If you're the type of person who loves organizing people, places and things, you may have what it takes to be an event planner. According to News & World Report, event planning is one of the top 20 business jobs due to salary, job opportunities and work-life balance. You can get started right away by creating a clientele through word of mouth, or you can pursue a four-year degree in event planning for more professional jobs.
You can also apply for positions in marketing, advertising, public relations, communications or human resources management, as those roles are usually responsible for helping to organize public or employee events. Through these functions and event management, you can learn new skills, keep up with current event trends and establish new contacts. Consider paying for marketing to promote your website and gain more visibility online.
Event planners need strong listening and speaking skills. They must be able to understand what their customers are asking for and share their own ideas and recommendations. Researching industry leaders can give you names and businesses to communicate with and offer you the opportunity to volunteer or engage with well-known event planners and learn their methods.
Being an event planner is a great profession that provides wonderful opportunities and creative freedom, but it takes a specific type of person to succeed in this industry. You need to be prepared to work tirelessly and for as long as it takes to ensure everything is ready on time for your event. You also need humility - if you volunteer to help plan an event or simply help during the preparation and the event itself, you can gain valuable experience and practical knowledge.
Decide how those skills complement the events you want to create and plan, and include them in the experiences section of your event planning portfolio. When you are just starting out, you may find it very useful to find an experienced event planner that will allow you to work as a shadow or work as an apprentice.
Each certification has different requirements, but most will require event planners to have completed a training program, gained a certain number of years of experience, and have passed certification exams. Event planners work long hours to organize and execute the details of virtually every meeting format, including private seminars, public conferences, industry trade shows, employee retreats, and more.
Customers can browse your website to learn more about your event planning experience and view images of past events. Customers expect an impressive event within their budgets, which sometimes isn't enough for the event the customer wants.
The International Live Events Association (ILEA) offers mentoring programs, scholarships, networking events, and education for event service professionals. In the business world, you're likely to get an entry-level job under the tutelage of more experienced event planners.
This section provides information to help future event planners find the university that best suits their needs. When they attend an event they didn't plan, they never take for granted the details that were put in place to make the event happen.
Event planners need to know how to come up with solutions that make customers happy - even if it means saying no - while still staying within their budget. If you have what it takes to be an event planner - flexibility, creativity, strong communication skills - then this could be a great career path for you.
