How to Become a Conference Promoter

You'll need solid administrative skills to work as a conference promoter.

Conference planning and promotion involves the coordination of every aspect of event management. To succeed in the industry, you'll need an ability to multitask and stay on top of a number of issues at any one time. Although there is no set path into a career as a conference promoter, there are a number of steps you can take to increase your chances of landing the job you want.

Instructions

1. Study toward a bachelor's degree. Although not always a prerequisite for a career as a conference promoter, a degree in marketing, public relations or business will make you considerably more attractive to employers in the conference production sector.

2. Gain project management skills. Put on events such as concerts, debates or club nights at your college or local community center. Oversee the organizational process of complex events -- from the planning and staffing through to the marketing and branding. This will give you valuable experience you can use while working as a conference promoter and will make you stand out to prospective employers.

3. Sign up for a vocational course in event planning or conference production. Various educational institutions around the country offer courses in event management that can help you build on the broader skills and knowledge you acquired during your undergraduate studies. You can undertake some of these on a part-time basis while continuing to work.

4. Attend local conferences near to you to get a feel for the structure of how an event works on the day it is held. You may have to pay to attend, but you'll gain an invaluable insight into how an event is put on.

5. Prepare a resume outlining the training you've undertaken to date and a cover letter stating your ambitions to build a career as a conference promoter.

6. Research companies that stage large conferences in your area or farther away if you're willing to relocate. Begin with trade associations, charities, political parties and nongovernment organizations. You can also approach companies that specialize in arranging conferences. Compile a list of such companies' human resource department contacts.

7. Send speculative applications to the companies you've identified. Make clear that you're willing to work as an assistant to an established conference promoter to learn the trade. If you can afford to, consider offering to work as an unpaid intern. This can be a good way of breaking into the industry.

References

• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Meeting and Convention Planners

Resources

• University of Virginia: Certificate in Meeting and Event Planning
• Penn State University: Our Event Planners
• New York University: Certificate in Meeting, Conference and Event Management