How to Become an Event Planner

If you’ve ever attended a wedding, charity fundraiser, business conference or other large event and came away asking, “How did this all come together?” you can likely thank the event planner. If you enjoy planning and hosting parties, are good at handling details and find personal satisfaction in helping others enjoy themselves, you might be interested in learning how to become an event planner and pursue a career in this field.

Behind every successful, memory-making event is a professional, or a team of them, who sweat all the details as they endeavor to create an unforgettable guest experience. Part creative genius, part logistics manager and fluid multitasker, an effective event planner stays cool under pressure while using their passion, training and skills to pull it off without a hitch. 

All the essential components of a well-organized event – the venue, the invitations, the vendors, the menu and the décor – must be orchestrated for the desired outcome: Satisfied clients and guests who’ve had a thoroughly enjoyable or professionally fulfilling experience.

The world of event planning is as broad and varied as the different types of events that exist. Some events involve a small number of guests, are held at a single venue and have relatively few moving parts to manage. Others, however, may involve hundreds of attendees at multiple venues, with speakers, sponsors, audio-visual requirements, exhibitors and entertainers to be scheduled and coordinated.  

The specific responsibilities and duties of an event planner will vary according to the size and type of event, whether the event planner is self-employed or working for a specific venue or company and several other variables.

Some event planners specialize in a particular type of event, such as weddings or corporate events. Some of a planner’s responsibilities may include:

• Meeting with clients
• Communicating with vendors and venues
• Creating event budgets
• Performing pre-event checks 
• On-site coordination between venue, staff and vendors 

While you’re learning how to plan an event, gaining practical experience can help you gain a competitive advantage over other job candidates once your education is complete. There are many things you can do to broaden your horizons and sharpen your “people skills” to help you prepare for a career as an event planner. These might include working as a host, server or bartender in a restaurant or catering business. 

Some degree programs in the field may even offer internships that allow you to gain hands-on experience and make industry contacts while you’re learning. 

Another way to gain practical event planning experience prior to completing your education is by volunteering. Music festivals, charity fundraisers and sporting events are all examples of events that rely heavily on volunteers. Volunteering at one of these events could lead to gaining experience in many different areas of event management.

Event planners often choose to tailor their skills to a certain type of event, such as weddings, charity fundraisers or corporate retreats, especially if they aspire to start their own business. This kind of specialization typically comes after several years of industry experience, whereby the event planner gains practical, on-the-job knowledge and cultivates important contacts in their chosen industry.

Once you’ve completed your education and gained some practical experience in how to plan an event through an internship, part-time work or volunteering, it’s time to build your resume and portfolio. 

Your resume should highlight your education and industry experience and list the skills and qualities you possess that make you a good candidate for employment in the industry. Your goal here is to align your qualifications with the needs of a potential employer. 

Your portfolio is a unique expression of your skills that can help show employers how you measure up against other job candidates. In this way, it’s similar to the portfolio an artist or photographer would use to showcase their work. 

Your online portfolio should include:

• Photographs of your work
• Customer testimonials
• Examples of invitations or other marketing materials used
• Press clippings from media coverage of the events you’ve helped to organize 

After it’s built, you’ll need to maintain it, adding new items to keep it fresh and current. You’ll also need to promote it through social media, email and other outreach methods.

According to Indeed, event planning firms and other businesses hiring event planners look for candidates who are:

• Organized
• Open to collaboration
• Able to adapt
• Creative
• Able to multitask
• Good at budgeting
• Excellent communicators and networkers
• Skilled at negotiating

Corporate and professional events or conferences require event planners to be particularly buttoned down and detail-oriented, as this type of event planning involves booking hotel rooms and coordinating and contracting with speakers, sponsors and exhibitors.

Event planners know that as the date for a large event approaches, they will likely be required to work longer hours, including evenings and weekends. Those specializing in weddings will have to be flexible as well, since many times, details can change during the planning process. 

This job might be a great choice for people who are composed and calm under pressure. In this profession, soft skills, like many of the ones listed above, play an important role. 

When pursuing a career as an event planner, it is important to remember that a combination of hands-on experience and formal education can be useful and can help you learn to distinguish yourself from other job candidates. Experience earned through employment, internships or volunteering, combined with a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management, may help provide the tools necessary to pursue a career in this industry.