If you’re considering a career as an
Events Planner, you may be weighing up the pros and cons of the role and whether or not you feel it's the
right career path for you. You’ve probably been thinking “What is an Events Planner?”, “Why become an Events Planner?” or even “What’s it really like being an Events Planner?”.
There’s lots of things to take into consideration and it’s important to take the time to research the role fully before committing yourself on the journey of
becoming an Events Planner.
It’s important to remember that what might be a 'con' to someone else might actually be a huge 'pro' to you, and as everyone’s circumstances are different, this is just a guide to help you decide if the role of an Events Planner is the right move for you. So, with all that said, let’s jump right in!
Pros:
You get to be really creative at work
How many jobs have the fun of planning different events year-round? You may have one client that loves a sleek, sophisticated business meeting in a swanky hotel, and another client that is booking a special birthday party and wants a room filled entirely with metallic helium balloons for the special birthday girl… sounds great, right?
As an Events Planner, you’ll be able to pinch yourself that you get paid to organise and plan everyone’s dream event! Not to mention the
vast amount of unique
career paths you could find yourself down within events. The lockdown of 2020, though tragic, may just provide a silver lining in the shape of a
changed future of Events Management. Companies, people and agencies of all kinds have been
diversifying through digital and hey, who knows what the future holds for events?
The feeling of satisfaction you’ll feel after each event is completed
You worked hard to make sure all the finer details of the evening come together on time. The food was delicious, and everyone had their fill, the music was perfect and you overheard the guests saying what a lovely time they were having! You've completed your events responsiblities - it just doesn’t get better than this! You can head to bed with a feeling of satisfaction and look forward to that ‘thank you’ email from a
very happy client tomorrow.
You’ll increase your list of clients after every success
There’s no better
advertising than word-of-mouth or first-hand experience. After each successful event, prepare to gain a few new clients after they’ve been wowed! You never know, you could inspire them to try and gain an Events Planner role or Party Planner role. Make sure you leave business cards around, network and, most importantly, offer the client you are hosting the event for an incentive for recommending you. After an evening of celebrating with their important guests and getting praises, they’ll naturally want to be singing yours!
Make sure you don’t miss out on that valuable and genuine passion from a client by getting them to fill in a feedback form and some kind of incentive for recommending your business to others, including a discount on their next booking with you (because after an event like
that, they’ll definitely be back!)
Your contacts book will be full of exciting names
As a successful Events Planner, you just never know who you’ll meet next! You could be rubbing shoulders with the Hollywood elite, sports stars, politicians, corporate giants, authors and famous speakers and many others. Whether you hire them to appear at the event, you’re introduced through a mutual friend or you've managed to become a
Celebrity Events Planner networking in this industry can really pay off!
Cons:
A post-social distance world
The big one. Whilst there's an opportunity to completely rework and reimagine events as we know it, there is the danger of whether mass-gatherings at events will be as popular going forward. That, and many other considerations, will pose an
interesting hurdle to Events Planners in the future.
Long hours that are often irregular
Events planning is definitely not a 9-5 job. You’ll be working long days, and that will often include evenings and weekends.
You’ll have to handle multiple events simultaneously
Planning the perfect event is a really thrilling experience…but you’ll be doing it simultaneously for different clients, and sometimes in different areas of the country! Each client will expect the same TLC and attention to detail that you always put into your events. Keeping that passion going can be tough.
With great opportunity comes great responsibility
Whilst it’s amazing that you can help someone plan their dream event - be it a wedding, birthday party, corporate meeting or music event - you’ll also be responsible for all of the things that helps that dream become a reality, including caterers, venue hire, security, lighting, transport and overnight lodging for example. If any of these vendors fail to fulfil their duties, it falls on you to find a replacement or fix the issue – even if that is at the very last minute! It’s essential that you are able to keep a cool head when things go wrong.
Managing other people’s budgets
Your client comes to you with that starry-eyed look after watching the Grammys on the TV. Their head may be full of Hollywood glitz and glamour, but their budget says … slightly less is needed. As their Events Planner, it’s your job to deliver the dream in their head with the budget in their hand, and of course sometimes it’s just not going to be realistic, which can lead to an awkward conversation with the client. You’ll have to call on your expert negotiation skills with clients and suppliers alike to be able to deliver the best results each time.
As with all careers, there are many challenges to overcome and many aspects that just make it all worthwhile. One thing is for sure; despite the obstacles, a career as an Events Planner is certainly a rewarding one as you’ll get to be involved in some of the most important moments of your client’s lives!
Ready to become an Events Planner? Get started by talking to us! We’ll help you develop all the essential skills you’ll need on our course and help you get started with your new career once you’ve graduated!
[Find out more here]