Event Planner Careers Information
Aptly named, event planners are given the task of putting together events for large numbers of people. But don’t let the simple moniker fool you: the work of event planners is very involved and takes much skill. Not only must they organize the event from the ground up, but they must also make sure everything goes according to plan while it is happening.
Event Planner Careers & Degrees
- Post University: Online
- Associate Degree: A.S. in Marketing
- Associates: Marketing
- Bachelor Degree: B.S. in Business Administration - Marketing
- Bachelor Degree: B.S. in Marketing
Grand Canyon University: Online
American Intercontinental University: Online
Event planners must be one part manager of money, one part manager of time, and ten parts manager of people and personalities.
Event planners might be said to fall into two basic categories: private event planners and corporate event planners. Private event planners help people plan the special events in their lives, such as weddings, birthdays, bar/bat mitzvahs, etc. To do their job well, they must meet with clients weeks or even months before the event to get a feel for what is wanted and how much is available to spend.
A good planner will have strong working relationships with various event service providers like bakers and caterers and so be able to work out good deals for their client. On the day of the event, the planner will make sure photographers, caterers, and musicians are in place at the correct times and, on occasion, deal with an unruly guest!
Corporate event planners must do similar work, but on a much larger scale. When planning a business trade show, for example, the event planner must not only meet with the company putting on the event, but also communicate with prospective participants to see what they would like to do.
Armed with this knowledge, the event planner will book the right size convention hall/hotel, secure keynote speakers, and invite the right vendors to display their wares and/or services. Because such corporate events must at the very least pay for themselves, if not make money, the event planner must work far in advance to make sure the event is a success.
As a recent development, corporate event planners are being called upon to set up virtual meetings by way of tele- and video conferencing. This adds a technological component to the skills required of any good corporate event planner.
Event Planner Careers Path
Because of the rising complexity of events, employers and clients often want their event planners to have a Bachelor’s degree. This may be in any number of fields, but most common are communications, marketing, business, or hotel management. Many planners, however, have no formal education but move into planning from a related field, such as catering or hotel management.
New planners should expect to assist more senior planners at first and, with experience and a good track record, be given more complex assignments. For corporate event planners, certain voluntary certificates, such as the Certified Meeting Professional certificate, may be earned to show a strong commitment to the industry and reassure potential clients.
Finally, knowledge of a foreign language can be an added selling point for clients who must arrange meetings/events with business people from other countries.
Event Planner Careers: Compatible Personality Traits
Excellent organizational skills, excellent written and oral communication skills, ability to multi-task, problem solver, decisive, people person, good negotiator, willing to work long and/or odd hours, project oriented, willing to work on location, good under pressure.
Event Planner Careers: Salary Expectations
The average salary for event planners is $44,260 a year, with the middle fifty percent earning between $34,480 and $57,820. Individuals with more experience and who plan for corporate events rather than private events should generally make more money. Because corporate and private events can be the first thing cut or scaled back during economic downturns, event planners may find some years less remunerative than others.
Event Planner Careers: Job Outlook
The job outlook for event planners in the coming years is good. Because there will continue to be weddings, birthdays, and other celebrations, new private event planners will always be needed to place those who retire or leave the industry. On the corporate side, event planners will especially be needed as businesses become larger and more closely tied to the international community.
Employment opportunities are expected to grow by 16% by 2018, which is slightly faster than the average career, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Event planners with better education, certification, and technological skill will be the most likely to find steady employment. Furthermore, those planners who are conversant in a language other than English may be able to find niche markets that require multilingual communication.
Slightly off the Footpath
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition, Psychologists, on the Internet at http://bls.gov/oco/ocos298.htm (visited November 8, 2011).
