More random career scraping.

[kitchen_kink]

What do y'all know about what they call event planning, or special events, or event management, or whatever they call it?

I've planned a medium-sized conference and a week's worth of orientation activities, thrown a few parties I've designed that I'm proud of, and think it's one of my talents and one that feeds a very different part of my psyche than writing does (which is good; don't want to drain that energy).

How do I make money at it?

Is there a degree? Can one do it independently (be a party planner, rather than working for some huge convention center or something)? Thoughts? Help? Schmeh?

Comments

[rednikki.livejournal.com]

I know you can make money at it; a lot of corporations hire people specifically to do it. (Oracle had a bunch of them.) Let me know what you find out, because I'm looking into this, too!

[dietrich.livejournal.com]

There's a meetup on the 24th (everybody's using meetup.com these days, apparently, not just Howard Dean). Want to go with me, so's I won't be alone? Don't know where it's gonna be yet, but it's the Event Planners' Meetup and you can sign up for free at meetup.com and get updates.

[rednikki.livejournal.com]

What time? I'm in class 5:30 to 7:30, although this sounds important enough to be late (or leave early) for.

[harlequinaide.livejournal.com]

And this is the kind of thing that is often best done not-alone, so the two of you could concievably work together on it. . .

[dietrich.livejournal.com]

7pm.

[rednikki.livejournal.com]

I'll go. I'll make an explanation to my professor. Where is it? Email me...

[northbard.livejournal.com]

There are a lot of certification courses available in event planning.

There are int'l organizations and so forth, but it's a really competitive market. Most of the money for such things is in corporate stuff, planning meetings and conferences. The other big 'un is trade shows and so forth. For the small market, your main party-planning outlets are barmitzvahs and weddings.

Interesting

[mzrowan.livejournal.com]

This is something northbard has also looked into, 'cause he wants to get into it too. Our friend ladygiggles is an freelance event planner. There's a certificate program available from our local community college, so I wouldn't be surprised if one of the colleges down there offered something similar.

[madbard.livejournal.com]

Armchair Career Counselor says: I suspect this isn't an ideal career for you as it will take huge amounts of time, thought, and energy. Every new event starts from scratch, so it's like starting a new company each time - employees and all.

[northbard.livejournal.com]

I'm actually going to disagree with you on that.

Event planning requires you to hire very few people at all. Usually you'd be working with the staff at the event venue, who are already familiar with their particular crew etc.

In the event of running a whole convention, there might be the need to hire assistants and so forth, but you're not going to be responsible for such things (usually) as programming, selecting speakers, and so forth. That's another sort of deal entirely. At that point, it's not event planning, it's for profit conventioning.

[northbard.livejournal.com]

sorry, meant to mention :

the main site for the biggest of the professional organizations would be the APEX info at < a href="http://www.conventionindustry.org/">http://www.conventionindustry.org/

[northbard.livejournal.com]

a quick google search also shows a whackola of such programs : eg : http://www.ace.neu.edu/programs/typ_cert_meeting.cfm

[rednikki.livejournal.com]

Sir, you are a wealth of information!!!

[northbard.livejournal.com]

I prefer to be respected for my lechery, thankyou. If people start appreciating me for my mind, I..well..I just don't know.

[mizdarkgirl.livejournal.com]

Have you seen this?
http://www.livejournal.com/community/metrowest/5350.html?mode=reply

[dilletante.livejournal.com]

it is, also, a subcategory of project management, which will make you attractive for certain kinds of management jobs.

[dietrich.livejournal.com]

Me no speaka da corporate.

What is this "project management" of which you speak?

[dilletante.livejournal.com]

i owed you a reply to this for a while.

yah, "project management" is a corporate buzzword. but it means more or less what the two words would lead you to think: the skill of managing projects. where a project is distinguished from whatever-a-business-normally-does by being a one-time thing.

there are particular things about parties that aren't true of all projects. but in general, the organizational skills that you need to make sure the invitations go out with enough lead time and replies get tabulated and the decorators are done on time and the caterers have the right food for the right number of people and the band is hired and so on... are much the same as the skills involved in putting together a summer research trip or organizing subcontractors for the big dig.

at least, there's a level to which they can all be generalized; and "project management" is studied and taught at that level. there are textbooks and so forth. :)

something to keep in the back of your mind, anyway.