Events, Meeting & Convention Planning

event planning, convention and meeting planningEvent planning is a marketing tool used by organizations of all sizes to communicate with current and potential clients. For many industries, nothing beats a hands-on experience created by personal interactions. Many large companies, organizations and individuals are now hiring event planners to take over planning and socializing for their events.

Event planning is the process of planning a festival, ceremony, competition, party, concert or convention. These events can range anywhere from a wedding to a small office meeting and anywhere in between. If not properly planned, any event could contain hitches and bumps along the way.

Generally speaking, there are two markets for event planning services: corporate and social. Corporations host trade shows, conventions, company picnics, meetings and holiday parties for employees, members or stockholders. Social events may include weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, parties, reunions and other events.

One of the first steps in succeeding as an event planner is finding a purpose or specialty. There are many different types of planners (wedding, large event, party, etc.), so finding a niche may just be the easiest task at hand.

There are many reasons to hire an event planner when planning an event or a party. Event planners coordinate all the necessary details of these events. And face it, event planning takes, well, planning. So, why not hire a professional? An experienced event planner should be able to bring anyone’s vision of an event out successfully.

To fully succeed, a good event planner must have a passion and an eye for detail. They also need drive and perseverance to stay in this competitive environment. Event planners play many roles during an event. Starting with the need to be a designer, they also need to be a leader, a problem solver, an innovator and a strategist. It is also important to have an appreciation for different cultures, religions and traditions.

Those seeking this line of work are encouraged to obtain a degree or certificate before starting in this vocation. Most experienced planners agree that jumping in head first is a bad idea as there is no foundation to stand on. Many encourage shadowing or volunteering with an experienced planner to develop the necessary rapport and tools.

Event planning is a highly competitive profession and anyone considering this line of work needs to show up with a loaded tool belt. This tool belt needs to come equipped with the ability and skill to determine not only a great and inviting theme, but also the ability to find vendors and suppliers to make any event come off without a hitch.

Effective communication is an important key to successfully researching, designing, planning and coordinating any special event. Event planning can be an overwhelming task if the correct tools are not readily available. It pays to know all available resources and will help when delegating responsibilities in advance.

Any time people gather together for a purpose, whether it’s for a conference, a formal dinner or a grand opening, someone is needed to manage all the event details to guarantee that it is a success. These details should also include any vendors such as caterers, photographers or speakers depending on the particular specialty.