ST. CLOUD -- Planning ahead, negotiating with vendors and finding volunteers is only part of what's on an event planner's agenda for the day.

As we make it half-way down the list, developed by careercast.com, coming in as the #5 most stressful job is event planner. Townsquare Media's Vicky Prom-Becker has been with the company for 17 years.

"When I first started here at Townsquare Media I was mainly doing sales. We were working with a group who was thinking about starting a wedding show in town and so I was working with that group to help them marketing wise. As it turned out after we had spent many months of planning it turned out they were not going to have enough staff to actually execute the event. After we had spent so much time planning because a lot of events take a lot of time to plan, they had asked if we would take over the event and we did. Since I had been on the planning committee, then it became my baby to take on. So over the years I started taking on more and more event roles."

Prom-Becker graduated from St. Cloud State University with a management degree. Taking on many leadership roles prepared her to be an event coordinator.

"Leading up to where I am now, I've always been a very organized person and you definitely need to be very organized and detail oriented."

Putting on an event for the first time can be challenging just because it's never been done before.

"Just certain aspects of the event that you're trying to maybe line up sometimes can be hard to find the right resources or find the right people to help."

When it comes to organizing an event it's all about communication. Prom-Becker says she responds to multiple emails and phone calls while she's planning an event.

Much of the work to set up an event is done the week before, which can be stressful.

"It's crunch time and there's only so much time you have to get this stuff done right before [the event]."

But regardless of how much you plan ahead, Prom-Becker says you can't plan for everything.

"Sometimes there's things that happen at the event that you can't plan for, that kind of throws you for a loop and you have to make a plan b."

No event is exactly the same, some are large like WingFest.

"It's our big wing event, where you can come in and try usually over 50 different kinds of wing sauces that we have amateurs and pro contestants that make these sauces. [WingFest] is really fun and we have close to 5,000 people come out to that event every year."

And some events are small.

"We have our weekly Paint-n-Party classes that we host at Brothers Bar and Grill in downtown St. Cloud. People, even if they have no experience in painting can come in and have some drinks and appetizers."

But no matter how big or small an event may be, Prom-Becker says the goal is always the same.

"You work all year to make it as perfect as you possible can and that's what you're hoping for, just that it all comes together perfectly, everyone has a great time and you get the type of crowds that want."

To achieve your goals, Prom-Becker says you can't do it alone.

"Stay calm, eventually everything will work out and work with your other co-workers to resolve things and figure things out."

After all of the planning, Prom-Becker says her job is both fun and rewarding.

"To me that is the best part, just seeing all the people come to the events, having a great time, it makes it worth it."

Tune in next week as we check out our #4 most stressful job, police officer.

Vicky Prom-Becker (Chrissy Gaetke, WJON)
Vicky Prom-Becker (Chrissy Gaetke, WJON)
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