Events are one of the companies’ best methods to access their customers directly. Events will provide any company with the platform to present and display the information they know the customer, attendees, and clients need.
Hosting a successful event involves planning, employee contributions, and an event planner. Many ask how to be an event planner, and this question has a complex answer. Event planners have a passion for planning and directing successful events; thus, having the necessary skills will allow the individual to take pride in creating any event.
Becoming an event planner can be a long process, and individuals will have to learn and grow through every mistake they make in planning and hosting events. The key, however, is to understand the process and use the stepping stones within the events industry to reach the top of the ranks, ensuring a successful event planning job.
Are Event Planners in High Demand?
Event professionals have so much to offer to social events and corporate event planning. These planning teams can use their skills and resources to bring an idea to life. Companies only see an event planner’s benefits once they use these services.
This lack of information will decrease the demand for an event planner, which will cause the planner or the planning company to work on their approach to marketing and advertising their services.
There are two main types of planners that many individuals will move into. The first planner will solely focus on social events, while the other aims to plan corporate events. These two event types can be intertwined. The key, however, is to design a specific kind of event successfully.
Planners for Social Events
Social events professionals have the amazing opportunity to build and create an event to use social gatherings. There are many social events, and planners are responsible for creating a party that will fulfill the goals of the owner of the event.
Social events can come in many forms. The most popular social events are birthday parties, weddings, anniversaries, birthday parties, engagement parties, bridal and baby showers, or holiday parties. Themes accompany these parties and client base specific ideas. Thus, clear communication and direction will assist the planner in running a successful event.
Planners for Corporate Events
Corporate events will have an entirely different feel and atmosphere around them. The corporate conference aims to educate, inform or solve specific problems within an industry. The planner will have to create an event that suits the attendees and meet every goal and objective of the client proposal. These events will take longer to plan and organize, as the stakes are higher than a social event.
Conferences, meetings, team building, product launches, and seminars are all popular corporate events that meeting planners must be able to plan. These events will provide the platform for corporations to advertise, communicate and inform their customers, clients, and potential attendees with the correct information and detail on the leading problems and products within the events industry.
How to Become an Event Planner?
There are various ways to become an event planner. The road looks different to every individual that wants to become an event planner. However, determining the stepping stones to becoming an event planner is key. The stepping stones are qualifications, valuable experience, and education. By overcoming these three barriers, any individual can become a world-class planner.
What Kind of Education Do You Need To Be an Event Planner?
No college degree requirements must be achieved before anyone can become an event organizer, and education should be pursued. Individuals can use a bachelor’s degree in marketing, finance, or any other relevant field within the event planning industry.
The aim should be to enhance the event planning skills and knowledge in specific areas within the event management scheme to ensure that the individual can use their expertise to assist and guide the hosting company or group.
Be Certified
Continued growth and building up expertise will be part of the journey to becoming one of the best in the events industry. There are multiple options for certification that individuals can pursue. The organizer must identify areas where they are uncomfortable or have no knowledge and obtain a certificate of completion. This will allow the organizer to grow their knowledge and build experience opportunities in every field of the event management industry.
Certificate programs in budgeting or communication to strengthen the weaker aspects will allow the planner to learn and grow rapidly. However, The new knowledge must be tested as quickly as possible to ensure the return on investment in the certificate program is as high as possible.
Get Experience & Build Your Portfolio
Experience will be the key to success, and this will be the area that will provide any future clients with the necessary information on whether the team and planner will be able to plan the corporate event. The portfolio summarizes all past events that the organizer arranged and ran.
The portfolio is a wall of testimonies of outstanding accomplishments and events that align with the possibilities the organizer wants to run in the future. Event planning experience is one of the critical focus points within the event industry. Companies want to identify a planner that has already created an event similar to theirs, and the portfolio will provide them with precisely that.
What Skills Must Event Planners Have?
Every industry requires its type of skills. The event-organizing sector is the same. Specific event planning skills will provide planners with the platform to deal with all the challenges that will surface within planning events.
The very first skill that professional event planners must develop is communication skills. This skill is the foundation of the successful career that individuals can create in the event planning business. Event organizers constantly talk, communicate, and advise many people around them. Thus, strong communication skills will allow the individual to precisely direct, explain, and communicate the needs and progress.
Organizing is another key skill that all planners need. This will be accompanied by leadership and management. The planner must be able to create a system that displays the event’s tasks, objectives, and goals. The planner must organize and delegate multiple tasks to ensure that every part of the event can be completed. Leadership and management will accompany this skill. These event planning skills will be used to manage the teams and lead them in what must be done.
Budgeting is of utmost importance. This skill will portray where the company will spend its finances. A budget will give the hosting company a clear layout of what and why the money is spent. This will allow the rest of the team to work according to the guidelines to prevent overspending. This skill will ensure the event finances will dry at any event planning stage.
Problem-solving and decision-making will save the event organizer a lot of time. The planner must solve many problems throughout the event’s planning. This skill will allow the organizer to use creative methods of finding new solutions to recurring problems. The decision-making process will assist the planner in making quick and direct decisions, not lingering too long, and saving time and energy.
There are many more skills that event planners can focus on, and those mentioned above are the essential skills that will lay the foundation for to rest of the skills. Thus focusing on developing and building these skills will assist the planner in multiple ways.
Check Out 6 Skills to Become a Great Event Planner:
Free Resources For Event Planners
The internet is a fantastic tool; event planners can use this source to build and create the skills and information they lack. These sources are accessible and can be accessed by any event planner worldwide. The key, however, is to find reliable sources that will provide the planner with accurate and knowledgeable data.
Resumes
A resume is a document that provides companies with information on the event planner. Event planners will have to send this document to event managers, and in the document, there will be personal and professional information about the candidate.
The first bit of information in the resume will be based on the planner, such as the name, surname, date of birth other identification information. The second part of the resume will be an educational and credible document to display the courses and studies the planner finished. Skills and additional essential planning information will be ideal in this area.
The individual can portray their work in the last part of the resume. This will be an event that they have planned and organized to date. The individual can use this area to display the goals and direction they want to pursue as an event planner. This will allow the company to see whether the individual wants to grow with the company.
The resume is a document that will be used before any interviews. The individual will have to provide companies or clients with as much information as possible without bombarding them with unnecessary and boring information. Finding the balance will take time and research. Thus, using online documents to assist will be of great benefit.
Interviews
Interviews can be studied and improved throughout the career of the event planner. This part of the planner’s career will stay the same, no matter what event the company or individual has in mind. The planner will have to sit in an interview to assure the hiring company that this is the right choice.
The planner can study many interviews online to ensure they have the right mindset and strategy to obtain the company as a client. The discussion will have multiple client questionnaires and queries about the standard, capacity, and skills of the event planner and their team. The hiring team can identify whether the two parties can work together by providing the best answers.
There is information on the internet that will provide the planner with specific frequently asked questions to prepare. The planner can use other types and traits such as attire and tone of voice to ensure they are professional and knowledgeable throughout the interview.
Checklists
The checklist will give the planner an easy-to-follow lineup to ensure they complete all the tasks and objectives necessary to run a successful event. Lists will have tasks and goals to complete before a particular time or date, setting the foundation for the next task.
These checklists can be for every part of the event. A checklist can be created online to ensure that the entire team can see and follow the direction and tasks that must be done throughout the event.
What You Need to Know Before You Start An Event Planner Career
An event planner career sounds perfect for those who love creating and running events. However, there are specific aspects to consider that will determine whether any individual will become an event planner.
Balance Your Logistical Knowledge and Creative Production
The key to a long and successful event-planning career is obtaining new information and solving problems creatively. The planner will have to collect data, goals, and other information from the hosting company to create the perfect event according to their desires.
A pharmaceutical meeting planner, for instance, must build and create a meeting that will suit the company. The goals and objectives must be clearly stated and followed to ensure a successful event. The meeting planner will have to follow a pharmaceutical meeting strategy that suits the logistical information that the company provides.
Establish Connections & Networks
Connection and networking opportunities are part of a planner’s everyday life. These individuals will meet new companies, vendors, and sponsors daily. By building a strong network, the planner will have multiple options for different requirements.
A simple example comes in the form of event venue hire. A strong network will allow the planner to determine the type of event they are creating and decide on the best venue their network provides. Some venues will be smaller and only focus on conferences, while other venues are more extensive and can be used to host a reward ceremony. A great network will allow the planning team to determine the best option for each event style in every area of the event.
Know What an Event Planner Does
Event organizers is a broad term. These individuals must fulfill multiple tasks and objectives before receiving a pat on the back for running a successful event. The first task these individuals face is meeting an event’s prospective clients. The individual will have to sit through interviews that will allow them to turn potential clients into definite customers.
After the team was on board, the planning started. The event planner must find and acquire all the logistics that will be part of the event. These logistics include event goals, type of event, target audience, and other information regarding the event. After acquiring the information, the planner must create checklists and start finishing tasks.
If a company requests a product launch, the planner must find all the necessary information, documents, and vendors to suit the event. The planner can use online tips and tricks to ensure they host the same event the company wants to host. Tips and tricks for a successful pharmaceutical product launch are examples of these resources that will guide the event planner.
The planner will organize the entire event and manage multiple teams while creating the perfect event. The planner must be present on the event day to ensure that the meeting runs according to the plan.
After the event, the planner must provide feedback through post-meeting evaluations combining the personal experience and the attendee’s experience with the hosting company. This will allow the team to improve their strategy and direction for all future events. After the feedback, the event can be seen as done, and the planner can set their eyes on the next event.
Plan Your Career Path
There are multiple career paths to choose from within event planning. Individuals can decide between the type of events and between planning and coordinating an event. The individual must complete thorough research to find the perfect direction that fits their plan.
Choose Your Focus Sector
Firstly the planner must focus on becoming a coordinator or a planner. The responsibilities and tasks between a planner and coordinator differ, and determining the direction will significantly benefit the planner.
There are two main types of event planner: social planning and corporate event planning. Individuals must determine whether they want to host and plan social events or work with big corporate companies planning and running meetings throughout their careers. The individual can decide on a specific sector within these events, such as wedding planners or baby shower planners for social events. Options like conferences, team-building, or product launch events are open within corporate event planning.
FAQs
What Are The Seven Stages of Event Planning
The first step is identifying and clarifying clear goals for the event. After that, the planner must create a budget with the customer to ensure that the financial support can carry the entire planning of the event. The planner will decide on a solid team to work with them. Stages four and five of the event planning will be to create a plan and determine the venue and vendors. Branding and advertisement must be designed to draw the attendees. After the entire event, a feedback form must be completed, as this concludes the seven-stage process.
Is Event Planning A Skill?
Event planning is not a set skill; it is a combination of various skills that will ensure the planning and creation of a successful event. Event managers within the event industry all have a set amount of skills to plan virtual and hybrid or in-person events. The corporate event planner will be able to create a custom event according to the client’s goals, which is a great skill.
How To Promote Yourself As An Event Planner
The individual must create a great resume with the best qualifications. After that, they must network and connect with as many event companies as possible. Have a strong personality that will be attractive to other companies. Be up to date with the news and resources for the industry and attend as many seminars and meetings as possible. Talking to the hosts and leading companies within the sector might produce an excellent opening for an upcoming planner. Build the portfolio to ensure that it displays the previous success of the individual.
How To Run A Successful Event
The focus should be on identifying the meeting goals after setting a budget and following these guidelines to create a successful event. The team must advertise and attract the attendees through a marketing strategy and advertisement, which will build on the success and goals that the company sets.
Final Thoughts
Event planning can be a brutal occupation with planning, people management, and problem-solving. The main problem is that companies need to see the need for this skill set. Planning organizations must start by displaying and advertising their skills as a necessity for successful virtual events or in-person events.
These individuals and teams have a set group of skills and will use them to benefit the customer. Thus, allowing them to assist the company will greatly help both parties. However, individuals must continuously grow and develop their skills and portfolio to ensure that they set the standard and create successful events throughout their careers in event planning.
