Walk around any event, exhibition, conference, festival, or venue, and you’ll hear the same answer repeated over and over again.
“How are you?”
“I’m fine.”
and “I’m fine. Busy!”
The problem is that often, we’re not.
We’re exhausted, we’re overwhelmed, we’re stressed, we’re running on caffeine, adrenaline, and determination and yet somehow, admitting that feels harder than carrying on.
The events industry has built a reputation for resilience. We solve problems, adapt quickly, think on our feet, and make the impossible happen. These are incredible strengths. But somewhere along the way, many of us learned that asking for help was a sign of weakness rather than wisdom.
The result is an industry full of people quietly struggling while convincing everyone around them that everything is under control.
It’s time we changed that.
🎭 The Culture of “I’ve Got This”
Events attract capable people.
We’re planners, organisers, problem-solvers, and fixers. When challenges arise, our instinct is often to deal with them ourselves.
Need another supplier? We’ll find one.
Need to redesign a floorplan overnight? We’ll make it happen.
Need to work a 16-hour day? We’ll push through.
The problem comes when we apply that same mindset to our wellbeing.
Instead of asking for support, we tell ourselves:
“I’ll be fine.”
“It’s only one busy week.”
“I don’t want to burden anyone.”
“Everyone else is coping.”
But wellbeing challenges don’t disappear simply because we ignore them.
In fact, they often grow.
🧠 High Performers Are Often the Worst at Asking for Help
One of the biggest misconceptions about stress is that it only affects people who are struggling. In reality, some of the people most at risk are the ones who appear to be coping exceptionally well.
The team member who always volunteers.
The manager who never takes a day off.
The freelancer who says yes to every opportunity.
The organiser who answers emails at midnight.
The person everyone relies on.
These individuals often become experts at hiding how they’re really feeling. They continue delivering, smiling, showing up, until one day, they can’t.
Burnout rarely arrives without warning. Most of the time, it whispers before it shouts.
🚩 Signs You Might Need Support
Many of us are good at spotting stress in others but struggle to recognise it in ourselves.
Some signs might include:
- Feeling exhausted even after resting
- Becoming more irritable or emotional than usual
- Struggling to concentrate
- Forgetting things you would normally remember
- Feeling detached from work you once enjoyed
- Avoiding people or conversations
- Difficulty sleeping
- Constant feelings of pressure or dread
- Increased reliance on caffeine, alcohol, sugar, or other coping mechanisms
None of these mean you’re failing.
They simply mean your mind and body are asking for support.
🤝 Asking for Help Is a Professional Skill
We often talk about communication, leadership, and project management as professional skills. Perhaps it’s time we recognised asking for help as one too.
Strong professionals know their limits, strong leaders know when they need support, strong teams understand that nobody can carry everything alone.
Asking for help might look like:
- Speaking to a manager before you’re overwhelmed
- Delegating a task
- Taking a break
- Talking to a colleague you trust
- Accessing professional support
- Admitting that you don’t have capacity right now
These aren’t signs of weakness. They’re signs of self-awareness.
🌿 Creating Psychological Safety
The responsibility doesn’t sit solely with individuals. Organisations, leaders, and teams have a role to play too. Psychological safety is the belief that you can speak honestly without fear of judgement, punishment, or embarrassment.
When psychological safety exists, people feel able to say:
“I’m struggling.”
“I need support.”
“I made a mistake.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I’m overwhelmed.”
Without it, problems stay hidden until they become crises.
Creating psychological safety doesn’t require grand gestures. It often starts with simple questions:
“How are you really?”
“What support do you need?”
“What can we take off your plate?”
And then listening to the answer.
💜 The Industry We Need to Build
The events industry is built on people.
Not floorplans. Not budgets. Not registrations. – People.
The health of our industry depends on the health of the people within it and that means creating environments where support is normal, rest is respected, and wellbeing conversations are welcomed rather than avoided.
Because the strongest teams aren’t the ones who never struggle, they’re the ones who know they don’t have to struggle alone.
Final Thought
Looking after yourself isn’t just about eating well, sleeping better, staying hydrated, or taking breaks, it’s also about recognising when you need support.
The next time someone asks how you’re doing, consider whether “I’m fine” is really the answer. And if it isn’t? Give yourself permission to be honest.
You might be surprised how many people understand exactly how you feel.
Event Wellbeing Matters 