EVENT PLANNERS DUTIES AND ATTRIBUTES

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Becoming Event Planners

For Event Planners, a career in event planning can be exhilarating and challenging.

Personal Assistants and Virtual Assistants are natural candidates for event planning jobs, as they regularly deal with logistical and organisational tasks, and have good communication and people skills. These skills will be developed if you attend good Event Planner courses or do an event planning degree.

Successful Event Planners are perfectionists; calm under pressure, with an eye for detail. Some have a bachelor’s degree in topics like tourism, marketing, hospitality and business administration. However, involvement in planning major events sometimes demands an event planning degree - a master’s degree or an MBA.

Most Personal Assistants have some experience of organising the core aspects of events, such as catering, audio-visuals, accommodation and transportation. But an Event Planner has to micro-manage events and view them as products.

An Event Planner considers every aspect of an event such as signage, marketing, translation services, speakers, toilet facilities, generators, parking, and security. They are also responsible for setting the budget and preventing cost overruns.

The type of events that require event planning are numerable; they include:

- office parties
- corporate meetings
- product launches
- trade shows
- conferences
- charity fundraisers
- international events
- festivals

Many events need to be advertised, so a good knowledge of media relations, advertising and marketing is essential.

Event Planner Courses

Event planner courses and event planning degrees are designed to hone your skills in event management, which is currently a growth industry, with many people entering the field. Event Planner courses are very much in demand and have helped to set standards for the industry. People are not always aware of the vast amount of work that goes on behind the scenes when running an event, because a well run event should seem effortless.

The opportunities are varied, whether students are interested in corporate events, social events, or arts events. There are many institutions that deliver Event Planners and event management courses, with diplomas, certificates and even masters degrees on successful completion. This is a route into organizing conferences, product launches, music festivals, exhibitions and the like, and it's a challenging but rewarding career.

A good curriculum will provide tuition on:

- an overview of an event
- budgeting
- achieving goals and objectives
- overcoming obstacles
- practical considerations
- scheduling
- record keeping
- sales strategy
- negotiating with clients
- sourcing venues and supplies
- recruiting staff
- booking speakers and entertainment
- catering
- security
- site planning
- contingency planning

One of the most lucrative areas of event planning is wedding planning. As weddings become more and more expensive and ambitious, many couples hire the services of a wedding planner. This specialism is fun and can be very fulfilling. There is a lot to consider for the day to go well. wedding banquet, formal dining, wedding table, Many Event Planners Courses offer qualifications in wedding planning.

Students learn how to work with a budget and liase with the bride and groom, and parents. The syllabus involves sending out invitations, compiling gift lists and sending out thank you notes. The items to be ticked off are the guest list, timing the schedule for the day, organizing the wedding rehearsal and dinner, and finding the right location for the ceremony and reception.

Booking a photographer, or a videographer, organizing flowers and transport are all areas that will be covered by a wedding planner course. Includng the favours, table decorations, menu and wine list, and the all important cake arrangement.

Wedding Event Planner courses will include seating arrangements for the ceremony and reception, including top table plan, and any special needs for guests, such as vegetarians, vegans and guests with disabilities. Out of town guests will require directions and accommodation, so this area should also be covered.

The course should also cover the bride and groom's outfits, plus clothes for the best man, bridesmaids and ushers. The planner needs to know how to organise entertainment for the reception, and make arrangements for the honeymoon. The course should also include a module on understanding the legal requirements, such as providing documentation and drawing up pre-nuptial agreements. An event planning degree will give you flexibility to work in a number of specialty areas.