In this article, we will be focusing deeper on how to start event planning as a career; and the conventions of proper event planning strategies. The very existence or nature of event planning rose since the beginning of time wherein some persons wish to celebrate anything. Such contemporary planning of an event goes from a simple but noteworthy accomplishment to a celebration of big cooperate gatherings. Building a career in event planning may not seem tasking at first, but it goes way beyond; providing adequate foods and setting up chairs for the number of expected guests. The event planning industry has continued to grow exponentially from year to year; 2020 isn’t likely going to be any different! Consequently, many individuals and companies that specialize in event planning jobs or event management tend to improve their businesses as consistent as possible.
It is merely because the industry is relatively volatile. Factors that may often influence event jobs include; keeping up with new or updated trends in the market or understanding complex customer preferences. We can still elaborate further on these factors, though.
It is reasonable to say that event planning can be more complicated than event management. It is because the former engages in establishing all initial customer wants by frequently creating new ideas, guidelines, and budget for every occasion. The dominant or critical aspect of event management deals with maintaining and ensuring the event that executes successfully. So, event planning strategies that an event planner will normally apply can be relatively more tasking than that of an event manager.
Understanding Event Planning as a Career
What is the definition of event planning?
A standard definition of event planning is the process of planning and coordinating an event. It usually involves creating guidelines and schedules, budgeting, selecting themes and locations, providing foods or catering services.
Nonetheless, the duties of an event coordinator include strictly planning in accordance, the type of event. So the everyday tasks may vary from event to event. It is because every occasion varies in nature, making the process for coordinating and executing them differ. As an excellent event planner; one is expected to be sufficiently acquainted with a wide range of occasions to carry out their duties properly.
Having a career in event planning becomes very interesting; especially when one gets exposed to a lot of experience in the industry. The more seasoned one gets, the greater their competence, and the higher the income, of course. Just like every other casual job; most people reach out to those that can perform their responsibilities with the utmost quality and efficacy. Versatility is essential for one to be successful after venturing into an event planning career. In essence, if you decide to start event planning as a career, you may begin in one specific area. But the nature of the job allows you to expand in many directions!
This is why most professional event planners and managers tend to be effective in the marketplace. Reports show a generally positive trend in the success rate of individuals that take the event planning career path. The job proves a lucrative market for experienced and versatile individuals and always accompanies by many benefits. People who’ve been in the industry for just a few months, or a decade; get to witness many advantages though this situation usually favours a seasoned planner.
The Benefits of Event Planning Jobs
Planning celebrations, ceremonies, commemoration, and so on are done every day at someplace and at some time; thus describing the flexible and profitable nature of event planning in the world until today. However, one might still feel insecure about signing up for event planning jobs opening or participating in a corporate event planning career. Virtually all jobs have pros and cons that are defined by personal or general ethics in career performances. It is merely left for an individual to juxtapose the two cases and conclude whether or not the particular job is worth the effort and time. In event planning, the pros outweigh the cons; which makes it relatively popular as a career for many people to get involved. Let us look at some of the top-notch benefits of being an event planner!
– Versatility
There are tons of ways one can expand its services in event planning in any region. As an event planner, you get to work in conferences, conventions, shop openings, product launches, informal/formal celebrations, get-togethers, and sporting events. The list isn’t limited to what we mention here; the point made refers to how versatile one becomes just by being a splendid event planner. You hardly find a seasoned person in event planning that specializes in one type of event. The job naturally enables one to be exposed to a wide variety of occasions.
– Flexible work and pay
Event planning jobs pay real-time, and income is highly varied! Even though a starter may not receive high earnings for essential event planning, the marketplace gives enough room for higher earnings. This happens when one becomes experienced in the industry and can handle a broader range of events correctly. One intriguing aspect of developing oneself as an event planner is that the higher your flexibility, the higher your value. The gimmick is that you may not have to be an expert in an area of event planning and still earn a lot. Just by providing adequate services as often as feasible, you merely get paid as much as you desire.
– Exposure
It only makes sense that event planning job opportunities allow people to develop a form of awareness with duties. It enables one to experience many things that concern social, political, economic and welfare affairs. For instance, professional planners get to travel from place to place and acquaint themselves with new cultures, lifestyles, and happiness in different environments. These exposures include meeting new or different kinds of people, places, foods, etc. The ability to experience new things as an event planner merely makes one more sophisticated.
– No formal education required
Event planning jobs are not the type you need to get into college and get a certificate to prove competence. Nonetheless, it may give an edge if you study courses that enhance the profession, such as project management. An excellent event planner might not have gotten a formal education to show his/her ability to perform effectively in the job. In event planning, the primary factors that every individual need to become and remain successful deals with having sufficient knowledgeability of the job and relevant experience.
– Improved peoples’ skills
If you used to be weak or average in interacting and communicating with strangers and colleagues; event planning gives room for significant improvement over time. It is essential to have excellent peoples’ skills to execute duties more effectively. The nature of event planning jobs enables the need for communication and interaction skills among the rest of the persons involved in making the event(s) run smoothly.
Top Ways to Enhance Your Career as an Event Planner
Now, this section focuses on those that have already taken up a career in event planning or have made up their minds in becoming event planners. We shall absorb the critical event planning strategies to elevate your event planning career by taking necessary measures into account. Some research has it that the job is a stressful one but invariably rewarding. To succeed in this career, you will need to develop and apply crucial skills that will aid you in being an excellent event planner. Most of the skills required are fundamental and essential, of course!
– Exceptional communication skills
In event planning, having excellent skills in communicating with one another is vital. Whether you work alongside a team of event planners or you specialize in freelance event planning, excellent communication is necessary. The essence of communication is information, and lack of such poses a flaw in performing duties effectively. When you communicate correctly with your colleague on the team or with the concerned persons hosting an event, information flows adequately. One naturally feels empowered and secured because they’re confident of what and how to do their jobs best. This merely contributes to the goals of meeting the specific requirements for an ongoing occasion planning to be successful. Challenges like having a busy host who has little time for communicating well may arise. However, it takes excellent communication skills to figure out a way of still getting sufficient information via other means. Poor communication defines poor planning.
– Organizational skills
The idea of making it out there as an event planner with bad organizational skills is just irrational. The importance of having excellent organizational skills implies having to balance all your duties efficiently and effectively. This factor alone has many sub-factors that defines it. Some of them include managing time like meeting deadlines, the ability to improvise, strictly following guidelines and schedules, etc. You can see that one can see still further discussion on these sub-factors, which makes organizing a necessity.
Event planning careers can be tasking, so the need for planners to work with the sharp organization is needed otherwise properly executing duties become affected. Part of the requirements for this skill is absolute knowledge about the event one plans. Having little information or an eye for detail always gives a negative effect on the organization. Hence, an event planner must equip all tools for execution with more information running like a well-oiled machine.
– Adaptability
Event planners can react appropriately and effectively when things occur in an unanticipated manner. One may have drafted a suitable schedule for an occasion to run smoothly, but there could be times when the tables turn. For an event planner to curb such a challenge, the ability to create or devise quick solutions becomes imperative. Change of events is a constant property in a corporate event planning career; thus, one must always be ready to adapt. The terms imply that expert event planners need to know how to adjust their approach or actions concerning factors that cause change. This change in subject can occur in various ways which can be influenced by external factors like weather, budget, preference, etc. One of the keys to an event planner’s strategic adaptability is being able to learn from experience.
– Creativity
This is an intrinsic factor to make the best of an event planning career. Most individuals (clients) wish to hire planners that can think out of the box. Creativity can come from mere intuition or experience. However, the inability to apply the right level of the skill may be a flaw in an event planning career path. In essence, creativity can come from any place that may have been defined by inspiration from someplace.
Event planning is a process that requires careful thought and ideas to bring out the best of an occasion. Your clients may not have a good sense of judgment in making decisions like themes, colours, food menu, and so on. It is where the skill of being creative comes to play. The art of creative thinking enables one to think and perhaps suggest a unique way of doing something – a sense of peculiarity that is naturally acknowledged and admired by the guests of an event. It is a potential skill that can even make one stand out from other event planners based on their level of competence in that aspect.
– Reliability and dedication
These factors are top event planning strategies that contribute to an event planner’s career progression. Commitment alone is critical to success and reliability gains from such discipline. Some individuals that venture into event planning careers tend to have the talent or potential in being successful initially. However, there is more to that to survive and become a seasoned event planner. Clients often want people that do not just know their duties but possess some quality of dedication and reliability as well.
A dedicated person in event planning always makes an effort to give in everything he/she has at the job. It describes that the person is interested in the successful execution of an occasion and is resilient. As a result, people tend to rely on the services rendered by such persons. Career dedication teaches discipline, avid, and time management, which all depict an essential trait that exemplifies in the workplace. Reliability in job services involves the extent to which clients can count on an entity as it runs a long way in building customer trust and confidence.
Event Planning Career: Synopsis
Right from all event planning job openings or event planning job descriptions, the essence of taking it up as a career requires adequate understanding and strategic approaches to remaining successful. The career in event planning may become competitive, especially in a region where the job is relatively prevalent. The key to starting or progressing as an event planner is by drafting out ideal techniques to boost your career and develop abilities that promote your service. It doesn’t take much to decipher the concepts of top-notch event planning, but setbacks may occur if not enhanced from time to time. People rely much on professional event planning services, so your duties in the career must be splendid, captivating, and distinctive. These qualities can only be achieved by consistently engaging in personal and social means of improving your career as an event planner!