Publish on March 31, 2020

How to Become an Event Manager

Candlefox

Love throwing parties or planning your family events? We’ve got the perfect career path in mind for you: have you ever considered event management? There are two incredible benefits to entering the events industry. No event is the same nor are the people you’re working with. What’s more, there are a plenty of ways to enter the field!

Let’s talk about the whats and hows of event management to figure out whether it’s the ideal career for you.

What degree options do I have?

As previously mentioned, there are many ways to enter the field of event management! Whilst a degree isn’t required, it tends to be quite heavily valued in the field. The good news is, that there are no specific event management degrees. Good news? That doesn’t sound like good news.

We know, we know — but for the sake of finding your niche, it really is. You have the choice of gaining a bachelor’s degree in all of the following areas: hospitality management, tourism management, marketing, public relations, communications or business. It pays to have an idea of the genre of events you’d be interested in so that you’re able to make a good decision about what degree will be most beneficial for you.

If you’re not keen on being locked into a degree, there are other courses you could consider fast-tracking your way to becoming an event manager. Look for online or local courses that surround the following topics: accounting, hospitality management, meeting management, event promotion or event design. A course allows you the ability to specialise and experiment slightly more than a degree will.

What experience is deemed most valuable?

Most of the time, budding event planners will have to work for free before they’ll be trusted to manage an event. Whilst we certainly encourage taking any opportunity to take reigns with an event (whether hosted by a family or friend), there’s no doubt it’ll be valuable to arrange an internship in addition.

Not only will this act as something you can add to your C.V., you’ll also likely gain valuable networks and perhaps even start positive conversation about you in the process.

Don’t forget: word of mouth is everything, especially when it comes to growing your business! So don’t be afraid to attend trade shows, to host your own events in order to display your management skills to guests, and finally, to utilise social media as a platform for advertising yourself.

Other entry-level event planning jobs worthy of applying for, or at the least, looking into post-internship, include working as an administrative assistant or catering coordinator. Prioritise any roles that function within hotels or at renowned conventions, events and functions.

The more you involve yourself in the industry and around its people in varying ways, the better! For that sake, there is no optimal choice of experience or a more ideal pathway. Rather, it’s about getting yourself in front of the right people on the right occasions!

How much will I earn?

Your salary will ultimately depend on your qualifications, and the genre and scale of events you manage.

The average salary of an event manager is

$37,000 – $45,000

in NZ

How much you earn will also depend on where you’re located and how often events are held. Many event managers work on a freelance or contractual basis, so depending on the popularity of hosting events in your city, you may or may not find yourself inundated with regular work.

For those who prefer a more consistent and full-time pay packet, we’d advise aligning yourself with a large-scale events management company or even, a hospitality business.

What else should I know?

It’s not all glamour, lights and partying! In fact, it’s a lot of hard work. A Forbes report published recently found Event Management to be the 5th most stressful job in the world.

Keep in mind that when you’re managing events, a lot of people are relying on you. If you don’t cope well under pressure, or you don’t adapt well when things go wrong, this mightn’t be the career path for you.

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If you, however, thrive off a hustle-bustle environment and love problem solving by nature, you’ll love your career as an event manager! If this is the right career for you, why not start looking into one of our courses today?! Discover more here.