How do I Become a Meeting and Event Planner?

Meeting and event planners are typically highly skilled professionals with knowledge of both business and entertainment industries. There are many paths a person can take to become a meeting and event planner, but some educational and training choices may allow for greater job opportunities in the field. Some of the basic skills necessary to become a meeting and event planner include excellent organizational skills, a positive attitude, and ability to get along easily with many different types of people. In addition, it is helpful to understand the business world and be able to craft fun and exciting events oriented around business.

Often, meeting and event planning is handled by either management departments or the public relations staff. In some companies, there is no special training required other than past experience planning business events. Yet many larger companies rely on annual events to raise operating funds, boost clientele, and generally serve as one of most important company activities of the year. Because considerable money and even company future is at stake, many businesses hire qualified event planners to create the best possible events for the business.

To become a meeting and event planner, many people choose to take a certification or even a four-year training course at a university. These programs typically offer classes in the business and legality of planning, as well as give students the opportunity to make contacts within the event industry and with one another. Many community colleges offer these courses as a means of producing trained professionals that can easily enter the event planning world or even set up their own businesses.

Taking a few courses in event planning, or achieving a certification through a trade program can greatly help a business professional become a meeting and event planner through their current employment. If employers are aware of an employees training, they may be glad to allow them to take on some aspects of company functions or meetings. Even if early work in the company consists of choosing a restaurant and making reservations for a yearly lunch, performing these small jobs well can lead to greater esteem and opportunity at the company.

In order to become a meeting and event planner, it is vital to have basic understanding of several different industries. Event planners work as coordinators, making sure that each component of the event is handled professionally, fits the event, and gets underway smoothly. Booking hundreds of hotel rooms, arranging transportation, choosing keynote speakers or performers, and even coordinating decor and flower arrangements can be left in the hands of a meeting and event planner. For some, this multitasking responsibility can seem like a nightmare. The rare and valuable person who plans to become a meeting and event planner should find these challenges exhilarating and fun to accomplish.