How do i get experience in event planning?
I'm a Junior and I want to get some experience in event planning and I'm not sure how to.
6 answers
Tiffany’s Answer
I started planning events at an early age when I planned casual events for my family, whether it be birthday parties or get-togethers. From there, I decided that I enjoyed organizing and making plans/schedules for what needs to be accomplished when preparing for these events. In college, I had the opportunity to organize social events for my sorority and parlayed that into marketing events for my class projects. I tried to get as involved as I could in order to learn every aspect of the events that I planned. Once I gained this experience, I was able to get a position with a reputable company to formalize the skills that I picked up during college. You can learn as much as you can from school, but really it's the experience of planning a variety of events (both casual and formal) that makes the difference. Always put yourself out there and experience everything from different vantage points.
Great question! You can start small and work your way up. While in college, I got an internship with a non profit and helped plan their fundraising events, awareness walks, and lunches. From there I found opportunities in school to event plan. This allowed me to work in teams and learned who the "go-to" people in campus were when it came to getting support. These experiences teach you how to "sell" your event, plan a budget, write proposals, and market accordingly.
Elizabeth Coccia
Bill’s Answer
Hi Joei,
Great question about a field I consider an excellent career choice! Like you probably are, I am always fascinated about "what goes on behind the scenes" at events that I attend. If your school has open houses for incoming students - an event I volunteered at while working at a University, contact the organizers to see about getting involved, the logistics and collaboration required to put on a successfull open house are amazing. Also, if your school presents plays, concerts, readings, etc., again contact the organizers to get involved. When you are back home, if there are local parades, art events, street fairs, etc., these could be other varied events to get involved with. Hope this helps and very best of luck to you!
Laura Rose’s Answer
junior in high school or college?
volunteer at a non profit. 75% of their jobs at those organizations are to fundraise which means holding EVENTS. Or- depending on where you are and what's around you, figure out who/what organizations are holding events and ask if they need help.. they will. 5k races, bike-a-thons, marathons, food & drink festivals, community events etc.
Stacy’s Answer
Internships are a great avenue; however, I know these are pretty hard to come by. Part-time work or temp jobs might be another way to gain experience. Some schools, like Austin Community College, have certificate programs in Event Planning. If you can connect with these instructors or the school's department they might know of some potential opportunities.
Cammie’s Answer
Hi - There are lots of ways to get involved in event planning! One idea is to start with an internship. I've heard that you can get a lot of event planning experience by working with nonprofits that run events, political campaigns or local governments, or even big companies that host conferences or conventions. Good luck!
Linda’s Answer
I agree, party planning is a good starting point, also find opportunities to help with charity events, to get experience,,,,,
Event planning is also about the planning,,,,,,,,project management training is a great starting point too