To become an event planner, you need to be specific about the types of events you specialize in. Each one presents its own challenges and rewards, so it's important to take the time to consider your options. Event planners design meetings, weddings, conventions, trade shows and other special events, whether they work for corporations or are self-employed.
When organizing an event, planners usually follow a process of research, design, organization, execution and evaluation. They often coordinate all the details of an event, from organizing audio and video equipment to booking accommodation. In order for a professional to successfully plan a small meeting or large convention, they must identify the purpose of the event and visualize the final product from the customer's perspective. Event planners don't work with typical 9-5 hours. Instead, they work long and irregular hours while planning and at the actual event. These professionals can work on weekends or holidays and sometimes travel for business.
The BLS reports that an increase in company events is an important factor in this growth. When companies have employees working in geographically distributed offices, face-to-face meetings are often desired. Large event planning companies often give preference to jobseekers with a combination of formal training and experience. Event planners who earn a Bachelor's Degree in Meeting and Event Management can get jobs at resorts, hotels, trade associations, convention centers, cruise lines, or city governments.
Holding the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) credential can also differentiate you from other job candidates. To become a CMP, you will need to have recently worked in a meeting management position and have gained three years of experience, in addition to meeting continuing education requirements.
The BLS also points out that you may have better prospects if you work in the healthcare industry. To maintain the license, health professionals may need to attend certain events, so it will be necessary for planners. You can also improve your prospects if you know how to use social media and master virtual meeting software.
Before the big day, planners choose and organize all the logistics of food, decor, staff, presenters and technology to deliver a flawless event. Advancement for planners generally means that they take responsibility for larger, more complex events with larger budgets.
A successful career in events requires a wealth of skills, from the skill for detailed planning to high-level multitasking during the execution of the event. But if you think you have what it takes to be an event professional, check out the following options for event planning careers - there might be something for you.
Average employment growth for all careers during this period is projected to be around 7%, but that figure is 11% for event planners. Growing importance of meetings is expected to drive growth in employment for meeting and event planners.
Event planners have a lot of opportunities for growth due to their ability to move from a small organization to a larger one or switch between employment assignments or full-time contracts. Baby showers and bachelorette parties go well together because they are usually daytime events where women (or those who identify as women) gather to celebrate important events related to womanhood.
Experiential events have to leave an impression on their audiences, which often means planning an event that has never been done before. Finally, the most important part of being a successful event planner is your ability to maintain composure.
For example, a corporate event planner who is used to planning product launches may not be the ideal person to plan a golf tournament. But no matter who attends or what the format, a VIP event organizer will be responsible for making the whole experience a little more special and out of the ordinary.
CareerExplorer rates event planners with an employability rating C, which means that this career should provide moderate employment opportunities for the foreseeable future.
