Elon Musk’s top 4 event planning tips

When you have an idea that you’re enthusiastic about but the chances of success appear low, what do you do? Many people would shelf it and move onto a more realistic,  if less daring, project. That would not be true, however, for entrepreneur extraordinaire, Elon Musk, where taking risks has put him where he is today. So, let’s have a look at what event planning tips can we learn from the Tesla and SpaceX CEO…

1. Commit to your ideas and partner well

It’s easy to look at the success that Elon Musk has had and forget what he went through to get there. One thing in particular that he realized early on was that he was the one best placed to make his ideas come to life. Others may have seen the vision, believed in them, were enthusiastic about them, but only Musk had the full obsession to follow them to the very end. He started the web-listing company Yelp in the 1990s and then went on to co-found Paypal, both projects providing surprisingly huge funds for future investments thanks to Compaq and eBay acquisitions respectively. More recently, Musk made the decision to join up with Tesla Motors’ founders, Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning, where he now holds the position of CEO and where they all drive towards their shared vision of electric cars and more.

• Event learn: not everyone will see the value of the ideas you have for your events, and those that do will rarely be able to be so fully invested in their success than you. Also consider which partners can best buy into, and help develop, your goals.

2. Embrace change

Not everyone is good at dealing with change but we all accept that it’s part of life; and for those that fully embrace it, success is often a byproduct. Elon Musk has his fingers in a number of pies of the future – from the Hyperloop high-speed transport system, to the electric car revolution, to the plans to colonize the planet Mars for generations to come – and accepts that if he doesn’t drive the change, he’ll either be led by it or left behind completely.

• Event learn: the meetings and events industry is constantly adapting to new technology, global interactions, eco-friendly demands, and much more. One of the main event planning tips we can give you is to stay abreast of what is happening in the event industry. Whenever possible, why not take it forward yourself sometimes surprising your attendees by implementing ‘wow’ technology that they weren’t expecting?

Stay abreast of what is happening and, whenever possible, why not take it forward yourself sometimes surprising your attendees by implementing ‘wow’ technology that they weren’t expecting?

3. Survive the pain

It’s fair to say that Musk’s success has not all been a walk in the park. Severely bullied as a child, a tough divorce both emotionally and financially, projects failing to deliver on huge investments, and threats of bankruptcy all cast huge clouds over his professional and personal lives. However, with clear goals, a resolute attitude, and an almost unmatched entrepreneurial spirit, he was able to become the man he is today.

• Event learn: event planning will always have its bumps in the road, its relative crises, and it’s how you deal with them, get through them, and come out stronger that will define you.

4. Always look to develop yourself

Never assume that you know everything. There is always someone who knows a little more. There is always a way to, as Walt Disney himself would say, “plus it”. Elon Musk knows this and no matter how successful he has been, has always strived to know as much as he could on everything he came into contact with. Whether it be financial products, cars, green energy or space technology, Musk didn’t just want the companies to be a success, he wanted to be prepared for all eventualities and made sure he knew his stuff. A trait that served him from childhood was to read lots and across widely varied disciplines. This then allowed him to transfer his knowledge from one area into another and gave him ideas that other ‘specialists’ would never have considered. “What? Recycle our space rockets?”

• Event learn: the old adage that if we are standing still then we’re actually falling behind is as true today as it was when coined. Make sure you’re always testing yourself and aim to be the expert in the room, or at least very knowledgeable, on all key areas. Use that breadth of awareness to create, solve, and promote in innovative ways.

Why not take advantage of the experiences and lessons learned of Elon Musk and gather some priceless event planning tips? Remember, as the real-life inspiration to the man behind the Iron Man mask he must be doing something pretty special!