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Your 10 Steps To Becoming An Event Planner. Time and again, I am asked how I became an event planner and how to get started in the industry. Step 1 – Get experience and volunteer your time in a variety of event services. There are so many aspects of events including, working for a caterer, a florist, volunteering for nonprofits, and working for an established event planner. Your long-term success in event planning will be based on the experience that you bring to your clients. That means, if you’re thinking about starting an event planning business, you should have a strong grasp as to what an event planner is, and make sure you have some solid skills in: Verbal and written communicationsOrganization and time managementNegotiation and budget managementCreativity, marketing, public relations and more You don’t need a background in event planning to become an expert.

Step 2 – Move into a position with some responsibility. Tweet It! A few core aspects to stay focused on: - What’s your product or service? - Who is your target market? Pinterest: Event Planning 101 - What to Keep in Mind When Planning a Large Event. Infographic: Social Media’s Impact on Event Planning. April 22, 2013; Eventility Many nonprofits depend on events and fundraisers to build support and revenue. The transformation of event planning in the last decade has shown how essential it is to create social buzz. Eventility has published an infographic displaying the ways your organization should incorporate social networking into four key stages of an event: at the time of organizing, during the promotional period, in synch with the event as it’s happening, and in the days afterward.

The organization looked at data reports along with several high-profile events that utilize social media to increase hype, such as SXSW 2013, London Fashion Week, and Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s Columbus Marathon. You can view the infographic here: Some interesting data findings: Social networking from start to finish: Make sure your organization includes a social media campaign from the early stages of planning, and not merely as an afterthought. How To Kickstart Your Career In Event Planning. Where Do I Start If I Want to Become an Event Planner? How to Become a Certified Event Planner: 10 Steps. Edit Article474,259 views 28 Editors Edited yesterday Three Parts:Planning Your CareerGaining Experience and TrainingGetting Certified and Working as an Event Planner Worldwide, the special events industry is worth an estimated $500 billion, with profits continuing to rise.

These well paid and highly in-demand professionals plan social events for hotels, corporations, theme parks, cruise lines and non-profit organizations. Becoming certified as an event planner requires some creativity on your part since there are no statewide or nationally recognized certification programs in the United States. However, with personal initiative and advance planning, you can become a certified event planner by following these steps. Ad Steps Part 1 of 3: Planning Your Career 1Decide what kind of event planner you'd like to become. 4Assess your own abilities. Part 2 of 3: Gaining Experience and Training 1Get relevant hands-on experience. 3Build a portfolio. 3Start working as a certified event planner.

Tips. Best Event Planning Schools: List of Top U.S. Schools. Event planners arrange a variety of activities, from meetings and conventions to social events such as sports and weddings. Read about the best event planning schools at top U.S. universities. See school rankings, degree possibilities and location info to compare and contrast your school choices. School Information Below, you'll look at two schools with the best event planning programs: Champlain College and Grand Valley State University (GVSU). Undergraduate degree programs are often found at these schools as part of a hospitality management program which may include a major, minor or concentration in event planning. Top Schools in the U.S. for Event Planning or Management 1. In 2010, Champlain College was ranked 13th in the Baccalaureate Colleges North category by U.S. 2. GVSU was named among the top 50 Midwest Master's Universities by U.S. Good U.S. Show me popular schools.

10 Infographics to Plan Your Next Event. February 5, 2014 | AUTHOR: Julius Solaris | POSTED IN: ideas No secret we love infographics. Do you know what we love even more? Event infographics. Here are 10 infographics to turbo charge your event. There is something incredibly right about infographics. The delicate mix of data and visuals delivers immediate learning. Much more effectively and quickly than thousands words. So I went into the Interweb wild and searched for some cool infographics that could actually deliver some value to different types of event professionals. I’ll cut it short, here they are… The Many Faces of the Business Conference Attendee This is a very funny one from the guys at Mindflash. I can definitely see myself in one of them, I will let you guess which.

(Click to Enlarge) Sustainable Catering for a Better Tomorrow Fantastic idea from University of California, Davis to come up with this checklist to make your event catering greener. One Event. How Technology is Changing Events How to Build an Event Budget. The Event Planning Industry: Chapter 1. How To Find Event Planning Clients. 25+ Resources and Tips to Get into Event Planning. September 6, 2011 | AUTHOR: Julius Solaris | POSTED IN: tips This post gives a definite answer to a question most of us asked ourselves at least once: How do I get into the Event Planning industry? I get around 50 emails a week from readers. This ranges from self promotional messages to calls for help. In the past 4 and 1/2 years, the most frequently asked question has been consistently one: How do I break into the event planning business?

I must admit I am a bit late with this post and tried to address some of it in my FAQ. Before I begin, few caveats… - When you are done reading, if you found this post useful, share it. . - If you are a student and are lost into this horrible job market, try to implement as many as the suggestions I will give you. . - Small details count. So you want to get into the event planning business? Yourself First and foremost I want you to look into making yourself ready to be hired. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Your Networking 8. 10. 11. 12. Your Experience 13. 14. 15. 16. Event Planning: Requirements to Be an Event Planner. Event planners coordinate and manage conferences, meetings and parties. Some planners exclusively organize a specific type of event, such as those who specialize in wedding planning. Others may work with large corporate clients or smaller private groups. Many planners run their own businesses, while others may work for event planning agencies.

Due to the nature of the work, many planners work long and irregular hours. Education Requirements The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that there are no universal educational requirements needed to start a career as an event planner (www.bls.gov). Professionals who have bachelor's degrees in other fields might want to consider completing an event planning and management certificate program. Career Requirements Above almost all else, event planners must have phenomenal communication skills. Event planners must also have excellent organizational skills. Career Outlook Show me popular schools. How to Break Into Event Planning. Ever wondered how to get started working in PR, entertainment, finance, or another profession? Over the next two weeks, we’re putting together a guide to breaking into these cool fields and more, brought to you by those who know it best. Keep checking in for an inside look at how to launch your dream career!

Planning events for a living sounds like a dream—picking food and décor, working with tons of different people, spending your days at cool venues instead of behind a desk. But it takes more than just a love of a great party to succeed in this fast-paced field—you’ve got to have an eye for detail and an ability to handle constant deadlines and pressure. We sat down with two professional event planners (who, yes, love their jobs) to learn more about what it takes to break in. Jennifer Carver Managing Director, University Events, University of Southern California Years of Professional Experience: 9 Why did you choose this field? I knew I would never get bored! Elizabeth Conway. How Event Technology Will Benefit Your Events. How To Plan An Event | Event Planning Guide |

What does event planning involve? Here is a high-level overview are some of the basic steps you’ll need to follow when developing an event. We can't identify all of the details you’ll need to think about (since much of it will depend on the type of event you are holding), but we hope the following provides a starting point for your event planning. 10 Steps to Get You Started With Event Planning 1. Develop Event Goal and Objectives The very first step is to establish a tangible goal and objectives. (e.g., why are you organizing this event and what do you hope to achieve?) 2. Any event takes a concerted team effort to handle all of the details.

Venue management; speakers; entertainment; publicity; sponsors; volunteer management Get a Special Report on Simplifying Membership Management Enter your e-mail and receive this special report and updates in your inbox. Stop duct taping your organization together. 3. Give yourself enough time! 4. 5. Also see Event Checklist - see link below. 6. 7. How to Start an Event Planning Service. Editor's note: This article was excerpted from our Event Planning Service start-up guide, available from the Entrepreneur Bookstore.

The special events industry has grown enormously in the past decade. According to recent research conducted by Dr. Joe Goldblatt, CSEP (Certified Special Events Professional), spending for special events worldwide is $500 billion annually. Goldblatt is the founder of International Special Events Society (ISES), the founding director of the Event Management Program at George Washington University, and co-author of The International Dictionary of Event Management. According to Goldblatt's research, profits in this industry continue to rise. What Is Event Planning? This question actually breaks down into two questions: What kinds of events are we talking about? First things first. This list isn't an exhaustive one, but as the examples illustrate, special events may be business related, purely social or somewhere in between.

Why Do People Hire Event Planners? Event Planning Careers: Creative Jobs for Organized People. Meeting, Convention and Event Planner Job Overview | Best Jobs | US News Careers. Overview Some would call this a logistical nightmare: 49,000 registrants. 2,098 music festival showcases. 1,221 conference sessions. 1,096 exhibit spaces. 293 film festival screenings. But for Mike Shea, executive director of the popular South by Southwest (SXSW) annual conference and festival in Austin, Texas, orchestrating an event of this magnitude has become second-nature, though it’s not without its fair share of headaches.

“One year, massive downpours turned a grassy park into muck and mire, threatening two days of free concerts,” Shea recalls. “We decided to blanket the park with hay, and we paced the park from end to end and arbitrarily determined that 10 steps equaled one bale of hay. To remove the muddy hay afterwards, our solution was [to use] homeless men with pitchforks – four words your insurance company doesn’t want to hear.” Salary The BLS reports the median annual wage for meeting, convention and event planners was $46,490 in 2014. 75th Percentile: $61,570 Median: $46,490.

Event Coordinators Have the 5th Most Stressful Job in America. Event coordinators are getting the nod as the fifth most stressful job in America in 2014, coming in just above “public relations executive.” Event coordinators are among some interesting company in the newly published list alongside enlisted military soldiers, firefighters, airline pilots, military generals and police officers.

According to the CareerCast study, though event coordinators are responsible for planning all logistics and activities for events he or she is responsible for throughout the year, an individual event may be a once-in-a-lifetime special occasion for the client which contributes to the high stress environment that planners often work in. CareerCast used an 11 stress factor methodology and ranked each factor on a point scale to determine the amount of stress a worker can predict to experience in a given job.

Personalities of Planners To be a great event planner you truly have to be obsessive with the details--if you weren’t you wouldn’t be doing your job well. 12 Tips for Ecofriendly Event Planning - Caretactics. It can be tempting to choose convenience over environmentally friendly when planning parties, picnics or any other celebrations with a big guest list. Fortunately, with these simple eco-friendly event-planning tips, you can have the best of both worlds. 1. Send online invitations when possible, or use recycled paper invitations if paper is a must. 2.

Decorate consciously. It uses up a lot of energy to manufacture party decorations. Instead, choose a venue that is already pretty, and add small details like repurposed thrift store items, painted wine bottles as vases or pretty rocks, seashells, pieces of driftwood or bowls of seasonal fruit. 3. And these 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.

Do you have any additional ecofriendly event planning tips? This post has been shared at Small Footprint Fridays.