How to Have a Successful Career in Event Planning and Management

With the media frenzy around major events, like VOIP parties, award ceremonies, Hollywood celebrity birthday parties, and the premiere of new movies, a career in event planning seems enticing.

However, it is not all glamor and glitz forks!

It doesn’t just encompass meeting famous people and touring to breath-taking locations. It takes passion, hard work, and specific skills.

If your passion is to work with people, take control over chaotic situations, have an eye for details, and multi-task, a career in event management and planning is a great option for you.

You will have to work on your social skills, including listening techniques. By understanding the requirements of clients and narrowing down to the following tips, you will easily be successful in your event management and planning career:

1. Choose a Niche

Finding a niche means choosing a part of event planning you wish to focus on. Event planning is basically a diverse sector, featuring everything from children’s birthday parties and fundraisers to stockholders’ retreats – meaning you may specialize in any kind of event.

Be flexible when dealing with clients, particularly if you’re just starting out, but concentrate on your interests and strengths in the field to ensure you develop skills in different areas.

To determine your niche, ensure you identify all the events you enjoy coordinating a lot and personalize your search for experience around those occasions.

2. Use Technology

Getting into event management and planning means knowing how to deal with different tasks all at once. Luckily, there are some mobile apps and event management software programs available that can help you sort things out and prioritize your responsibilities.

Whether it’s the most sophisticated event management apps/software or the standard Microsoft Office suite, great event managers know how to optimally use those resources.

Even if you are not using event management apps or software programs, one of the keys to succeeding in the industry is to let the data you collect guide you through the process of making decisions.

3. Work on Your Communication Skills

A must-have quality of every event planner and manager is the ability to build a rapport and interact within a short period of time. Most planners have effective communication and are bold enough to speak to C-suite executives, vendors, event attendees, brand sponsors, and donors.

A strong interpersonal skills are also a must to make sure everyone involved knows their role without a glitch. You can also have an added advantage if you possess strong writing skills to accurately convey information with clarity, confidence, and respect.

4. Improve Work Experience

Work experience is important in the competitive events industry. Internships, university placements, and event management apprenticeships may give you an introduction to the industry and make your CV look great.

According to experts, knowledge and relevant experience, whether voluntary or paid, are important to break into this field. Some courses have an optional year in the sector. This can be a perfect way to make industry contacts and develop relevant experience.

With many individuals battling for paid work experience, you can consider organizing your own social event or going for voluntary work. Hands-on experience can make you a very attractive candidate to potential employers.

5. Take Advantage of Social Media

In this time and era, you can remiss to leave out the importance of social media in starting a career when it comes to event management and planning. For instance, LinkedIn is a successful forum for many event managers and corporate event planners.

To leverage the platform, you should have an engaging and professional page. Leave contact details on your page so that people may reach you.

Remember to also add your volunteer work projects and update your resume on the site. The platform is also growing daily, becoming a viable network for event planners, businesspeople, and companies looking for alternative hiring arenas. Apart from LinkedIn, other social media platforms you can use include:

• Facebook

• Instagram

• Twitter

6. Enroll in an Educational Program

There are many event management courses which may guide you to getting into the industry, ranging from level 3 foundation programs to post-graduate courses. Even if you already have your main degree, there are different educational routes you may follow to open the door to the sector.

Whichever level you choose, studying in the event planning, leisure, business management, and hospitality industries will go a long way towards starting your career.

7. Be Flexible

The job of event planners doesn’t end when business hours are over. There are times when clients will need you to carry out some tasks which are not within your comfort zone. Your ability to think on your feet is priceless and will take your event planning career a long way.

When organizing an event, it is your duty to mold it into something more concrete. If a few things change – like the florist providing you with the wrong flowers or the caterer backing out at the last minute – you should be in a better position to adjust at the drop of a hat. Be sure to take those changes in stride and have a backup plan.

8. Deal with a Qualified Team

Team planning or management is no less important than planning events. Choosing an event planning can either make or break your career. Ensure you have qualified staff members you may depend on if things start going south during an event.

9. Establish a Strong Base of Industry Knowledge

Enlightening yourself with sector-pertaining insights is a great way to gain knowledge of event planning and hospitality as a whole. Investing in these industry-specific specialized training programs may give you a competitive advantage over other professionals in the field.

This educational basis holds significance for kick-starting your venture. It will present all the professional opportunities available in the event planning and management sector.

Final Touches!

Whether it is a large-scale music event or a pop-up foodie experience, planning and management are vital to running events, regardless of their size.

Now, more than ever, it would be a great idea to have a good event management plan, which can even take unforeseen challenges into account, including those of Covid-19.

To develop a solid plan and handle everything from establishing timelines to choosing vendors, you will require good management skills, including communication, interpersonal, and critical thinking.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or the management of EconoTimes