Why Event Management Services Have Been Difficult to Find These Days

Introduction

Event Management Services Have Been Difficult to Find These Days Event management has always been an integral part of celebrations, business activities, and social gatherings. From weddings and birthday parties to corporate conferences and cultural festivals, event planners make life easier by taking care of the complex details—venue selection, catering, décor, logistics, entertainment, and coordination.

But in recent times, especially in the post-pandemic world, people across India and globally have been facing a strange issue: event management services are harder to find, more expensive, and often overbooked.

In this blog, we’ll explore in detail why finding reliable event management services has become difficult today, what factors are contributing to this scarcity, and what solutions both businesses and clients can adopt to overcome these challenges.

---

1. The Growing Demand for Events

One of the biggest reasons for the shortage is the sudden surge in demand.

• After COVID-19 restrictions ended, people rushed to host delayed weddings, birthday parties, and corporate events.
• Businesses, eager to reconnect with customers, started organizing product launches, exhibitions, and conferences.
• Religious and cultural festivals came back with even more grandeur, requiring large-scale event setups.

This demand-supply imbalance has left many event planners fully booked months in advance, making it difficult for new clients to find services.

---

2. Shortage of Skilled Event Planners and Staff

Event management is a labor-intensive industry. It requires:

• Event planners and coordinators
• Catering teams
• Decorators and designers
• Technicians for sound, lighting, and staging
• Logistics and transport providers
• Security personnel

However, due to the pandemic and subsequent economic slowdown, many skilled workers left the industry for more stable jobs. Now, even though demand is high, the supply of trained manpower is low, leading to a scarcity of reliable service providers.

---

3. Rising Costs in the Industry

Another factor is the sharp increase in costs:

• Venue rentals have gone up due to high demand.
• Raw material costs for décor, flowers, and catering have risen with inflation.
• Hiring professional DJs, photographers, and entertainers has become more expensive.
• Fuel and transport costs have surged, affecting logistics.

Smaller event companies that cannot cope with these rising costs are shutting down, reducing the overall number of providers in the market. The companies that remain often charge higher prices, limiting accessibility for many clients.

---

4. Digital Transformation and Changing Expectations

Today’s clients expect digitally enhanced events with:

• LED walls and stage lighting effects
• Live streaming for remote audiences
• Drone photography and cinematic videography
• Online invitations and digital guest management
• Social media integration

Not all event companies are equipped with this technology. Those that are, often have limited slots available, making them harder to book.

---

5. High Client Expectations and Customization

Gone are the days when a simple wedding or birthday setup was enough. Modern clients want:

• Theme-based décor (Bollywood, Royal, Rustic, Minimalist, etc.)
• Personalized catering menus with multiple cuisines
• Unique entertainment options like celebrity performers or stand-up comedians
• Eco-friendly and sustainable events

This level of customization requires creativity, resources, and manpower. Many small event companies cannot meet these expectations, which narrows down the list of reliable providers.

---

6. Seasonal Pressure on the Industry

In India, most weddings, festivals, and corporate events are seasonal. For example:

• Wedding season peaks between November–March.
• Festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi, Diwali, and Durga Puja require large-scale setups.
• Corporate events are often clustered around financial year-ends or product launches.

This seasonal demand creates a bottleneck, where every event company is booked solid, making it nearly impossible to find services at the last minute.

---

7. Post-Pandemic Business Challenges

COVID-19 severely disrupted the event management industry:

• Many companies shut down permanently during lockdowns.
• Workers migrated back to their hometowns and did not return.
• Safety protocols and sanitization added extra operational costs.
• Clients became cautious about spending on large events.

Even though demand has returned, the industry is still recovering from these setbacks, which is why services feel scarce.

---

8. Lack of Professional Standards

Unlike some industries, event management is highly unorganized in India. Many small operators run without proper licenses, contracts, or trained staff. This creates two problems:

• Reliable, professional companies get overbooked quickly.
• Clients who fall into the trap of inexperienced vendors face poor service quality.

The absence of a strong regulatory framework means clients have to struggle harder to identify dependable providers.

---

9. Increase in DIY and Freelance Services

Another trend is the rise of DIY event planning and freelance workers. While this gives clients alternatives, it also leads to:

• Lack of full-service professional event companies.
• Inconsistent quality, since freelancers may not have access to resources.
• Over-reliance on unverified online platforms.

This shift reduces the availability of comprehensive event management firms, making full-service providers rarer.

---

10. Impact of Technology on Demand

Ironically, technology has also increased demand. Social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube have made people more conscious about aesthetics and presentation. Everyone wants their event to look “picture perfect.”

This social pressure has created a boom in demand for premium event management services—but the number of companies that can meet this demand is limited.

---

11. Urban-Rural Divide

In metro cities like Mumbai, Delhi, and Bangalore, event planners are often available but overbooked due to high demand. In smaller towns, on the other hand, professional event management services are scarce or non-existent.

This uneven distribution makes it harder for clients outside major cities to find good service providers.

---

12. Client Trust Issues

Another reason why event management feels scarce is because clients often struggle to trust new service providers. With frequent cases of:

• Mismanagement
• Last-minute cancellations
• Poor quality of service
• Budget overruns

…clients prefer to stick to reputed names, which get overbooked quickly. This reduces the availability of trusted services for new customers.

---

13. Corporate Events and Hybrid Models

Businesses are now organizing hybrid events (both physical and online), which require specialized setups like live streaming, virtual stages, and global coordination. Only a few event companies have this expertise, making them difficult to hire.

---

14. The Human Resource Problem

Behind every successful event are hundreds of workers—set designers, electricians, caterers, florists, and coordinators. However, due to unstable pay and irregular work cycles, many workers leave the industry. This shortage of skilled human resources directly affects the availability of event management services.

---

15. What Clients Can Do

Since the problem is complex, clients need to adapt as well. Here are some practical steps:

1. Book early – For weddings or festivals, book 6–12 months in advance.
2. Be flexible – Consider off-season dates when event planners are more available.
3. Do your research – Verify licenses, contracts, and reviews before booking.
4. Set realistic budgets – Quality services cost more in today’s market.
5. Consider hybrid options – Reduce the size of physical events and add virtual participation.

---

16. What Event Companies Can Do

Event businesses themselves must adapt to survive and thrive:

• Invest in training staff to handle modern demands.
• Adopt technology for virtual events, digital guest management, and automation.
• Build strong vendor networks to handle seasonal demand.
• Focus on customer experience and transparent pricing.
• Market themselves digitally to reach wider audiences.

---

17. Future of Event Management in India

Despite the current challenges, the future looks promising. According to industry reports, India’s event management sector is expected to grow at a 15–20% annual rate in the coming years.

The rise of destination weddings, corporate MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions), and digital-first events will create huge opportunities. But only those companies that embrace professionalism, creativity, and technology will thrive.

---

Conclusion

Event management services are difficult to find these days not because people don’t want to work in the field, but because the industry is under immense pressure from high demand, staff shortages, rising costs, and changing expectations.

Clients must plan early, set realistic budgets, and be flexible. Event companies must innovate, invest in manpower, and adopt technology to stay relevant.

In the end, while the scarcity of event planners is real, it is also an opportunity for new entrepreneurs to enter the market and redefine how events are managed in India.