Event Planning Careers – What To Do To Become A Successful Event Planner

The current trying economic times are providing the perfect opportunity for many to tap into their entrepreneurial spirit in order to effect positive change in their lives while doing something that they love. For many either because of the loss of a job or the realization that they can no longer waste any time working at a job that does not give them a sense of fulfillment, event planning careers may be something to consider. If you wish to become your own boss and become a success at event planning, here are a few tips to remember.

Event planning may be the right career for those looking to write their own checks and is also a great home based business for those who wish to have a career without depriving family of their time and presence.  For the person with the right personality, event planning can enable them to make their wildest dreams come true.

Event planners can specialize or can do a little bit of everything. Some would prefer selecting a niche such as weddings, corporate events, birthdays, etc, and you should do whatever works for you. Others may start off planning all kinds of events and then specializing as the business grows.  

Contract

While verbal agreements can work and some may even stand up in court, a written contract is a better option in all business transactions. As an event planner, contracts will be necessary when a band or DJ is hired, for a caterer, the venue, suppliers, etc. A contract will usually detail what is expected of all the parties who have entered into an agreement. A contract will help you protect yourself in case the terms of the agreement are not fulfilled.

Suppliers

Good and reliable suppliers are important for a successful event planning business. A successful event planner needs to maintain good relationships with suppliers which will enable them to go out of their way to assist the event planner in planning a successful event.

Most people usually only go out of their way to help another when they like the other person. Being nice to suppliers is a great way to ensure success in event planning careers.  When an event planner can count of suppliers, it reduces the amount of stress in this area and the event planner can focus on other aspects of planning the event. While contracts with suppliers are important, suppliers will usually come through for the event planner and his or her event when there is a good working relationship. Building good relationships is very important for an event planner.

Organization

When considering event planning careers, it is important to determine how organized you are. Planning a successful event requires organization. Keeping all the information you need for the event organized will allow you to properly manage your time when you do not have to look everywhere for the information you need since you will know where everything is.

Being organized will allow you to stay on top of tasks and though you can expect hiccups every now and then, organization will help you meet every challenge encountered when planning an event. Being organized will also make you look professional. Being organized will allow you to have a back up plan for everything and there will be few surprises and you will be on top of all the event planning details.

Venue

A huge part of a successful event is finding the right venue. A venue can make or break an event. Some aspects to consider include ensuring that guests will be able to find the venue easily. The location is very important and will help to determine the level of attendance in some cases. The venue should also have an attractive appearance.

These are only a few aspects to consider when planning a successful event. Event planning is a multi-billion dollar industry and there is plenty of room for more entrepreneurs. Event planning careers is worth the consideration when thinking of a home based business or small business that will allow you to write your own check. 

Event Planning Careers – What It Takes To Be Successful

While the recession may be viewed negatively, now is also the perfect time to branch out on your own if you have the entrepreneurial spirit. Many major companies were started during recessions. Whether you are currently employed but are not getting any fulfillment from your job or you are unemployed, whatever your situation, event planning careers are a growing sector and this is the perfect career choice for the right individual.

Event Planning Careers

This industry is a multi-billion dollar industry with enormous growth potential which also makes this one of the best home based businesses if you are interested in being able to work from home while also being there for your family. Event planning careers can allow the right individual to be able to match or exceed their previous income and being your own boss is another of the positives.

This industry has enormous growth potential because people, corporations, etc, need events planned every year recession or no recession, which makes this a wonderful opportunity. You can specialize with certain event planning jobs such as corporate events, weddings, kids birthday parties, baby showers, etc, or you can perform various events.

With event planning careers, you cannot go wrong if you have a good reputation in the industry which will allow you to enjoy the lucrative financial rewards in addition to being able to enjoy what you do in this exciting field.

Event Planning – Keys To Success

1. You need to be able to strategically evaluate things. To keep from being overwhelmed with an event, you need to be able to break things down to small tasks until you accomplish everything you need to get done. One thing to remember with successful event planning is that nothing ever goes according to plan but a plan is still necessary but you need to be able to adapt when things go wrong without getting overwhelmed and giving up.

Remember that your reputation is on the line and you have to be willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done and to satisfy the client and the attendees. Good word of mouth is the difference between success and failure with event planning careers. Have a backup plan if things don't work out the way they are supposed to and have a backup to your backup pla! For instance, if you are planning an outdoor wedding, weather can change even the best plans so you need to have a contingency plan if rain occurs on the wedding day that will still ensure a successful wedding despite a change being made to accommodate the weather.

2. When you are planning an event, think on a large and small scale. How do you want people to respond to the event you are organizing? Do you want the attendees to socialize or network, have fun, purchase items, donate, get educated about something, etc? With the goal in mind, you can determine how best to execute the event from the decorations, food, drinks, music to the overall theme. What is your intention with the event? Once you answer this question, you can then get down to the details of planning the event.

3. With event planning careers, a successful event planner has to think of the big items and well as small details. It's usually the small details that can derail an event and not the big stuff. Don't think that no one will notice that the flowers look a little wilted, the restrooms do not have enough paper towels, etc. If mishaps or accidents occur as they usually do with most events, you need to remain calm and provide a solution.

4. Some of the most important factors about an event are food and entertainment as well as the overall look of the venue. You need to make sure that the food is good. Bad food will leave people talking. The entertainment will need to set the mood so plan accordingly as there are many entertainment options to choose from. When using music, make sure that it is very appropriate for the event and the attendees. Consider the decorations and how someone else may view them. Do they elevate the venue or do they look cheap and tacky?

5. If it is a fundraising event or an event featuring items for sale, you need to set the atmosphere so that it is conducive to money changing hands. Items to consider include ensuring that the lighting is soft, that the music level is not too loud so that announcements can be easily heard over the music, etc.

Event planning careers have the potential to take you from the poor house to the palace. If you have the right personality as well as the other traits that will ensure your success, event planning may be something for you to consider. This is not only an opportunity to be involved in an exciting field but the income potential is limitless and entirely dependent upon you.

Click Here to Discover How to Become an Event Planner

How to Break Into a Fab Job as an Event Planner

A village feast to welcome home hunters in the wilds of Borneo and a glittering fund-raiser soiree at a swanky New York hotel may not sound like they have much in common, but they do have at least one similarity.    Someone, somewhere, got the ball rolling and using a little resourcefulness, creativity and sheer determination successfully pulled off a spectacular event.  (Well, someone had to figure out how much food and drink was required at the feast and where the chief would sit!)  That person is an event planner.   If event planning sounds like it could be your dream career, here are 7 steps to become an event planner, based on the FabJob Guide to Become an Event Planner by Jan L. Riddell, Carol Palmatier and Peter J. Gallanis.   1.  Assess Your Skills    Before you quit your day job to become an event planner, take the time to honestly assess your current skills to ensure you have what it takes to succeed as an event planner.    Event planners must be creative and well organized, but they must also have excellent interpersonal skills. Events are about people, so successful event planners must be able to effectively listen to what clients want, develop relationships and negotiate with vendors (companies that supply products and services for events).  TIP:  If you’re creative and have great people skills, but could use some help getting organized, event planning software is available to help you keep track of event details. 2. Learn How to Plan Events Almost all events have common components such as some type of meal or refreshment, a form of entertainment or speaker, invitations or registrations, etc. The event planner is the person who pulls all of the components together.   There are excellent resources available to help you learn how to plan events and assist with each stage of event planning including how to: choose a date, decide who to invite, budget, create timeline schedules, work with vendors, and market events. If you want a formal education, many colleges offer degrees or certificates in event planning. If you would rather break into event planning without a formal education, you can quickly learn how to plan events with books such as the FabJob Guide to Become an Event Planner. 3.  Get Hands-On Experience The easiest way to learn about the steps involved is through personal experience (i.e. planning events for family and friends).   Non-profit groups are always looking for help with their fundraisers and galas, and you’ll get the double benefit of helping a worthy cause while you hone your skills. This is also an excellent way to make contacts in the community to help you land a paying job when you are ready.  You could also volunteer to organize events at your own workplace, if you have one. For example, if your company has a public relations department that is notoriously short-staffed, offer to help them out. The beauty of this plan is that you will be learning a new career while still being paid at your old job!   4. Create a Portfolio  A portfolio is a collection of samples of your work, plus any other documents that can show people why they should hire you. A portfolio helps you stand out from other applicants, and prove that you have the skills to do the job. Your portfolio might include pictures, recommendation letters and anything else that shows prospective clients and/or employers what you have done or can do.  Material for your portfolio can come from any event you have organized (such as a family reunion, birthday bash, etc.) or from ideas and themes you have for future events.  Show your best work and don’t worry about giving away your great ideas.  People will believe you have many more brilliant ideas that you haven’t yet divulged.   5.  Get Hired as an Event Planner Getting hired as an event planner (even if you plan on opening your own event planning business) will give you invaluable contacts and referrals for the future. Meeting and convention planners are projected to have faster than average job growth in the coming years. This is good news for the industry and for you.  Companies that hire event planners include hotels or resorts, non-profit organizations, convention centers, country clubs, and even fun destinations like theme parks!   Some people work their way into a position as their company’s event planner just by volunteering to organize internal events such as company picnics and meetings.  6.  Start Your Own Event Planning Business  If the idea of being your own boss and earning up to $100,000 or more per year as an event planner sound appealing, it may be time to take the plunge and set up an event planning business.  Many event planners have home-based businesses, which makes this type of business inexpensive to start. With the wealth of information available on starting a business you should be able to get your own event planning business off the ground quite easily.   When starting your own business, you should consider what types of events you want to plan. If you have a flair for the spectacular you may want to tackle proms, charity events and galas.  If you prefer planning corporate events, you may choose to plan meetings, conventions, and the like.  TIP:  Unsure of what type of event you’d prefer to plan?  Consider interning or working for a number of companies whose specialties are quite different.   7.  Develop Relationships with Vendors  You’ve probably heard the adage “it’s not what you know but who you know”.   The most important relationships you will build as an event planner are with the vendors for your events. These are companies that supply products and services for events, such as caterers, florists, equipment rental companies, hotels, photographers, etc.   Learn about each one’s business by conducting informational interviews and ask about discounts they can offer you.  Be polite and courteous with the owners and their staff and always follow up afterwards with some sort of acknowledgement or thank you. You can also arrange to have vendors refer clients to your event planning business. Further Your Career You can continue to learn and grow after you have become an event planner. One of the best ways to succeed as an event planner is to look upon every social occasion or event you attend as an opportunity to learn.  Make a mental note of what worked well and what bombed.  Attend tradeshows, read everything you can related to event planning, and watch for what’s hot.  Seek out the advice of trendsetters and don’t be afraid to try something a little different.  You may start a trend yourself!    This article is based on the FabJob Guide to Become an Event Planner. The complete guide gives detailed advice on how you can break into a career in event planning, get hired as an event planner, or start your own event planning business. Visit www.FabJob.com/eventplanner.asp for information.