.webp "Falmouth_Logo_White (2)"){kind=logo}
Make event management your career with our 6 top tips.
1. Show passion
To be a successful event manager, you have to be genuinely passionate about what you do. As a lot of your day-to-day work will revolve around dealing with people, you’ll need to have strong people skills. And, a big part of dealing well with people comes down to passion. If you’re genuinely passionate about what you do, it will come across in your dealings with others – making your job and theirs all the more easy and rewarding. It seems like being passionate about your career isn’t hard to do when you work in event management, with a recent major study finding that 89% of event planners reported ‘Yes’ when they were asked if they loved their career.
2. Get qualified
Getting the right qualification in event management will ensure you have the specialist knowledge and skills you need to hit the ground running in your career. While your existing organisational and people skills will definitely help you succeed as an event manager, a course in event management will build a solid foundation for your career by helping you to better understand the global event industry and explore a range of creative perspectives and approaches to event management. You can even opt to study online for a qualification in event management – that way, you can work and earn an income while you study towards your future career as an event manager.
3. Learn the tools of the trade
Excellent organisational skills are an absolute must-have in the event management business. Luckily, there’s a range of tools out there that can make your life a whole lot easier when you’re organising, planning and managing events. Familiarise yourself with project management software such as Basecamp, communication software such as Slack, and automation software such as Zapier. Understanding the tools of the trade will make it that much easier to kickstart your career in event management.
4. Build relationships
Building relationships is a key part of being a successful event manager, whether you want to work for an organisation or run your own event management business. By building strong relationships with your stakeholders, you’ll be firmly on their radar and helping to get the word out there that you’re their go-to person when it comes to event management. This is where your outstanding people skills will be essential, as you’ll need to be comfortable and confident enough to deal with a range of stakeholders – whether they be government officials, vendors, C-level executives, or attendees. Working as a volunteer or an intern with an organisation that deals with events can not only be a great way to get the real-world experience you need to start your career in event management, but also an excellent way to start building these relationships.
5. Stay connected
With so many businesses and event-planners utilising social media these days, staying connected and active on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn is a must. Follow people or organisations within the industry that interest you. Engage with their content by replying to their posts, sharing their posts, and commenting on their articles in a way that’s meaningful, relevant and insightful. This will not only show that you’re knowledgeable and passionate when it comes to event management, but also help you to build relationships with those you follow online. And, of course, keep a lookout for any job openings they post.
6. Keep up-to-date
As with many other industries, it’s important to keep your knowledge and skills up-to-date when it comes to the event management industry if you want to succeed in your career. Be proactive – do your research and find out what the latest approaches and developments are in the industry. Subscribe to industry magazines and websites and stay active on relevant social media channels. By keeping your knowledge and skills up-to-date, you’ll not only be a more effective event manager, but you’ll also be more attractive to future employers.
Falmouth Flexible offer an online masters degree in Creative Events Management that can help kickstart your career in event management.
