The Top 20 BCD Meetings & Events Interview Questions You Need to Know

Interviewing at BCD Meetings & Events? You’ve come to the right place. With more than 50 years of experience in the meetings and events business, BCD has become a world leader known for creating unforgettable experiences.

BCD only hires the best people because it is one of the best companies in its field. Competition is fierce for the opportunity to join their innovative teams. The purpose of the interview process is to see how well candidates can think strategically, lead others, and handle complicated projects.

To help you put your best foot forward, I’ve compiled this comprehensive guide covering the top 20 most common BCD Meetings & Events interview questions. Master these insider perspectives and you’ll be primed for success when your big day arrives.

Overview of the BCD Meetings & Events Interview Process

Before diving into specific questions, let’s briefly overview what to expect during the BCD interview process.

• Initial Screening Call A recruiter will reach out for an introductory screening call to discuss your resume and assess your salary expectations and availability

• Phone Interview Next comes a phone interview focused on behavioral and situational questions to gauge your experience level This may involve multiple hiring managers

• In-Person Interview: Candidates who advance will be invited for 1-3 rounds of in-person interviews at a BCD office. These are more in-depth conversations centering on your qualifications and cultural fit.

• Client Interview For senior positions expect to meet with 1-2 BCD clients as the final step. This allows clients to provide input on candidates.

With this overview in mind, let’s get into the nitty gritty of how to ace the questions you’re likely to encounter.

1. Walk me through your experience in event planning and management.

This is your chance to provide an overview of your professional background. Focus on highlighting specific meetings and events you’ve worked on, your role and responsibilities, and key achievements. Quantify results when possible to demonstrate your capabilities.

Structure your answer chronologically, tying it back to the position you’re applying for. For junior roles, academic projects are fair game to discuss. The interviewer is assessing your knowledge, track record of success, and potential fit for the company.

Example response: “I started my career in event planning straight out of college, joining [Company X] as a project coordinator. In that role, I assisted senior managers in executing large conferences and sales seminars. Key projects included managing the onsite logistics for their 1000-person national sales meeting, where I coordinated 25+ vendor partners and ensured seamless execution across 3 event days. Based on positive feedback, I was promoted to handle my own events. Over the next 5 years, I planned 50+ events ranging from intimate client dinners to conferences with 3000+ attendees. My largest project was [Event Y], a $2 million expo which required extensive stakeholder coordination. I managed the full planning cycle from conception through production and exceeded ticket sale targets by 15%. This breadth of experience across different event types and scales makes me confident I can handle the complex projects BCD takes on.”

2. How do you prioritize tasks when planning an event?

Event planning requires juggling many moving parts. This question tests your organizational skills and ability to focus on the most critical activities.

In your response, demonstrate a systematic approach to prioritization. Explain how you identify and rank the importance of tasks based on goals, deadlines, budget, and resources. Discuss tools you use like matrices or workback schedules. Share examples of times you successfully prioritized despite competing demands. Emphasize meeting deadlines and delivering quality.

Example response: “When faced with multiple tasks, I use a structured framework to determine priorities. I start by identifying all activities that fall along the project’s critical path, as any delays there can jeopardize the whole event. Those items become my top priority. Next, I evaluate the timeline, highlighting upcoming milestones and hard deadlines. Activities needed to meet those dates move up in my rankings. I assess budget, risk, and resources to determine the remaining hierarchy. This method allows me to focus on mission-critical deliverables first. To stay organized, I use kanban boards and daily huddles with my team to ensure we’re aligned. This disciplined prioritization process has enabled me to consistently execute smooth, high-quality events within budget and on schedule.”

3. How do you ensure optimum value when selecting vendors and negotiating contracts?

Vendor and contract management is central to event planning, so expect questions on your strategies here. Showcase your negotiation tactics and commitment to balancing cost, quality, and relationships.

Discuss leveraging market research and competitive RFPs to secure favorable pricing and terms. Provide examples of times you negotiated win-win agreements. Outline how you track vendor performance against KPIs and provide actionable feedback to continually improve partnerships. Emphasize achieving maximum value while maintaining positive, productive relationships.

Example response: “Achieving optimal value with vendors starts with thorough research into pricing and service quality benchmarks. With that foundation, I solicit competitive bids through a streamlined RFP process, specifying event needs, requirements, and success metrics. This motivates vendors to put their best foot forward with attractive proposals. I compare options based on both cost and services provided to find the ideal fit. In contract negotiations, I remain assertive on critical clauses while building rapport and exploring mutually beneficial terms. Even after signing, I continually evaluate vendors against KPIs like product quality, timeliness, and service delivery. Through regular touchpoints, I provide constructive feedback so we’re always improving. This meticulous, metrics-based approach has enabled me to secure premium vendor partnerships while optimizing budget allocation. At my last company, I reduced vendor spend by 18% YOY through these strategies while improving event satisfaction scores.”

4. Tell me about a time you had to resolve a conflict on an event planning team.

Event planning involves aligning many different stakeholders and personalities. This question probes your people management and conflict resolution abilities.

Respond by outlining a specific team conflict you’ve addressed successfully in the past. Explain the nature of the disagreement and how you approached resolving it. Discuss tactics like facilitating open communication, finding compromises, and refocusing on shared goals. Share the outcome and steps you took to prevent similar issues going forward. Position yourself as a collaborative leader who can work through interpersonal challenges.

Example response: “Early in my career, I experienced a conflict between two team members who had disagreements on assigning event responsibilities. To resolve this, I first spoke to each person individually to understand their perspectives. It became clear there were some misunderstandings causing friction. I brought everyone together to facilitate an open conversation where we established group norms like active listening. From there, we addressed the specific areas of dispute and found compromises through consensus-driven solutions. To prevent future issues, I worked to clarify roles and responsibilities in writing. We also implemented weekly check-ins for the team to touchbase on progress and air out any concerns early. This experience taught me the importance of communication, compromise, and continuous teambuilding. By leaning into the conflict, we emerged more cohesive and collaborative.”

5. How do you keep stakeholders aligned throughout an event planning project?

Stakeholder management is a core competency for event planners. With this question, interviewers want to understand your strategies for alignment both within the core team and across the client organization.

In your response, discuss tactics like stakeholder mapping, regular status updates through multiple channels, and developing shared goals and timelines upfront. Provide examples of how you course correct when misalignments surface. Underscore relationship building with stakeholders and ensuring their continual involvement. Convey your experience navigating complex stakeholder landscapes.

Example response: “Keeping diverse stakeholders aligned is crucial for event success. I start any project by identifying all stakeholders through a RACI matrix, which clarifies roles. Then I conduct alignment sessions to establish shared goals, guiding principles, and success metrics for the event upfront. Throughout planning, I provide regular updates through team meetings, status reports, and one-on-one discussions to sustain engagement. Before major milestones, I reconfirm understanding of responsibilities. When misalignments emerge, I address them quickly by facilitating open conversations to get everyone re-anchored on the collective vision. This stakeholder management approach has enabled me to keep complex, cross-functional teams aligned even through unexpected pivots. At my last company, 95% of post-event survey respondents said our events met or exceeded their expectations and goals.”

6. Describe your approach to managing risks and issues when planning an event.

Things rarely go 100% according to plan when executing events. Recruiters want to assess your preparedness and flexibility in the face of the unknown.

When answering, convey your methodical pre-event risk analysis process using tools like probability/impact matrices. Discuss contingency plans, communication strategies, and how you mobilize teams quickly. Share examples of successful risk mitigation during an event like a last-minute vendor cancellation or weather disruption. Demonstrate you can anticipate challenges and pivot smoothly while maintaining stakeholder confidence.

Example response: *”I utilize a proactive risk management process when planning events. In the design phase, I conduct a full risk assessment analyzing variables like weather, vendor reliability, and probability of ticket sales shortfalls. For identified risks, I develop contingency plans including