The work of meeting, convention, and event planners can be fast paced and demanding. Planners oversee many aspects of an event at the same time and face numerous deadlines, and they may coordinate multiple meetings or events at the same time. Most meeting, convention, and event planners work full time, and many work more than 40 hours per week. They often work additional hours to finalize preparations as major events approach. During meetings or conventions, planners may work on weekends.
Although some colleges offer degree programs in meeting and event management, other common fields of study include communications, business management, marketing, and business administration.
Planners who have studied meeting and event management or hospitality management may start out with greater responsibilities than do those from other academic disciplines. Some colleges offer continuing education courses in meeting and event planning. A number of voluntary certifications are available for meeting and convention planners. Although not required, these certifications demonstrate specific knowledge or professional expertise.
Those who qualify must then pass an exam that covers topics such as strategic planning, financial and risk management, facility operations and services, and logistics. This certification is helpful for candidates who want to show that they know government purchasing policies and travel regulations. To qualify, candidates must have worked as a meeting planner for at least 1 year and have been a member of SGMP for 6 months.
To become a certified planner, members must take a 3-day course and pass an exam. The International Association of Exhibitions and Events offers the Certified in Exhibition Management CEM designation, which demonstrates meeting professional standards for exhibitions and events management.
Candidates obtain this credential by completing nine courses. Some organizations, including the American Association of Certified Wedding Planners and the Association of Certified Professional Wedding Consultants , offer certifications in wedding planning that may be helpful for attracting clients. Meeting, convention, and event planners may benefit from having some experience in meeting and event planning.
Working in a variety of positions at hotels, convention centers, and convention bureaus provides knowledge of how the hospitality industry operates. Other beneficial work experiences include coordinating university or volunteer events and shadowing professionals. Communication skills. Meeting, convention, and event planners exchange information with clients, suppliers, and event staff. They must have excellent written and oral communication skills to express the needs of their clients.
Interpersonal skills. Meeting, convention, and event planners must establish and maintain positive relationships with clients and suppliers. Negotiation skills. Meeting, convention, and event planners must be able to secure quality products and services at reasonable prices for their clients. Organizational skills. Meeting, convention, and event planners must multitask, pay attention to details, and meet tight deadlines. Problem-solving skills. Meeting, convention, and event planners must be able to anticipate potential issues and prepare creative solutions that satisfy clients.
Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U. Source: U. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. In May , the median annual wages for meeting, convention, and event planners in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program. Much of the projected employment growth in this occupation is due to recovery from the COVID recession that began in Demand for professionally planned meetings and events is expected to remain steady as businesses and organizations continue to host events regularly.
These estimates are available for the nation as a whole, for individual states, and for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. The link s below go to OEWS data maps for employment and wages by state and area.
All state projections data are available at www. Information on this site allows projected employment growth for an occupation to be compared among states or to be compared within one state. CareerOneStop includes hundreds of occupational profiles with data available by state and metro area. There are links in the left-hand side menu to compare occupational employment by state and occupational wages by local area or metro area.
There is also a salary info tool to search for wages by zip code. This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of meeting, convention, and event planners. Administrative services and facilities managers plan, direct, and coordinate activities that help an organization run efficiently.
Food service managers are responsible for the daily operation of restaurants or other establishments that prepare and serve food and beverages. Fundraisers organize events and campaigns to raise money and other kinds of donations for an organization. Lodging managers ensure that traveling guests have a pleasant experience at their establishment with accommodations.
They also ensure that the business is run efficiently and profitably. A staff coordinator is in charge of all the logistics related to the personnel on site for the event. This means the volunteer coordinator needs to be able to think quickly and problem solve for unexpected issues as well.
If you work for a mid-size company as a marketing or communications manager, you might be in charge of occasional promotional events and other experiential marketing. At the very least, your team will likely tas you with the event marketing. It can be the best of both worlds to mostly work in marketing, but have the occasional event. This spices up the workload and see your promotions in action.
There are more event planning careers out there, but these are just a few of the places where you might find yourself. No matter what your role ends up being, the events world is fast-paced, exciting, and always full of surprises.
Want more advice about event careers right in your feed? Follow us on Twitter or Facebook and let the tips come to you. There are so many jobs in event management. Some examples include: event planner, wedding planner, venue manager, sponsorship coordinator, catering manager, social media manager, staff coordinator, marketing manager, and more!
The industry is growing, and events are only getting better. For people who feel they have the skills to succeed in the world of events, event management makes a great career. Event Planner From conferences to high-end galas, event planners do it all. Plan seamless events and grow your career Get Started Free. Create stunning 3D event diagrams in seconds Get Started Free. Bring amazing events to life, no stress Get Started Now. This finding is not surprising. Essentially, there is an art to almost everything that event planners are asked to do: liaise with clients; negotiate contracts; work with suppliers, who may be from different cultural backgrounds and have different work ethics; be simultaneously aware and responsive, yet able to fade into the background; and in the face of inevitable glitches, remain composed under pressure.
The first thing that anyone considering this career should know is that event planning is consistently listed as one of the top ten most stressful jobs. While the profession can involve travel to exciting destinations and opportunities to stay at often high-end hotels and dine at exclusive restaurants, the work is fraught with immovable deadlines and pressure situations that demand quick thinking and resolution. It is not unusual for event planners to be asked to create calm amidst potential chaos and to unswervingly appear as if chaos was never even a possibility.
To succeed — in fact, to survive — in the field this capacity for composure and troubleshooting is imperative. It is, of course, not the only key skill that competent event planners bring to the table. The role also demands all of the following proficiencies:. Organizational skills Handling logistics concerning meetings, transportation, activities, and other aspects of events calls for exceptional organizational skills. Creativity Coming up with inspired ideas and solutions — in consultation with the right vendors such as audio-video providers, destination management companies, and furniture and floral suppliers — calls for a creative sensibility.
Time management skills Event planners must be comfortable prioritizing and reprioritizing multiple responsibilities over long periods of time. The job is deadline driven,. Team management and relationship-building abilities Coordinating staff, guest speakers, entertainers, and event attendees is an integral part of the job. Excellent verbal and written communication skills Event planners are the liaison between multiple parties, from clients to venues to local vendors. This means that they must be able to respond to a variety of requests of needs.
Acute attention to detail Even planning is detail planning. Business acumen Event planning involves soliciting bids from venues, securing quality products and services, negotiating and verifying service contracts, reviewing event bills, approving payments, and other related tasks. Computer literacy Fluency with project management software and spreadsheet and database software is essential for event planners. In addition, scouting venues and meeting with vendors is a significant part of the job.
The need to travel, therefore, is nonnegotiable. Flexibility In event planning, change is relatively constant. Delayed flights mean delayed attendees. The client changes his or her mind onsite.
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