I want to plan events
Event planners love creating a meaningful experience for a group of people. Event planning is involved in a lot of industries: non-profit, healthcare, business sector, and in education. The position typically falls under the area of Marketing, but not always. Knowing about the kinds of events you would like to plan: weddings, parties, professional meetings, conferences, large-scale professional conferences with breakout sessions, etc., may steer you in the direction of a particular industry. Event planning can also include these responsibilities: managing contracts / vendors, overall event management and execution, pre and post-event email / social media communication, and post-event metrics and reporting.
Career Snapshot
- Median Annual Salary​ – $48,290; $23.22/hour (stats from Bureau of Labor Statistics. Salary varies by industry, education and experience)
- Work Environment – fast-paced, possible travel, in-office or work-from-home options
Things to think about
Top qualities and skills of a successful event planner:
Organization
Spreadsheets, checklists and a daily planner are three things event planners need to be successful. They keep track of deadlines, budgets and vendors all at once. Event planners are pulled in many directions so having the ability to multi-task is important.
Communication
Event planners coordinate with clients, listen to their needs and find solutions. They also work with contractors, employees, wait staff and many other vendors all at once. Customer service and interpersonal skills are critical.
Problem-solving & Adaptability
It is possible that something could go wrong while planning or during an event. Event planners need to develop creative solutions and troubleshoot issues all while keeping calm under pressure.
Creativity & Attention to Detail
Clients will look to you as an expert on how to execute their vision for the event. Event planners stay up-to-date on the latest event design trends by surfing Pinterest, following blogs and brainstorming with their team.
Top Five
There are a variety of majors at ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Æƽâ°æÏÂÔØ that can help prepare you for the future.
Majors
- Psychology
- Strategic Communication
- Political Science
- Marketing
- Leadership & Community Engagement
Most Surprising Majors
- Film Studies
- Environmental Studies
- Media Studies
- History
- English
Handshake Job Search Terms
- Event
- Coordinate
- Banquet
- Operations
- Plan
Things You Can Do
Seek opportunities on campus to start developing skills.
Get Involved
Almost every club or student organization on campus has an event planner position. This person books the meeting space, orders food, organizes speakers and more. that fits your interests and try to be the event planner.
Get Connected
Understanding how other professional event planners got their start is a great first step to getting familiar with the industry. Whether you’re interested in non-profit, corporate or social event planning, make connections with successful event planners and shadow them for a day to see what their job is like. Find these connections at Career Services.
Get Experience
Find opportunities to develop on-the-job skills. Assisting professional event planners through an internship or on-campus job can help with this. Local events like races or festivals are always in need of event volunteers. Find these opportunities through:
- - Login and search using keywords like “eventâ€
- Handshake - Login and search by industry, job function or keyword
- Volunteer Resource Center - Search the calendar or organization database
Get Engaged
Connect with other students through the Center for Student Involvement and get engaged by participating in campus events and programs. There are many events on campus that can test and enhance your creative ability, so check out the .
Get Informed
Researching companies and the industry you’d like to work in is an essential step to narrowing your interests while in school. Use to learn more about careers in event planning.