Event Planning Careers: How to become an Event Planner & Build Your Career Even in Tough Times
Event Planning: Starting and Building Your Event Planning Career Even in Tough Times
I am one of the Group Managers for the Event Planning and Management Group on LinkedIn. By far, a question that comes up frequently on our discussion boards is "How do I become an event planner?" Our profession is changing rapidly and it is going through some very challenging times. Breaking into the event planning business is no longer just a matter of taking the right courses and sending out resumes. Also, due to the economic meltdown, many experienced event and meeting planners have been laid off. Businesses are struggling. Even experienced event planners are assessing what they need to do to build a thriving career or grow their business in a tough market.
Today, I'm speaking with event planners from various countries. They've have worked in a variety of areas in the event planning profession. Some are independent, some work for companies, and others run their own businesses. Some have a lot of experience and others are fairly new to the business. Some are busy. Others have been laid off and they are seeking their next opportunity. Their experiences will help us gain some insight into what it takes to launch and build an event planning career in a turbulent market. I will also share some of my own experiences.
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Please read what everyone has to say. Then, post your questions, comments and reactions. I've invited all participants to stop by and answer your questions so we should have a very lively and interesting discussion.
How to get Started in Event Planning & Take Your Career to the Next Level
Event Coup is pleased to welcome:
- Ann Craig, an experienced travel planner with experience in the incentives, and association markets (hereafter referred to as Ann C.)
- Arleen Edwards, CMP, a professional meeting planner
- Maria Allen, Co-Director Allen O'Brien Consulting
- Deborah Langley, Event Manager with Event-ism Twitter: @EVENTISM
- Noel Kirkner, Alumni Programs Coordinator at Cabrini College
- Michaela Karsten, General Manager, Far & Near Events Twitter: @FarNearEvents
- Patty Olejnik, a Meeting, Incentive & Event Planning Professional
I'm Anne Thornley-Brown, a regular contributor to Event Coup. I own Executive Oasis International.
Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions about your career as an event planner and pass on some tips.
First of all, where are you based?
Ann C.: I am based in Chicago, Illinois
Arleen: Great New York City Area.
Maria: Tauton, United Kingdom My business partner and I are based at our homes in Somerset, UK, although we travel to London regularly for meetings with clients and take contracts overseas too.
Deborah: Melbourne, Australia
Noel: I work outside of the Philadelphia metro area on the Main Line.
Michaela: I am based in Siena (Tuscany), Italy
Patty: Greater Chicago Area
Anne: I am based just North of Toronto in Canada.
What is your specialty?
Ann C.: I'm more of a generalist than having one specialty and that was on purpose. Throughout my career I have worked in coordinating, planning, procurement, operations, and sales. I have worked with meetings, incentives, conferences, and events.
Society of Independent Show Organizers Event in Hartford, Connecticut
Photo Credits: Arleen Edwards
Arleen: I've worked as a special event and meeting consultant and the director of conference services at a Convention and Visitor's Bureau
Maria: While we dabble in medical, financial and academic work, our primary source of income is security (Government and Military). The majority of our events under Chatham House Rule, while you may be familiar with it, I have included the definition [below] just in case.
"When a meeting, or part thereof, is held under the Chatham House Rule, participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed".
The Chatham House Rule may be invoked at meetings to encourage openness and the sharing of information. If an attendee flouts this rule (depending on the sanctions laid down by the event hosts), they will probably be barred from future events and their personal reputation and that of their organisation will be tarnished. As senior Government officials attend many of our events, we have to liaise closely with the local police authority and/or personal security officers. Their requirements vary but they may need to know the routes we are traveling to transfer guests or restaurant locations, the layout of buildings, being able to security scout a venue before hand etc. Our role is to ensure that as many avenues as possible are covered so that should anything go wrong, a pre-arranged set of actions takes over.
Deborah: Adding a touch of the theatrical to every event. Be it welcome entertainment or even just a touch of magic through the use of butterflies, lights or amazing decor.
Deborah Langley, Event-ism Photo Gallery
Noel: Currently I work in higher education as an alumni event planner.
Michaela: Event logistics, event planning, budgeting, and event management. I focus on corporate meetings and incentives in Tuscany and in the rest of Italy. I help executives:
- choose the type of event that will accomplish their corporate objectives
- increase brand awareness
- develop new business
- nurture customer loyalty
- drive growth through the execution of meetings and incentives
Event in Italy
Photo Credit: Michaela Karsen, Far & Near Events
I am very strong on location research and planning everything inside the location (of course, that is my background). I serve mainly Italy and any other destination with help of local DMCs of course.
Patty: I don't have a specialty per se, I'm very good at coordinating and leading programs from conception to post-evaluation, including budgeting, logistics and onsite management. I've worked in various areas of the hospitality industry including meeting and incentive planning for the corporate and association markets, hotel convention services, and destination management services
Anne: First and foremost, I am a business consultant. I own Executive Oasis International. My firm helps companies design and execute strategies to succeed even in the midst of turbulence. One of the main vehicles we use to deliver this service is the design and facilitation of team building retreats. Our expert facilitation weaves business exercises, cases and, at times, outdoor recreational activities together to create business simulations. After a while, some companies started asking us to strip the facilitation away from our business simulations and use the experiences we design for luxury corporate events to reward their people. So we now specialize in team building retreats, corporate event planning and incentive travel.
How long have you been an event planner?
Ann C.: I have been an event planner for over 20 years.
Arleen: I plunged into event management 12 years ago from a career in finance.
Maria: I have almost 4 years of experience in event planning.
Deborah: 5 years
Noel: Almost 5 years
Michaela: I have been working in the meeting and events industry for 6 years now.
Patty: I've now been in the hospitality industry in the Chicago area for more than 20 years.
Anne: I fell into it gradually so let me think. My first paid event planning work was for the Canadian Society of Social Workers, way back when I was making the transition from a career as a professional social worker to business. I did some project work for them over 15 years ago that involved planning and organizing meetings. I had almost forgotten about that. I don't even remember how I got those projects.
What were you doing before you became an Event Planner?
Ann C.: I was in horticulture before becoming an Event Planner.
Arleen: While I loved working in finance, I wanted to work with people and decided to make a career change. My first question was - What can I do that would be personally and financially rewarding? Let's face it, I still had to pay the bills.
Maria: Prior to this, I was in the military, a deputy practice manager for a Dr's surgery and an EA, all of which lend themselves to a degree in covering the required attributes to be an event planner.
Deborah: I was working for a Theater Company.
Noel: I had held an internship with a large catering company, but my real experience came through working in fundraising.
Michaela: I worked as a reception manager in a luxury hotel where one of my duties became event planning.
Patty: I was in college.
Anne: I was a professional social worker, a training and development specialist, and consultant.
How did you launch your event planning career?
Ann C.: A friend of mine asked me to interview with her boss, who was opening a travel and event management company.
Arleen: First, I researched what career resources were available to me at my place of business. This is a great way to take classes free of charge. I took the Myers-Briggs interest inventory test, workshops in communication, networking, computers and anything else relevant to my professional development. I took several inventory tests to see if the results were consistent.
Second, I researched each career choice from the tests and I inventoried my skill base for transferable skills. This helped me make my decision to enter the event/hospitality industry. I also looked within my company for opportunities that matched my goals and lifestyle. I had two young children and work-life balance was important. Luckily there were some.
Third, I contacted people within the company and requested informal information meetings. To my surprise everyone I contacted was receptive. I was even able to shadow someone for half a day. These meetings proved to be invaluable to me. I discovered that no one would hire me without experience and my transferable skills were not enough.
Fourth, I enrolled in a meeting and event management certificate program and began my formal education. Next, I used my company's volunteer database to find requests for event volunteers. I found a volunteer opportunity, but my assignment wasn't what I expected. I made it my mission to talk to the Director of Conferences and make my presence known. After the event, I persisted and the director agreed to take me on as an unpaid intern.
I became a working mom, part-time student and intern. It wasn't easy and it took time but my efforts paid off. I successfully transitioned from finance to event management within my company. My internship has lasted 12 years and I have traveled across the country with the same group producing a multi-day conference. P.S. This is only part 1 of my journey.
Maria: Quite by accident! Fundamentally, I was asked to assist in an administrative capacity for a 3-day security based conference in London. The attendees were from the higher end of management, along with senior military officers, government officials, academics etc. When I pitched up on the day of the event, the event manager told me that it was a difficult day for them and they had to disappear for an hour to collect their thoughts (this was an hour before the delegates were due to arrive), I decided that there was no way I would be party to a disaster - so I took over. Talk about flying by the seat of your pants! At the end of the conference, I was approached with 2 job offers and someone commented on how well my team and I worked together - up until that point, we had never even met.
Deborah: In my role at the theater company I organized a number of forums and then did some work for the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne (equivalent to the Olympics... sort of) and just fell into a role as the event manager at a corporate booking agency / event company
Noel: Working at a non-profit was my first real experience in event planning.
Michaela: I got involved with meeting planning while working in a luxury hotel. I coordinated the hotel staff, created the function sheets organized the staff pre-con meetings and managed the final master account for each event.
I followed a master course in event management while still working in the hotel and read many, many industry books. I worked on automotive events, corporate meetings, incentives and private parties. After one year and a half I decided to resign and start my own business.
Event in Italy
Photo Credit: Michaela Karsen, Far and Near Events
Patty: At the end of my freshman year of college I didn't have a summer job yet, so when a family friend asked me to work at his booth at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago, I did. He was selling computer programs to manage meeting registration and catering business. He hired me for the summer to help him follow up on leads. That led to an internship doing the registration for an international association meeting the next year. That led to my first job after college graduation as the convention coordinator at that association. I moved into hotel convention services, destination management and into corporate planning. I was very fortunate to find a career I love!
Anne: As said, it was gradual. I had a contract with a theatre company to develop training material to accompany one of their school productions. Showcases were a very important part of booking school tours. While a co-worker had primary responsibility for planning and organizing showcases, it was a team effort in which we all rolled up our sleeves and helped to plan, organize and run these.
I have been very active in various professional associations and volunteered for their Toronto Chapters. I was a member of the committee that planned the monthly evening meetings for the Canadian Society for Training and Development on a volunteer basis for over 4 years. During an economic downturn, volunteers were harder and harder to find. So, we became a committee of 2. I was responsible for planning and organizing all aspects of half of the evening meetings each year. This was valuable experience in working with venues, dealing with caterers, recruiting speakers, and promotion. I also volunteered to help at some of the conferences.
Building on this experience, I was invited to volunteer to serve on the board of the MBA Women's Association. I was the Programming Director and responsible for planning, organizing and promoting all of the monthly meetings and events.
I've also volunteered on the corporate side of the field at Toronto Polo Club's "Polo for Heart Tournament" for many years. This gave me a behind the scenes look at what it takes to pull together large events.
Winter Team Building in Ottawa
Photo Credit: Anne Thornley-Brown, Executive Oasis International
While I was working as a management development specialist full-time, I was responsible also responsible for some planning meetings, handling logistics for training sessions including hotel, meal and meeting arrangements, award dinners, and planning off-sites including a conference in Montreal for internal trainers.
Cooking Event in Toronto
Photo Credit: Anne Thornley-Brown, Executive Oasis International
Once I launched my own company, it was just a matter of time before clients asked if I could fully plan the meetings and retreats in addition to facilitating them. Based on my past experience, it was a pleasure. After a while, existing clients asked me to plan stand alone events for them and new clients approached me to plan their events.
I had worked as a summer flight attendant while attending university. While I was facilitating retreats and workshops in Canada, Jamaica, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Oman, Egypt, Japan, Singapore, and Malaysia, I was becoming familiar with resorts, hotels, tours, and attractions. Incentive travel was the next logical service for my company to offer. We now offer 1 stop shopping to plan retreats, events and sales incentive trips from start to finish including hotels, meeting facilities, transfers, tours, recreation, and galas at featured destinations worldwide.
Luxury Beach Event in Oman
Photo Credit: Anne Thornley-Brown, Executive Oasis International
On what social media sites have you been active and how have you been using them to further your career and/or grow your business?
Arleen: I use Linkedin for career and business. I'm relatively new to social networking but so far joining different discussion groups has been helpful in sharing information and making new connections.
Maria: We only use LinkedIn, primarily because it is a professional networking site and not full of 'fluff'. It enables us to carry out some research on individuals and a medium for putting people/businesses in touch where we feel it would be of mutual advantage to both.
Deborah: I am active on Twitter, Facebook & LinkedIn. I enjoy the discusion groups of LinkedIN and post status updates on Facebook & Twitter to promote my business, promote events and comment on things that interest me.
Noel: For Cabrini College and the Alumni office we use social media in a variety of ways. Cabrini uses Facebook to promote events to alumni and students through different fan pages that are created by different departments on campus. We also use Facebook for admissions by reaching out to potential students through fan pages and groups. We currently use LinkedIn as our career networking tool and have held 4 events thus far this year for our alumni promoting networking.
Michaela: I am active on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. I use LinkedIn to create a network in and out of the event business. I try to establish a relationship with my connections. Groups on linked in increase my visibility, help to grow my network and to establish relationships with people. I promote my business on LinkedIn mostly by being active in my groups. On Twitter I write small messages, mostly giving tips on activities and recreational team events that my company organizes. I now have started as well on giving tips about event management. I use Facebook for my personal social contacts only. Furthermore I am registered on many other social media sites like video, Xing, UYNX, and so on, just to increase visibility on search engines etc.
Patty: I'm following the standard - using Facebook for personal social ties and LinkedIn for business. As I'm in the midst of a job search, I am "linking" to as many people as I can directly and through groups. When I apply for a job, I research how I'm "linked" to the company and follow up through my links. I'll let you know how it goes! ;)
Anne: The first site I was on was Ryze. I have a Facebook profile and my blogs show up there. I am not very active on Ryze or Facebook. I am very active on LinkedIn. In addition to my involvement with the Event Planning and Management Group as a Group Manager, I own 2 alumni groups and a team building group. I have posted and answered questions in Q&A, posted events, and started a couple of polls. I have, in the last few months, made a point of really being active on Twitter and decided to really "go for it" to see if it works. I share entries from my blogs and other blogs, news articles, tweets about horse riding, polo, Olympic sports, acting, hobbies, personal interests, and of course, Jamaica. I've participated in #eventprofs chats a couple of times and they have been really super. I also have 2 Second Life profiles. One for fun and the other that I intend to eventually use to do some on-line coaching, table top sessions and seminars.
What benefits have you obtained from social media use?
Arleen: I learn something new every time I'm on Linkedin and find it to be a powerful tool. Using social media keeps me current. I can quickly read about industry issues from around the world. The discussions are interesting and helpful.
Maria: Quite often, businesses and individuals don't have the time or the thought pattern to carry out this research themselves. By making the link for them based on information people digress through general conversation, and creating an introduction, this encourages people to send work back our way because they have been able to; gain funding, progress a project, find individuals prudent to their work, create a symbiotic relationship with another organisation etc.
Deborah: I have benefited greatly from social media. I think the best example of this would be a photographer I meet via social media, we have engaged in cross promotion and link shares because we both liked each others styles and work even though we have never meet face-to-face as we live in different states.
Noel: We have really been able to connect with the alumni through facebook, especially the younger alumni. They seem more engaged with the College and the attendance at our events as increased slightly. We have also forged new connections between alumni who have lost touch.
Michaela: My first clients! It is very difficult in Italy to enter corporations because they prefer to work with people or companies they know or have been recommended by people they trust. I started without any contacts so this is an important step for me. Further more I became part of the board of directors of a local business club born on LinkedIn and this group helps me a lot to promote my business to local companies. Another benefit is that people have heard or read about my company even though they don't know me. I received RFPs from my tweets and confirmed events by attending networking events organized by LinkedIn groups.
Patty: It's actually added to personal interaction. I've gotten together with people I wouldn't have run into without reconnecting on Facebook. Social media has added a fun, new dimension and I can't wait to see what's next!
Anne: I can only trace 1 specific piece of business to Ryze. Other than that, so far I have never been asked to submit an RFQ or obtained any business from social media. LinkedIn has helped me re-connect with former colleagues. Twitter has generated a couple of opportunities for me to be interviewed by the media. Through LinkedIn and Twitter, I have had some opportunities for guest blogging including Event Coup. Twitter and LinkedIn have definitely boosted traffic to my own blogs, that's for sure. The main benefit of LinkedIn has been learning how to generate traffic for blogs and boost visibility on the Internet.
What 1 piece of advice would you give someone who wanted to get started in event planning?
Ann C.: My one piece of advice for someone who is getting started these days is to get your degree in hospitality, tourism, travel and obtain industry certifications. These were not as available or desired when I first entered the industry, but they are today. When I first began in the industry, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else as a career because the hours were long, the pay was small, and the opportunities were few. I'm happy to say that the industry has progressed and one can definitely have a career/business in event planning. The hours are still long but the pay is a little better. There is a wider range of opportunities, and the people associated with the industry are the best!
Arleen: Volunteering is a wonderful way to gain experience, solidify your career commitment and build your network.
Maria: Advice? Stick to the market you know, at least initially. While the fundamentals of event planning can cross over into almost any sector, if you know your audience, you can speak their language and make them feel safe and confident.
Deborah: Volunteer, Volunteer, Volunteer. There is nothing better than practical experience.
Noel: Usually when people think of event planning they think strict social or wedding type events, however there are several different types of event planning. Non-profit fundraising is a great way to get your foot in the door and get a well-rounded experience in event planning. The best advice I can give to someone who would like to choose this as a career is to make sure you are willing to be flexible.
Michaela: To get started in event planning I advise people to get a degree, do an internship, and get started from there.
Patty: I completely agree with Noel; flexibility is a key trait of successful planners. For those just getting into the business, I recommend gaining a broad base of experience before choosing a specialty. You may find you like food & beverage, or destination management, or perhaps stage production of general sessions. There are so many facets of this industry.
Anne: Especially in these turbulent economic times, demonstrating the value and ROI of meetings and events will be critical. For this reason, I would advise someone starting out to get a business degree first and some solid business experience at a company that places high value on events. It really doesn't matter if it's sales, marketing, customer service, or technical experience, really get to know how businesses operate. Develop a bottom-line orientation.
The next step would be to get to know the professionals responsible for event planning in your company and in your company's industry. Volunteer to become involved in planning events and meetings for your department, company, professional association, or alumni association.
The importance of flexibility and rolling with the punches has already been stressed. When you're volunteering, demonstrate your flexibility, multi-tasking skills and ability to remain cool under pressure. If possible, try to make a lateral move into event planning or event marketing in your company. A lot of really experienced professionals have been laid off and the market is flooded with event and meeting planners at the moment. So, I think that the approach I am suggesting will get you further than taking an event planning or hospitality certificate and then trying to land a "dream job" in event planning when you have no business experience. While you are working full-time, you can take event planning and hospitality courses part-time. Many companies have Educational Assistance Programmes that will reimburse your tuition.
Most of all network, network, network. As you've seen from the experiences that have been shared already, personal contacts can open many doors. Don't be afraid to share your career goals with friends, relatives and colleagues. Ask for their help.
What 1 piece of advice would you give to an event planner who wants to take their career or event planning business to the next level?
Ann C.: My advice on taking your planning career or business to the next level is be open to learning all facets of the events industry; learn the good ways and how to change the bad ways to good; stay open to new and better trends for the industry is constantly evolving; and stay connected as this is a very relational industry.
Event for Society of Independent Show Organizers in Hartford, Connecticut
Photo Credit: Arleen Edwards
Arleen: The path to reach my goal was sometimes difficult but not impossible and I encourage you to never give up.
Maria: As for taking it to another level - network and be ballsy! If you don't try, you will never know.
Deborah: Ask yourself "Do events excite you? Do you get a buzz when talking about possibilities? Do you think outside the box? Can you come up with unique ways of doing things? Will you go above and beyond? Are you willing to work long hours for little recognition?" Then just do it! Take risks and get yourself out there.
Noel: No matter what industry you will be doing event planning in, you must be ready to give up a lot of free time and be willing to roll with the punches. The most important thing I have learned so far in my career is that what can go wrong will and you always have to be prepared and ready to go with the flow.
Michaela: Before you set up your own business, make sure you already have a mailing list (contacts) of possible clients. It is really hard to start with no contacts as I did. Further more know exactly what you sell (offer) and have a good network of referenced suppliers.
Patty: For those looking to step up their career, they need to find the ROI of the events they produce and use it to get a seat at the boardroom table.
Anne: This is also one of the toughest times to move your career to the next level but it's not impossible. Focusing on fun, fun, fun without really helping clients dig deeper, pinpoint specific objectives and a clear business need for each event is risky in this economy. You'll be vulnerable whenever the budget needs to be scrutinized and trimmed. Be prepared to speak in terms of the ROI of the services you provide and skills you offer.
Network and get to know as many executives as you can. Executives will ultimately make the decision about what events add value and sign-off on who to hire. If you have any opportunities to volunteer for any events where you can meet executives and build your network of executive contacts, seize them.
I would say whether you are working full time or part-time boost your visibility by writing a blog, articles and press releases. Don't just focus on event planning publications. Also, write for publications in your industry. In your writing, demonstrate that you understand the business issues your company's industry is facing.
Tools & Resources to Get you Started
- Career Corner at Meeting.Net
- MPI's Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) Information
- SITE Society of Incentive & Travel Executives
- How to Start and Event Planning Service - Entrepreneur Magazine
- How to become an event Planner
Next Steps
As we've seen based on this discussion, there is more than one route to a career in event planning. However, there are some common themes including:- Volunteer, roll up your sleeves and show initiative. Volunteering really gives you a chance to build your network of contacts and see how events come together.
- Network. We have seen over and over again that contacts open doors.
- Don't think corporate is the only way to go. There are opportunities with associations, in the military, with theatre companies, at colleges, in hotels, and in the food and beverage sector.
Opening Photo Credit: On Stage Lighting License
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