How to become an event planner: 5 skills to land the role |
Do you have any questions about what it takes to be an event planner or manager?
This article
- What is an event planner or director perform?
- What is an event?
- What 5 skills do Event planners require?
- What you don't require to be an event planner
What is an event planner or event coordinator Do?
If people hear the words "event planner," they usually think of Jennifer Lopez in The Wedding Planner -- a person who arranges parties or events. That's why professionals in this space tend to prefer to be called 'event managers,' 'events coordinator,''events marketer or even event producer. Even though planning parties can be part of an event coordinator's duties and is an extremely challenging and unique skill on its own however, their actual job is mostly a strategy-driven.
A manager of events is in charge of defining the physical presence for an organization or brand in essence, deciding how a branding will be perceived on the streets. They define the reasons for an event, whether it's a pop-up event or an exhibition or industry-related happy hour and manage the planning of the event. It involves defining the goals, understanding your attendees, managing budgets and working with other teams , and creating the event in the best way to connect with your target audience.
This job requires the ability to put on many hats with a constant focus on details, a passion for collaboration, and a creative and out of the box thinking. While that may sound overwhelming however, it's an extremely rewarding job with plenty of opportunities in any sector.
But it's also a profession that's changing with times. Because the pandemic has shaken many of the things we do, we'll back up a bit.
What's an occasion?
This is a bit of a toughie. Each company will define an event differently. In the traditional sense, an event is an interaction that takes place between the audience and your brand, whether it's held in a conference room or on a screen or even both. But increasingly, companies are beginning to alter their definition of event management.
While events do tend to run the gamut nowadays but there are some capabilities that event planners all uniformly need to do their job well.
What are the five skills event planners need?
Management of projects
A large portion of planning an event and managing requires working collaboratively with various teams and making sure to keep track of all the moving pieces, and communicating among teams and ensuring that everybody meets their timeframes. If you've got a Project Management certification, this is a job in which you can put that certification to usage.
Skills for organizing
There are many different, unique elements and details which are essential to strategizing and planning an event. The most effective event organizers have mastered managing projects and organization. An event manager works with multiple teams, juggles with tasks big and small, and needs to go in the direction of the current, as no two days are alike. The key to success is organization. You must be able to record all conversations, pull together agendas before meetings as well as keep track of everything else that happens between.
Balance of creative and strategy
Naturally, managing events isn't just taking notes and overseeing teams. This job falls under the marketing umbrella--and becoming a marketer of success will require a specific set of tools. In the end, an event manager decides how the organization presents itself in real life to its chosen audience. They decide on the intended people who will be attending, the event's goals, compelling messaging to speak to that particular audience and decide on the budget that works best for that project. This requires an imaginative, out of the box strategy to develop the perfect idea and a logistical and analytical mind to bring it into reality.
Ability to stay current
The trends are constantly changing across different sectors and in the larger event space. Event planners need to be aware of how events are changing, as well as have the knowledge of what their competitors and the other major industry mover and shakers are up to. Staying to the pulse your industry will assist you in determining how to position your business and brand as well as remain competitive in this space.
The ability to speak about technical terms
Given the variety of departmental teams that event coordinators work with and work with, it is important in being able to effectively communicate a vision for an event and get up quickly. Since I am employed at , for example that I am aware of the technical aspects are required to livestream a webinar or conference, even though I'm not the best at the best way to do it myself (although, Events has made it much easier for me to pretend that I have the technical skills).
You don't have to do is be an event organizer
- An MBA
- A Master of Marketing
- An accreditation in Public Relations.
- Or any specific kind of educational program at all!
Although some event organizers have MBAs or other marketing degrees however, many of them do not. Event managers have many different experiences. I came into this job by way of theater and film- my first gigs were managing film festivals.
Instead, you can really choose your own adventure in this field. If you're looking for a career in the management of events, you should think about which industry interests your interests the most. If you've had a previous experience or a passion for consumer goods, the publishing industry, music or technology, then you'll discover a variety of event management roles in those fields.
Nearly every industry hosts events of some form like trade shows, conferences or even festivals. When there are events that require event managers, they're required. event directors. Even though no two positions will be exactly the same and each event manager will have specific skills and abilities that is applicable to positions in the marketing department or across different areas.