel when first tasked with planning the event?
- What was your biggest worry?
- How much stress did planning the event cause you?
- Did you receive any formal training or guidance on event planning before this?
- Who did you turn to for advice or support?
- Looking back, what was the hardest part of the event planning process?
- What went better than you expected?
- If you had to do it again, what’s the #1 thing you’d do differently?
- After your experience, how likely are you to volunteer (or agree) to plan another event?
- Which skills do you think every accidental event planner needs most?
- If you could describe your first event planning experience in one word, what would it be?
