If you are the person in your circle of friends that arranges the night out, plans the surprise party or gets everyone on the same page for a concert, then you could be an ideal candidate for a successful career in event planning.  Event planning jobs are in high demand both for specialist companies and within other companies who want an in-house planner. But what does the job entail?

What do event planners do?

The job of an event planner is a variable one and the daily workload will depend on what the company does and what kind of events are being planned.  But there are some general types of duties that are more than likely to come up on a regular basis.

First among these is the organisation and scheduling of events both within the business and offsite.  This might be anything from corporate retreats to seminars, annual meetings, anniversary reward programs and special events.  It may involve hospitality events that happen in hotels, promotional events or meetings within the company.

Within this, there are lots of smaller jobs or aspects of the role that may be required such as:

• Researching a venue, facilities and judging if it is suitable for the event being planned
• Look at menu options for the event including special dietary requirements
• Visit the venue and work with the staff there to organise the event
• Put together information to help management make decisions about event options

Skills and characteristics

Top of any list of required skills for an event planner is excellent organisation skills.  You need to organise all aspects of the event and keep control of everything as much as possible.  There is also the need to be working on different aspects of the project without losing track of what is happening, although there is now plenty of software to help with this as well.

Great communication and interpersonal skills are also important.  You have to work with clients, colleagues, vendors and members of the public to get everyone working together and ensure they have the information they need.

Working under pressure and to tight deadlines is also a skill that the event planner needs.   A creative approach to problem-solving and high attention to detail is also key for the role. Finally, you also need good budget awareness if you are working within a budget – which will be most of the time.

Training and career path

Event planners often have a varied background and a college or university course isn’t always needed to land junior roles in this profession.  However, you can also take Event Management Training Courses in London and around the UK to get the right training for the role and make your progression a quicker one.

Specialist event training will often involve learning how to plan events as well as skills such as creating a preliminary brief for approval, choosing the best venues and getting the right package as well as teamwork.  You will also learn about important elements such as health and safety, risk assessment and insurance as well as publicity and promoting the event with PR, on the internet and on social media.

The career path with event planning often involves working with bigger and more complex events for international companies.  You could one say find yourself involves with an event like the Olympics or the football World Cup, a major political gathering or other important event.

Conclusion

Event planning can be intense and high pressure but when the event goes off successfully and everyone enjoys themselves, goals are fulfilled and there are no problems, it is also a very rewarding job.