How to Become a Successful Event Planner

Being a successful event planner requires leadership and exceptional organizational skills.

There are many opportunities to attend social functions over the course of a lifetime. These may include everything from graduation ceremonies to weddings, birthday parties, retirement parties, baby showers, charity balls, concerts, and receptions. Those types of events are not so easily put together, and it often requires the help of a knowledgeable leader to execute them properly. This person is an event planner, and being successful in this profession takes both organizational skills and leadership.

Things You'll Need

• Client Meeting Area Planner (Paper or Electronic) Assistant Vehicle Business Cards Budgeting Software (e.g. MS Excel) Telephone Portfolio Website

Instructions

1. Practice your skills. Volunteer to plan parties for friends and colleagues for no profit to build up your portfolio of work. Future clients want to see examples of your work before they hire you full time, so take pictures at these pro bono functions to use later in your portfolio. Offering to do parties that are low-risk will get you a lot of work to begin. Low-risk functions are ones with more room for error in case something goes wrong such as a child's birthday party or baby shower. A wedding is an example of high-risk event where clients will be extremely displeased if their wishes are not met.

2. Market yourself well. Use every means of marketing available to you, including a personal website and business cards. There are several websites, such as Weebly, which allow you to create a business site for free. Use these sites to display photos from your previous work, display testimonies from past clients and show your most updated contact information. Business cards will help you spread the news of your business while you are at an event that you have planned. Keep them with you at all times.

3. Remain professional. If you are using your personal phone to work with clients, always answer professionally in the expectation that a client is on the other end of the line. Do not do poor work because a client may be a friend or because you think they will not notice the small details of the event. When finished with an event, always send a thank you notice to the client to show your appreciation for their business. This courtesy will help you lock in future events with past clients.

4. Designate an area for client meetings. A successful event planner will want to meet with her client several times before the actual event to discuss the client's vision and budget for an event. At least for the initial meeting, first impressions matter, so you will want to have a clean, well-organized area in which to meet your clients that conveys how you are up for the task of planning the event. If you are working out of your home, keep your pets and children out of these meeting areas.

5. Continue to work with the same suppliers of party goods, decorations and catering services. Building a good reputation with a vendor that you use consistently will help you to make good purchasing deals down the road for high profile clients.

6. Budget effectively for both you and your client. Aside from wanting to budget your own business effectively to turn a profit, you will need to keep within your client's budget for the event. Do this by keeping excellent records of receipts for all purchases you made to present in a final cost report to your client. Keep records of all receipts and reports for yourself. This will negate all confusion when the time comes to exchange pay, handle reimbursements and deal with taxes and audits.

7. Get certified. Event planners with at least two years of experience can be certified as a Certified Event Professional (CEP). Experience prior to certification is received by taking courses (either at an institution or online), building a resume with work done for friends and family and learning the tools of the trade through books and magazines. Certification can be given by three different organizations: the International Special Events Society, Meeting Professionals International and the Convention Industry Council. Certification requires taking a written examination.

References

• Becoming a Wedding Planner
• 10 Steps to a Fab Job as a Wedding Planner
• Event Planner Certification Requirements and Career Info