5 Steps to a Successful Career in Event Management and Design
Life is made up of many different types of events. Whether these are celebratory occasions -- such as a wedding -- or those with a more no-nonsense agenda, like a business meeting, successful event planning is something that depends heavily on finding the right person to handle all the details. Given the popularity of various events regardless of where you live, event management makes the ideal career for nearly everyone -- especially the military spouse who has a flair for organization and creativity. The following event management tips for beginners can help you launch a successful career in the field.
- Get a Solid Education
Being an event manager might seem like the type of career that you can just throw together but it is much more than that. In order to be successful, you need to know how to leverage your marketable skills so they work best for you. Devoting time to learning the ins and outs of being an event planner is well worth your effort when it comes to ensuring that your career is a success.
- Become a Star Time Manager
While effective time management is crucial to being organized in general, it is of vital importance when it comes to being successful at event management and design. Allowing sufficient time to accomplish each key phase -- obtaining work crews, finding the right vendors, set up, etc. -- is important. Equally important to managing time well is keeping each task concise and focused.
- Know the Risks Involved and How to Manage Them
Like any other career, event management and design comes with its own set of risks. Whether these risks are centered on incompetent or unreliable vendors or on clients that are fickle, knowing how to protect yourself ensures that your career is a success. Knowing the types of contracts and paperwork you need to have on hand and which permits are necessary for your particular type of event -- if any -- for example, is something you need to be aware of before even before you accept your first client.
- Be Scrupulous About Accounting
If you've never handled money within a business setting previously, it can be a bit of a challenge to make sure that you stay organized and keep the required records for tax purposes. With the plethora of accounting software available these days -- both online and off -- getting a good basic understanding is possible. Knowing how to do so with an eye to making this particular type of business a success requires more awareness, finesse and training than what is offered with a basic overview.
- Know How to Market
Nearly everyone is on social media these days, and you should be too! At the very least, you need to have an online social media presence in order to be successful with your career in event management and design. Not only do you need to do so in order to advertise your own services, you will often be tasked with broadcasting the news of the event that you're managing to help drum up attendance. The above tips for successful event management can make the difference between a career that soars and one that chugs along. Share your favorite tips below.
