Event Management Training
A big street festival, art gallery opening or formal celebration for a winning pro sports team may not seem to have much in common. However, there's a good possibility they were all planned by a highly skilled event manager. These jack-of-all-trades professionals need to have a broad knowledge of food, travel, business and entertainment if they want to serve all types of clients. Some may choose to work solely in a particular specialty, like wedding planning, trade shows or even spiritual retreats. Training for an event management career requires an eclectic combination of artistic skills and logic.
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Event Manager Job Description
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Event managers coordinate parties, weddings, conventions and other social or business functions. They arrange every detail according to client's wishes while injecting their own creativity. An event professional may hire entertainers to portray cartoon characters for a child's birthday party, rent out a pizza parlor or other location, order decorations and plan out games for the attendees. Or they may be in charge of registration, catering, entertainment, lodging and marketing for a weekend long business seminar for 2,000 people at a posh resort. Whether handling a high school reunion, product promotion or a small-scale office party, an event planner must have an address book full of contacts from many industries. They also need to maintain good interpersonal relationship with clients and vendors and know how to get the best price for their services.
Online Event Management Courses
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The increase in corporate events and more elaborate weddings and holiday parties has created more career opportunities for event managers. Both online and brick-and-mortar schools have added certificate programs geared toward event management. The QC School of Event and Wedding Planning provides distance learning in Event and Wedding Planning. Their IEWP (International Event and Wedding Planning Professional) certificate prepares students for corporate or service jobs. Their five unit program covers budgets, internal and external corporate events, parties for children and teens, and weddings. Gaitlin Educational Services offers a 300-hour course in Event Management and Design, with a segment on the use of balloons, flowers and backdrops for special events.
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Formal Education
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Although a popular field, few colleges offer degrees in event management. Formal training available at brick-and-mortar schools is usually part of a larger business or hospitality curriculum. New York University's School of Continuing and Professional Studies offers a certificate in Meeting, Conference and Event Management. This certificate concentrates on corporate and international event planning with classes in PC Applications for Meeting Managers, Registration Logistics, and other business event-oriented subjects. Students interested in a career in event management can also earn a bachelor's or master's degree in hospitality, public relations or marketing from their local college and then take supplementary courses in event management.
Internships and On the Job Training
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Part-time jobs and internships at event management firms, public relations companies, caterers and theme parks give students a glimpse into the daily realities of working in the field. The prospective event planner may act as a "go-pher" and buy decorations, food or other needed items of events, call clients to verify info or arrange seating charts. After awhile, you may be called upon to coordinate one aspect of an event, such as choosing entertainers or setting up the public address system for a business meeting.
Additional Skills and Training
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Event planners need training in financial and budgeting software program to track of costs for various projects. Courses in psychology and negotiation may also prove helpful since you'll interact with people most of the day.
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- Photo Credit mesa celebracion image by mercedes navarro from Fotolia.com
