How to Help Stressed Employees in the Events Industry

Event management has always been considered one of the top ten most stressful professions in the world (usually just after being a firefighter or serving in the military). In today’s climate, as the industry continues to navigate the fallout from the pandemic, staffing challenges, and a cost-of-living crisis, event professionals are feeling the pressure more than ever.

To help tackle the rising tide of stress and mental fatigue, Mike Fletcher speaks with workplace wellbeing advocate and founder of BCorp-certified company Stress Matters, Laura Capell-Abra. They explore how to spot when a colleague is struggling and share some key coping mechanisms to support the health and wellbeing of those in the events industry. 

Burnout isn’t a sudden switch - it’s a slow build-up of chronic stress. As Laura Capell-Abra explains, “It’s a bell curve where stress levels increase and your performance declines in tandem. Burnout is that tipping point where someone’s performance has dropped so significantly that they are physically and mentally unable to function.”

In high-stakes industries such as events, understanding this difference is crucial. Recognising when someone is merely under pressure versus when they’re at risk of burnout is the first step to offering meaningful support. 

Workplace wellbeing refers to the physical, emotional, and mental health of employees during their time at work. It encompasses everything from workload management and workplace culture to social support and opportunities for rest and recovery.

For event planning professionals, whose jobs often demand long hours, tight deadlines, and intense client interactions, wellbeing in the workplace is not a luxury - it’s a necessity. Promoting wellbeing in the workplace means embedding practices, policies, and a culture that prioritise people as much as performance.

Identifying stress in a colleague isn’t always straightforward. “Everyone manifests stress differently,” says Laura. “Some wake early and can’t sleep again, while others oversleep. Some people stop eating, others eat more. Some get snappy, some go silent.”

In an environment where high performance is expected as standard, changes in behaviour can be subtle but significant indicators. Laura recommends regular, open check-ins - such as the weekly people-focused meetings her team holds - to create a culture where it’s okay not to be okay.

Such practices are a key part of workplace wellbeing programmes. They allow team leaders to detect early warning signs and provide appropriate support before stress turns into something more serious.

The benefits of wellbeing in the workplace are well-documented across industries, but for event professionals, these gains are even more critical. Here’s why:

• Improved performance: Staff who feel supported are more engaged, creative, and productive.
• Lower turnover: High levels of stress and burnout are key reasons why talented event planners leave the industry.
• Fewer mistakes: Fatigued teams are more prone to error, which can be an expensive risk in live event environments.
• Stronger client relationships: A happy, motivated team delivers better results, enhancing client satisfaction and trust.

With so many tangible benefits, building a comprehensive workplace wellbeing strategy is an investment worth making. 

While stress can impact anyone, junior staff in events are often most vulnerable. “They’re passionate, ambitious, and buy into the culture of always being available,” says Laura. “But they’re also less empowered to push back or ask for help.”

This group, which includes account executives, production assistants, and early-career event coordinators, often works the longest hours with the least autonomy. That’s why workplace wellbeing services must specifically address their needs. This includes empowering them to set boundaries, communicate openly, and take care of themselves without fear of judgment. 

Too many workplace wellbeing programmes tick boxes without creating real change. For event agencies, practical, everyday initiatives are essential.

Some effective wellbeing activities for the workplace include:

• Structured recovery time post-event: Allow team members time to rest, debrief, and recover.
• Mandatory downtime between projects: Avoid back-to-back events without a pause.
• Mental health training for managers: Equip leaders with the tools to support their teams effectively.
• Flexible working policies: Especially important for roles that require travel and onsite work.

“Wellbeing ideas for the workplace need to be realistic, not just idealistic,” Laura stresses. “If it’s not achievable within the daily workflow of your agency, people won’t engage with it.”

One of the most overlooked aspects of mental wellbeing in the workplace is the post-event comedown. After weeks (or months) of high-pressure preparation and execution, event teams often crash both physically and emotionally.

“Our online courses dedicate whole modules to this,” says Laura. “Adrenaline doesn’t leave the body uniformly. Some need a day, others need a week. Recognise that and plan accordingly.”

This is where wellbeing activities for workplace recovery come in - whether it’s a team brunch, an early finish, or simply time blocked out for low-stress admin. Allowing space to decompress isn’t just compassionate, it’s strategic. 

No wellbeing initiative can succeed without leadership buy-in. Agencies must define their values, communicate expectations clearly to clients, and stick to their guns.

“If you don’t want your team doing 19-hour onsite shifts, put it in your working agreements,” Laura advises. “Make wellbeing non-negotiable.”

This applies not just during event delivery, but across planning cycles. From pitch stage to debrief, employee wellbeing should shape decision-making, resourcing, and scheduling. 

Perhaps the most radical shift required in events is redefining rest. “We were taught to work hard and play hard,” Laura says. “But no one ever taught us to rest hard.”

Rest doesn’t always mean inactivity. It means doing things that change your brain’s pace. For some, that’s physical activity; for others, it’s quiet time or hobbies. Encouraging your team to discover their version of rest (and to protect time for it) is crucial.

It also requires organisations to move away from an ‘always-on’ culture. Out-of-hours communication, last-minute client demands, and glorified busyness all erode mental wellbeing in the workplace. Leaders must set the tone and walk the talk. 

One of the most powerful tools available to event agencies is workplace wellbeing training. Not only does it equip teams with the skills to manage their own stress, but it also fosters empathy, communication, and psychological safety within teams.

Training can take many forms:

• Mental health first aid
• Resilience workshops
• Burnout prevention sessions
• Time and energy management

Investing in these programmes demonstrates a serious commitment to promoting wellbeing in the workplace and ensures that staff are prepared to support both themselves and one another. 

The events industry has an opportunity to lead the way when it comes to health and wellbeing in the workplace. By acknowledging the unique pressures faced by planners and producers, and by taking intentional action, the sector can become a model for sustainable performance.

Here are five key steps event planning professionals can take today:

1. Listen actively: Implement regular one-to-one check-ins and anonymous pulse surveys.
   
2. Review expectations: Evaluate job descriptions and workloads against wellbeing benchmarks.
   
3. Challenge client norms: Push back on unhealthy demands and educate clients on sustainable delivery.
   
4. Celebrate rest: Reward healthy behaviours, not just long hours.
   
5. Measure impact: Track the effectiveness of your workplace wellbeing programmes and refine them regularly. 

Workplace wellbeing is no longer a ‘nice-to-have’ - it’s a critical element of success in the modern events industry. From improved retention and engagement to better client outcomes and reduced absenteeism, the benefits of wellbeing in the workplace are tangible and far-reaching.

For event professionals, adopting a wellbeing-first mindset is the key to longevity and satisfaction in an industry they love. As Laura Capell-Abra puts it: “Events is a high-pressure role, but it doesn’t have to be a high-stress one.”

By committing to meaningful change - across leadership, culture, policies and practice - agencies can ensure that their teams thrive not just onstage, but behind the scenes as well. 

Hi Laura, let’s start by defining the difference between stress and burnout…

In basic terms, burnout is an accumulation of stress. It’s a bell curve where stress levels increase and your performance declines in tandem. Burnout tends to be the point where someone’s performance has declined so much that they’re physically and mentally unable to function effectively anymore. So they’re intrinsically linked.

How would you notice that a colleague working in a highly stressful environment is on the verge of burnout?

The way we describe it in our mental health training is that you’re looking for significant changes in an individual’s character. Unfortunately, there’s no single set of signs since everyone is different. For instance, when I’m stressed, I wake up at the crack of dawn and I can’t get back to sleep. But when my husband is stresse,d he sleeps for longer and gets up later.

Some people won’t eat, while others will overeat or drink too much. Some people grow quiet, become less punctual or they're slower in responding to requests. As a team leader or manager, you need to be in tune with colleagues, consciously listening and looking for signs of behavioural change.

Every Friday, we have a company check-in meeting that’s completely people-oriented. It encourages staff openness and for leaders to be more vulnerable so no one is allowed to hide the fact that they have both good and bad days.

Who is most at risk from stress spilling over into burnout?

It’s generally more junior people working in events who are impacted the most by stress. They tend to be passionate and ambitious and buy into the industry’s long-held cultural expectations to always be available and go above and beyond. They’re less likely to feel empowered to push back or ask for additional support. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

There will always be pressures, due to it being a very deadline-oriented industry, but we need to remove the cultural acceptance that stress is inevitable. Events manager is a high-pressure rol,e but it doesn’t have to be a high-stress role.

What actions would you recommend to reduce workplace stress for event agencies?

Clear briefs and in-built working agreements help tremendously. From the outset, clients need to understand that as part of the event’s delivery, decisions will be upheld based on employee wellbeing. So, for instance, team members won’t be allowed to work onsite for 19 hours straight and instead, the client will be required to pay for shared job roles.

As an events business, you need to be clear on the policies you have in place to protect staff from burnout and ensure they are non-negotiable with clients.

What about after an event? How should companies cope with the comedown?

It’s a great question. Our online courses for events professionals have whole sections dedicated to the post-event comedown. Stress is our response to adrenaline building in the body and adrenaline leaves people at different speeds. Companies need to acknowledge how long individual team members need to come down by allowing them to regroup, take time off or spend longer doing basic admin tasks before getting back onsite.

Finally, what one piece of key advice would you give to event professionals coping with rising stress levels?

I was brought up in a culture of ‘work hard, play hard,’ but no one ever told us to ‘rest hard. ’ You have to get good at resting, and that can mean different things to different personalities.

Some people rest by getting energised and going for a run or a gym workout. Others rest by being the energy and just sitting quietly, meditating or reading. Resting doesn’t have to mean not doing anything, but it does require you to use your brain differently from when it’s in work mode.

For more valuable insight on how to navigate the MICE industry as an event professional, take a look at the other articles on our blog.

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