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What interests should I have if I want to got into event planning?

I'm a high schooler trying to figure out what would be a good career path for me. #career #career-path

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April’s Answer

I tried to do this in my small town and it failed because of where I lived. What I learned from that failure I can share with you. First, you have to LOVE events, parties and people! I would encourage you to have a strong understanding of Profit and Loss and be able to manage money very well. If you don't like parties or weddings, you will NOT like your job. What I learned is that you must like people and be patient, but also not naïve. A lof of people will want your advice, but not want to pay for it. This is where I failed - I tried to launch a big city business in small town America. You will want to be sure you are in a market that is not saturated with planners, but that can also support you. Seek out if event centers or large complexes exist that can hold crowds and there is more than one - people will get bored with the same room over and over again. Be CREATIVE - I built Las Vegas Casino signs and props for a Casino night that was a huge hit. My dream is to move to a larger area and buy an old cotton gin and make it an event center. I would also have an interest in graphic design to be able to design things on your own and make your own flyers, invitations, etc. I wish you nothing but the best and am like 90% happy for you and 10% jealous you are thinking about this. I think this would be the most fun job on the planet to do!
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Billie’s Answer

In terms of what interests you should have, the sky's the limit! I worked in corporate event planning for many years, but that's only one field.
Types of events - parties, conferences, retreats, meetings, weddings, sporting events, fundraisers, travel/ tours
Interests -
- culinary - you may be called upon to design menus
- audio-visual - you may need to manage technical aspects of an event (i.e. lighting, sound, video)
- creative - you may be designing stage sets, programs, posters and flyers
- travel - tour planning or guides
- sports - marathons, sports festivals, hospitality
- causes - fundraisers... these can be all types of events
- families/ children - special occasions, personal parties
- if you have a particular industry you love - you can do corporate or industry event planning which can include conferences, team builders, leadership events, etc.

And you need to 1) be really organized 2) work well under pressure and 3) be great at customer service. You have a lot of people to please!
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Virginia’s Answer

Exceptional communication skills (verbal and written). Emotional-intelligence so you can collaborate effectively with all types of personalities (especially under pressure) to gain their buy-in/influence. Solid time management skills and coping skills to perform under pressure and pivot when needed to adjust to their environment (fast-pace, changes, solution focused and need for creativity).
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Laura’s Answer

Hi Abbie! I think you could have a wide range of interests and go into event planning. As you know, event planning can take shape in soooooo many ways; as an entrepreneur helping plan big life moments like a wedding, baby showering, religious events like a baptism, bar or bat mitzvah, etc.), but you could also work for a company and help them with their event planning. For example, within the companies that I have worked for, there are usually two or three event planning teams; sales team, recruiting team and internal employee events.
- Sales teams: These teams help plan elaborate events which showcase the companies products and/or services. These are usually planned annually and require a team to help put together since sometimes the events are held in a large convention center or event venue.
- Recruiting teams: These teams go to fantastic recruiting events planned usually by a third party organization, and they go to recruit talented folks. In college you'll see a lot of these recruiting events and the people that are at these booths/stands are usually the ones planning and organizing all of the logistics of having their company present at the large recruiting events.
- Internal employee events: These teams are usually a part of a companies Human Resources or Facilities team and they help coordinate large fun events that bring employees together to get to know each other and socialize. Usually these teams are small but mighty! They help think of creative ways to bring employees together.
What is amazing about event planning is that this is just one path of event planning! The sky's the limit with the different areas that you could go into if you are interested in event planning. As someone who has done a lot of event planning within companies, I would say the top skills to be an effective event planner are: organizational skills, leadership skills to encourage people to participate, patience/flexibility when things don't go as planned and commitment to delivering a great event for all! I hope this helps :)
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Melanie’s Answer

Depending on the events that you are interested in planning, research on up to date event formats & tools will be beneficial.
I think seeking an internship with an even planning coordinator would benefit you also, that way you can begin learning the rudiments of the trade.
I also always recommend to search the internet for job descriptions, they give you a great source of information on what skills companies think are necessary for the current market need.
Last but not least, start small, put some effort into coordinating small events for your friends and family and be methodical about it. A birthday, a movie night, school events, are all great ways to begin gaining experience.
Good luck!
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Aastha’s Answer

Hey! I work with an event planning business and would love to help out here!

So first is if you love planning, organizing, and connecting with people. If you see yourself building connections with people, vendors, having long term projects, and a management role then it is right for you!
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Rosalind’s Answer

Hey There Abbie,

Thanks for a great question. Event planning is something I really enjoy. You should be interested in details. Do thorough research on the following:

Venue
Catering
Entertainment/Music
Photographer
Setup/Equipment/Lighting/Audio/Visual
Decorations
Activities
It is important to have a good eye for color schemes that represent the event the well. You should also be very good good at planning and organization. Flexibility and patience is also key as there will be timesyou may have to pivot due to changes that may come up last minute. Follow up with the customer frequetnly to ensure they are up to speed on every detail. Last but not least be confident in your ability so your client is confident.
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