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Page 1: Become an Event Planner - careers-in-event-planning.com · Become an Event Planner  !!Page 2 Become an Event Planner: The Three Necessary Steps to Begin
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Become an Event Planner

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Become an Event Planner:

The Three Necessary Steps to Begin Your Event Planning Career

~by Sirena Evans

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Become an Event Planner: The Three Necessary Steps to Begin Your Event Planning Career

Copyright © 2013 Sirena Evans / Careers in Event Planning All rights reserved worldwide

Disclaimer of Responsibility In career advice books, like anything else in life, there are no guarantees of success or of income made. Readers are cautioned to rely on their own judgment about their individual circumstances and to act accordingly. This book is not intended for use as a source of legal, business, accounting or financial advice. All readers are advised to seek services of competent professionals in legal, business, accounting, and finance field. ... and now the legal stuff .... This publication is protected under the US Copyright Act and all other international, federal, state and local laws, and all rights are reserved, including resale rights. You are not allowed to sell or copy any part of this book.

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Table of Contents      Chapter One: What is Event Planning?...................................................................................6 Misconceptions Chapter Two: What Kind of Event Planner Do You Want To Be?....................................18 Determining a Niche Types of Events Why You Should Not Consider Party Planning or Wedding Planning as a Career Special Events & Corporate Events Chapter Three: Learn Everything You Can………………………………………………47 Three Steps Toward Your Success The Truth About Certification Chapter Four: Get Experience……………………………………………………………..60 Volunteer Paid Positions Chapter Five: Network Like Crazy………………………………………………………..75 Summary…………………………………………………………………………………….79 Biography……………………………………………………………………………………80

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Introduction

“A journey of a thousand miles

begins with a single step.” ~ Lao Tzu

Congratulations! You have decided that you want to pursue a career in event planning. You’ve chosen to live a life of excitement and adventure, instead of settling for a career of drudgery and monotony. Not only have you figured out what you want to do with your life, but you’re taking the right steps toward attaining it; by conducting some research and reading books such as this one. I know it seems simple, but by taking this step you’re already ahead of the majority of people who say they want to become event planners, but never do anything about it. I also want to congratulate you on finding this eBook. In my own humble opinion, this eBook will be the “turning point” for you; when you learn what it takes to truly succeed in event planning. In nearly twenty years in the industry, I have yet to find another website, eBook, or course that teaches you what you really need to know in order to start your career. I will not only give you a “behind-the-scenes” peek into the industry, but outline the exact steps you need to take in order to get started. However, I have to warn you; it’s not all peaches and cream, and I tend to be very honest in sharing the reality of what it’s like to become an event planner. Sometimes my honest approach turns some people away, but the majority of my readers thank me over and over again for giving them the truth and not just a bunch of fluff. And the thing is, nobody else out there is giving you the truth. They say things such as: • “Read this book and you can start your own event planning business, without ever having planned an event before!”

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• “Take this course and you will be a certified event planner; which will open countless doors for you and practically guarantee you a job!” • “You can make a fantastic living planning birthday parties, bridal showers, and funerals!”

And to all of this, I say….. bull honkey. It makes my head spin, to be honest; all these people who are just telling you what you want to hear to make a few bucks, and leaving you high and dry and with no more promising aspects of becoming a planner than before you bought their product. The thing is, you can become an event planner, and it is an exciting, dynamic, incredibly adventurous career. But in my opinion you can’t really make a living by planning “parties.” And you will not land an overnight job just by becoming a “certified planner.” And most importantly, you won’t suddenly become a planner overnight and land a job simply by sending out a few resumes. If you’ve tried that approach, then you know it’s true; and you’ll never get a call back unless you break out of the mold and follow the advice I have to share with you. This eBook outlines, step by step, the action steps you simply must take if you ever hope to break into the event planning industry. This eBook is for you if:

• You’ve been sending out resumes, just hoping and praying for that lucky break but never getting one. • You just know, deep in your heart, that you want to be an event planner but have no clue how to get started.

• You are willing to do what it takes, even if it means putting in some effort to pursue your dream.

Please be aware that this eBook is not a “how to plan events” eBook (I teach you how to plan events, step-by-step, in my online Complete Event Planner Toolkit course: http://www.careers-in-event-planning.com/event-planner-course.html). Instead, this eBook will:

• Open the doors to this large, mysterious industry and explain the different types of events that are out there • Explain why need to think beyond “parties” and weddings if you want to build a career in events

• Explain why employers will never hire you unless you follow the three specific steps you MUST take in order to stand out from the rest.

Ready? Let’s begin!

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Chapter One: What is Event Planning?

You've heard about it. You've seen it in movies. You think you want to be one. But, if you really think about it, you’re not entirely sure you understand what being an event and meeting planner is really all about. It's a great question. In an industry that is so dynamic, so enormous, and varies so greatly with its endless opportunities, there are many answers.

* * * Basically, an event planner is a person who organizes, pre-plans, and coordinates

all of the countless elements that are required for an event, and then manages all of the elements on-site at the actual event.

* * *

Of course, an event planner is the person who coordinates every last detail of an event; no matter how small or how large that event might be. He or she arranges everything from the choice of venue to menu selection, from the entertainment to the decor, from the type of staging to the choice of background music. The planner is the one who decides between a tropical theme or an arctic theme, or dreams up something that’s never been done before. He or she is able to take a simple concept or idea and turn it into a living, breathing, dynamic entity that impacts the lives of people on many different levels.

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So it’s no wonder you want to become an event planner! I want to encourage you, because if this is your dream, then you’re on the right track. And a life as a planner will be everything you dream it can be; and so much more than you ever anticipated! When I first stumbled into what would turn out to be my career path, I thought I had just found a fun job that would last a couple of years. I never thought of myself as an event planner, but instead saw planning as a stepping stone that would eventually lead me to other things. I never in my wildest dreams thought that nearly twenty years later, I’d still be in the event industry. I never dreamt that it would take me around the world to nearly 35 countries, and give me a life full of crazy adventures and almost unbelievable memories. I have seen and done things that, sometimes, I still can’t believe were real. And even now, as I slowly phase out of event planning to focus more on teaching others the trade, I look back on my career with immense gratitude and with not one single regret.

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Who Am I to Talk? I never like to talk about myself much; but it’s understandable that you might want to know who I am and why I am in a position to teach you anything at all. I have been in the event planning industry in various capacities for nearly two decades. I started out quite by accident; I had dreams of becoming an advertising copywriter and therefore was a Journalism major at my university. However, just weeks before I was to start my summer internship at an ad agency, the agency closed its doors; and along with it, closed off my plans of graduating that year. At that late date, there weren’t any other internships available; they were all taken. My career counselor advised me that I would have to delay graduation by a year in order to complete my internship at an ad agency the following summer. I had worked really hard with a goal of graduating that year; and was not going to let an internship hold me back. In desperation, I asked my career counselor to find something, anything, that would fulfill my internship requirement. The only position that was still available was in the marketing department at the local Boys & Girls Club, so I took it. As it turned out, this last-minute, mistaken internship ended up changing the course of my career, and my life. The responsibilities of this “marketing” position included doing something that I had never heard of before; planning fundraising events to raise money for the Boys & Girls Club organization. I never even knew this world existed; but suddenly I was thrown into the job of planning special events. I knew absolutely, positively nothing about event planning; but I worked hard, and soaked up everything I could learn. At my very first event, a Rubber Duck Race, I saw all of these elements come together that had, until that moment, only existed on paper and in hypothetical conversations. For months we had discussed the layout of the vendor booths, the colors of the sponsorship tents, and the staging for the band; but it wasn’t until I saw it all happening live that it all began to make sense to me. I saw people smiling, enjoying their day, and having fun; and as the race began, I watched people of all ages jumping up and down and cheering on thousands of rubber ducks as they floated down the slow-moving river in the warm summer sun. I saw families enjoying a day together in their local community, and I saw the money pouring in for this organization that I had grown to love. And I was hooked. After college, thanks to my experience that summer, I was able to land a job at a production company (production companies manage the staging, lighting, and sound for large events). I worked at that production company for three years before moving on to work as an on-site coordinator, also known as a travel director (which I will discuss later in this book). Basically, a travel director is someone who travels all over the world and helps out on-site at corporate meetings. Thanks to everything I learned as a travel director, I began to contract myself out to meeting and event planning companies as a planner; and eventually I transitioned into planning full-time.

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Nearly twenty years later, I have had a wide range of experience in various parts of the industry, and have hundreds of corporate and special events under my belt. However, throughout my career I’ve had one obstacle; knowing what to say when someone says “I want to do what you do! How can I start?” It’s difficult to know what to say, because there’s so much more to event planning then just landing a job. And there’s so much more to teach than I could ever sum up in an email or a conversation over a cup of coffee. And so, I decided to start my Careers in Event Planning website (http://www.careers-in-event-planning.com). At first, I just saw it as being a place where I could send people who had questions about event planning; I never really saw it being much more than that. I truly just wanted to “pay it forward” and help others start their careers in this incredible industry. But, as it continued to grow, I found a niche that has not (to this day) been fulfilled; teaching people who want to break into this industry all about the field, as well as how to get started. And as the emails flooded in, I realized I really had something to share, information that could change people’s lives. I have had hundreds of “students” take my online video course, and I cherish each and every email I get from someone who just landed their first job because of what I taught them. I enjoy this so much, actually, that I am slowly moving out of event planning, and trying to focus most of my time and efforts on the website and online video courses. So, hopefully, you can see that I’m “the real thing” and with almost twenty years of experience, I have a lot to teach you. And the Moral of the Story is…. But more importantly, I tell you an overview of my career path not only to show that you can trust me, but also to prove a few points:

• All it takes is one opportunity to get the ball rolling in your career. Once you get your foot in that first door, your career will snowball more quickly than you ever thought possible. • You might not become the lead planner overnight; but your entire journey of learning along the way will be more fun than you can imagine. • You never know where your path will take you, so you have to stay open to all possibilities!

But first, let’s make really sure this is the right path for you!  

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Traits & Skills of Great Event Planners More than likely, you probably have already determined that you “have what it takes” to succeed in event planning. But even if you’re not sure, remember that if you have the desire, then nothing else matters! We hear stories all the time of people who succeed against all odds; athletes who are not naturally athletic or face physical challenges, musicians who don’t have a natural musical bone in their body, artists who succeeded when no one ever believed they could.

However, I do feel that it’s important to address this topic really briefly. Because, to be honest, there are a few traits other than “I’m really organized” that may affect your success and/or your happiness as an event planner. I say “and/or happiness” as a planner because, let’s face it; many of us CAN succeed at anything we put our minds to; but it doesn’t mean you’ll enjoy it. Doesn’t it make sense to make sure that your natural personality type is one that is conducive to success in your chosen career?

I bring this up because many people believe that the only requirement to be a great event planner is to be a really organized person. And trust me, being organized IS IMPORTANT. Vitally important! Event planners juggle more tasks on any given day than just about any other profession I can think of. But, there’s more to it than just being organized. In my personal opinion, I think one of the single most important traits for a planner to possess is the ability to think on your feet and solve problems quickly. And this is an entirely different quality than just being organized. I have a friend who is one of the most organized people I know. I mean, it borders on being weird…there is not one piece of paper in her file cabinets that doesn’t have a purpose or that is not filed in its proper place, not one paperclip that has gone astray on her desk, and not one book on her shelves that is out of order. Even her soups and her spices are in alphabetical order! Her computer files are insanely organized, and she runs her entire life on calendars, apps, and To Do lists that are all synced up and are beeping all the time so that she never misses a single thing. And don’t even get me started on how organized her basement and garage are. It’s not normal! So, on the surface, you might think she’d be a great planner (she’s not a planner, by the way). But I would bet all my money that if I threw her into the middle of a situation where she had to think quickly, analyze her options, and make a decision on the spot, she couldn’t do it to save her life. Because, although she is insanely organized, she doesn’t handle surprises very well. She is so organized that if anything hits her that is outside of what she had planned, she melts down. She panics, and can’t think, and can’t function. And this is not a good trait for an event planner to possess. This is an important point because more than anything, you will be hit with dozens of decisions every single day throughout your career. Sometimes, you have time to think about it, analyze it, and perhaps consult with your team of vendors to make the best decision. But there are other

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times, especially on-site at your event, where you have to make a decision right then and there; a decision that you and your client will be able to live with, no matter what happens. These decisions can have huge consequences, for worse or for better; and the stress attached to making the right decision can be overwhelming. If “think-on-your-feet-problem-solving” is something that perhaps you don’t have a lot of experience in, but something you are confident you can do, then don’t worry. When I first started, I used to absolutely panic at every little thing that didn’t go my way; now, almost twenty years later, I hardly blink when something blows up in front of me. I kick my “think on my feet” skills into gear, I get focused and analyze what the options are, and pick the one with the most logical outcome. I still get that adrenaline rush, and still feel the surge of stress; but I’ve seen a lifetime of things that can go wrong, and know that they almost always turn out ok in the end. If, however, you are like my friend and know that you will absolutely melt down if thrown into a “think on your feet” situation, or at the very least are convinced you’d never think clearly enough to find a solution, then you need to reevaluate if this is the career path for you. Because in the event planning industry, this saying really is true:

“It’s not a matter of IF things go wrong, but WHEN they’ll go wrong.”

So, keep this in mind when writing your cover letters, and in your interviews as well. Employers are looking for you to say something along the lines of “I can think on my feet, find solutions to last-minute issues, and do it with a smile.” That sums up what I personally feel is the most important trait for event planners to have; but let’s discuss a few other traits that will help you in your career. Most great event planners possess most, if not all, of the following traits and are:

• Extremely Organized: As we just discussed, although this is the most obvious trait, it’s an important one. It is imperative that you are an insanely organized person. In your professional and your personal life, organization is key. Do you make "To Do Lists" and follow them religiously? Is your file cabinet organized? Do you know where everything is on your desk (and your computer) at all times? Event planning is a high-paced environment where you truly need to be on top of your game. • A Problem Solver: As I mentioned above, event planning

is like one giant word problem. Things don't occasionally go wrong; rather, occasionally a few things go right! You must be able to see a problem, work it through calmly in your head, and think through to find the most logical, economical, and all-around-best solution.

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You’ll face decisions and have to trouble-shoot problems every day of the many months leading up to the event, and of course once you're on-site when the event "goes live."

• A Multi-Tasker: At any given moment on any given day, an event planner is juggling a number of completely different projects. She must research hotels for a project happening in six months, finish the billing from the last project, be writing the content of the brochures for the event in two months, and be finalizing the last-minute details for the trip she leaves on tomorrow. Your mind must be able to "switch gears" at any given time without notice, and remember to complete every detail of every task. If you are applying for a job and the job description lists "multi-tasker" in its requirements, you can guarantee you'll be working one more than one project at once. • Great at Time Management: This goes hand-in-hand with multi-tasking. You need to understand, create, and stick to time

lines and deadlines; and guide your colleagues, suppliers, staff, or client to do the same as well. • Creative: The world of events has become amazingly diverse, creative, and competitive. It seems those who have been around long enough really have "seen it all." Are you able to come up with concepts that continually "wow" your clients, time after time, year after year? If a job description lists "creativity" as a desired trait, then they are looking for someone that is truly innovative. If your idea of great decor is limited to balloons and colored napkins, you might not get the job.

• A "People Person": This industry really is all about people and your relationships with them. From the dozens, or hundreds, of suppliers you work with, to the hundreds, or thousands, of attendees or guests at your events; it's all about your relationships with people and working together to reach a common goal….a great event.

• Customer-Service Oriented: Some people want to be an event planner because they think it's all about wining, dining, and relaxing at fun parties. If this is you, keep looking! When it comes to meetings and events, it's all about the client and the attendees. You need to do whatever it takes to get the job done; even if it means helping an under-staffed venue pick up dishes off the buffets, or checking the restrooms to make sure they are being kept clean. You need to have a never-ending sense of customer service, or else your client will go elsewhere.

• Eloquent in Both Speaking and Writing: An important part of this job is communication (both written and verbal) and interaction with other people. You must be able to convey your ideas, thoughts, and opinions in a clear and concise manner, both on paper and in person. You cannot communicate as if you are texting a friend; you must be able to write emails, documents, sales copy, and content for materials clearly and eloquently with no grammatical errors.

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• A Good Budgeter: To your client, it's all about getting the most “bang for her buck.” Especially these days, every event suffers from "the incredible shrinking budget;" yet clients have higher demands and expectations than ever before. You must be a whiz at crunching numbers, predicting unknown costs, and, basically, performing Money Magic at all times.

• Computer Proficient: The “planning” part to event planning is all done on computer. All of it. There is not a single part of event planning that does not start off or end up on the computer. You'll have online registration, travel bookings, budgeting, to-do lists, rooming manifests, transportation manifests, presentations, pre-trip material, agendas, signage, printed material, and so on.

So, it is imperative that you at least know Microsoft Word and Excel, inside and out. You need to know how to do mail merges and how to create all kinds of documents. You need to be very comfortable with the internet, and often (but not always) it is helpful to know PowerPoint. And, above all else, you need to be so comfortable with the computer that you're not afraid to learn anything. If you aren't incredibly comfortable with computers and the programs listed above, I suggest that you do whatever it takes to learn. Almost every city has community colleges, community centers, or libraries that offer affordable weekend or weeknight classes. Or, if you're adept at self-teaching, there are many online tutorials that can guide you to teach yourself. * * * As mentioned before, these are just a few of the personality traits that are important to have if you are considering pursuing a career as an event planner. If most (or all) of these points fit you to a "T", then you are going to be a fantastic event planner! However, just because you have the right traits, it doesn’t mean that you’ll enjoy the job. Before we go any further, I really want to make sure that you have a realistic view of what event planning is all about.

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The Reality of Event Planning While life as an event planner can be absolutely everything you hope it will be, there are a few common misconceptions that I’d like to clear up before we go any further. Please realize I’m not trying to be a “Debbie Downer” or rain on anyone’s parade (or, as we joke in the industry, “rain on anyone’s event”….ba-da-dum). However, I truly do want you to succeed and you can only succeed if you have a realistic expectation of what your new life will entail. I also realize that it is a very important decision when choosing which career path to pursue, and I honestly want to help you make sure it’s the right one for you! As I mentioned, life as an event planner can, and usually will, be everything you are hoping for. It’s like no other career out there; it provides something different every day, it is endlessly exciting, it’s always changing, it’s insanely rewarding, and will challenge and push you to new creative heights every day for as long as you work in the industry. However, it’s not all fun and games, and the one commonality among many of the people I encounter who dream of working in events is that they have no clue what it’s really like to work as a planner. These are three most common mistaken perceptions about life as an event planner:

• You get to party for a living • It’s not a desk job and all your time is spent at events • The position of a planner is respected and envied the world over

Now, here’s a little clarification on the reality!

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Misconception #1: Event Planners Party for a Living If I could have a dollar for every time I’ve heard this one!

The important thing to remember is that as an event planner, you will be working while everyone else parties. It’s not as if you work really hard in preparation of the event and then once the event begins, you get to slip into a cocktail dress, grab a glass of wine, and bask in the glory of your successful event. Quite the contrary; the real action doesn’t start until the event begins!

That’s when you really kick it into gear; making sure the food comes out on time from the caterer or banquet team, making sure the bars are not running out of alcohol, making sure the entertainment kicks off on time and stays sober (more challenging than you’d believe), finding a fire extinguisher to put out the curtain that caught on fire from an uplight (true story), asking your drunk attendees to stop swallowing the live goldfish that are part of the centerpieces (another true story), and finding out that the person you’ve hired to babysit your VIP’s children is high on pot and laughing hysterically while she informs everyone that she actually hates children (yep….I swear, I can’t make this stuff up). And that’s just in the first fifteen minutes. While your attendees are dressed to the nines, enjoying the entertainment you hired, and inhaling the food you so meticulously selected, you are running around behind the scenes in the same pair of black work pants that you’ve worn for the last three days and stopping only long enough to have three bites of cold pizza that’s been sitting out for four hours; fully aware that you’ll probably get food poisoning but too hungry to care. Of course, there are times when you have a stolen moment to stand in the shadows backstage or in the back of the room and watch everyone enjoying your event; and those are precious moments indeed! There is nothing like watching all of your hard work and careful planning materialize in front of your eyes, and seeing the smiles as people mingle or dance or do whatever they’ve come to do. These are very rewarding moments, but they are fleeting; because it’s only a matter of time before something else catches on fire….

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Misconception #2: It’s Not a Desk Job I hear this all the time; “I want to be an event planner because I don’t want a desk job.” When people envision the life of an event planner, they seem to only picture the “visible” moments; in other words, they envision the actual event. Somehow, people get it in their mind that all event planners do is hop from event to event, just showing up to events that somehow just magically appeared. They don’t see just how much work it takes before the event ever happens. Yes, your time at your events is exciting and dynamic, and nothing is more rewarding than seeing your event go “live;” however, the reality is that the majority of your time is spent on the planning of the event. What people don't see is that the event planner spent countless hours cross-checking attendee lists, arranging for proper insurance, conducting logistics meetings between vendors, and managing tight budgets. He or she negotiates contracts, fine-tunes agendas, cross-checks thousands of other kinds of lists, and works on the budget some more. It’s called event planning for a reason, after all; you will spend three or six or twelve months planning your event, and then it’s all over in a very quick few hours or a few short days. The majority of your time is spent creating the event and managing every last detail; only a small fraction of your life is at the event. And therefore, in many ways, event planning is a desk job. However, to be fair, event planning is not like other desk jobs. It’s not like the job of an accountant, who goes in and does the same type of work every day and is trapped in a cubicle day in and day out. As an event planner, some days you’re working on menus and staging, other days decor and music; some days you’re driving across town to have meetings with agents or entertainment, other days you’re flying off to do a site inspection for your next event. So, in that aspect, event planning is everything you hope it will be! And the most exciting part of it is this; as soon as one event is finished, it’s time to work on an entirely new event. So in this sense, the job truly never is the same, and it almost never gets boring.

As a side note: if you want to be a part of the exciting side of events but don’t care about being the planner, there are many other opportunities to be involved

with events. We’ll talk more about this in Chapter Two. Most planners will agree; despite all the countless hours of frustration, crossed eyes from cross-checking lists, and moments of panic, there is simply nothing more rewarding than seeing your event "go live." When you see all these elements you've created come together to create a magical moment, it makes it all worthwhile!

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Misconception #3: Everyone Will Respect and Envy You This is the final perception that really tickles my fancy. Many people have this illusion that as an event planner, you are standing in the center of the room, watching your perfect event unfold with smooth precision before your eyes, while everyone lines up to congratulate you on a job well done and to thank you for giving them the best night of their lives. You’re just one step short of needing a red carpet, a spotlight, and crazed, adoring fans and paparazzi. This couldn’t be any further from the truth. The only person to get any credit is usually the client

who hired you, and she is always quick to take the credit and accept the praise despite the fact that she didn’t do any of the work. Otherwise, 99% of the attendees will have no clue who you are; and that’s the way it’s supposed to be. The only time most people ever even know who you are is when something goes wrong. When things are going well, everyone is having fun and enjoying themselves; and you might, possibly, receive a few thank-you notes or emails of appreciation in the following days. But when things go wrong, suddenly every person in the place is wondering

who the planner is, where is she, and what is she going to do to fix this? Now let me assure you, it’s not an entirely thankless job. You just learn to soak up the appreciation in different ways. For example, not too long ago I was knee-deep in working an event in Hawaii, at one of the top resorts in the world. And suddenly, I had one of "those" moments. One of those moments, when I stop and look at the life I've created, and realize it was worth every drop of "blood, sweat and tears" to get where I am today. And I want to share it with you, to keep you motivated when you get discouraged. I'm not going to lie. After eighteen years in the business, it's easy to get tired, jaded, and burnt out. But I think that happens with any job, in any industry. And unlike other jobs and industries, I still have "those" moments of joy, happiness, and gratitude for the fact that I chose this as my career path; but some days they seem harder to come by. It wasn't anything abnormally wonderful. It was just a perfect night on a tropical island, with perfect weather, and everything with the event was going smoothly. The grounds were lined with tiki torches, the sound of Hawaiian guitar mixing with the crashing of the waves in the background, and the scent of flowers mixed with the salty ocean air. The food was perfect, the dancers were teaching our tanned attendees how to perform a luau dance, and everyone was having a perfect time.

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I went into the ladies' room, and there were several women talking (who didn't know who I was). They were all raving about the party, and one of them said, "This is the best night of my life. I wish I could make dream trips like this come true." And there it was. A simple statement, and a direct compliment although they didn't know I was the planner. But it reminded me that, despite all the pre-event stress and headaches and panic attacks that things won't work out as I had planned, in the end it all comes down to this. That I made another person have a night that they'll always remember as one of the best nights of his or her life. It wasn't easy getting to where I am, and you might get frustrated that things aren't happening as quickly as you'd like. But I promise you, keep with it, and it will all be worth it in the end. These are the moments that I treasure, and that you will too; and will always motivate you to keep working toward your dream! And So….. Despite the “reality” side to the common misconceptions,, there is a reason why you are drawn to the job; and there is a reason why some of us are still doing it after eighteen years! And that is this:

Despite all the blood, sweat, and tears, there is simply nothing more rewarding than watching your event that you’ve planned for so long turn into a living,

breathing entity; and nothing more satisfying than watching everyone have a fantastic time thanks to your efforts at making this the best event ever.

Even after all these years, I still get butterflies before an event. And after all these years, I’m always amazed at how surprised I still get at watching my event unfold. It’s one thing to plan out your decor on paper; and to watch a demo video of the entertainment you’ve hired. But nothing can prepare you for how the decor is really going to look in the venue, and how the entertainment is going to interact with the crowd. Sometimes I feel like I’m just as surprised as the attendees at certain aspects of my own events! But that’s the addicting part, I suppose. You can anticipate and plan to the best of your ability, but nothing can truly prepare you for the wonder, the trepidation, the fears, and the joys of it all when it’s time for the event to be born. I guess that’s why we all keep coming back, event after event, year after year. So, hopefully I haven’t scared you away, but have merely given you an insider’s peek at the reality behind the perceptions. Obviously, working as a planner is one of the most exciting, rewarding, invigorating career choices out there; otherwise I’d be doing something else and not trying to teach others how to begin their own career path in such a crazy industry! But being armed with what to truly expect will help you adapt and prepare and to be open to all of the ups and downs that your new life is about to bring you.

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Chapter Two: What Kind of Event Planner Do You Want to Be?

Once you decide to become an event planner, you need to start narrowing down some possible niches that you’d like to specialize in. But you can only do that after you understand the wide range of types of events that you might want to specialize in.   “What’s a niche?” A niche is an area of specialty in which you can become extremely knowledgeable, efficient, and adept. When someone decides to become a teacher, he must choose a topic and an age range to teach; for example, “fourth grade” or “high school geometry.” When someone decides to become a doctor, he picks a specialty or a “niche” as well; family practice, Ear, Nose, & Throat, or pediatrics. You wouldn’t go to an optometrist for a broken bone, and you wouldn’t take your child with a sore throat to a podiatrist. In the same way, it’s necessary for someone who wants to become an event planner to narrow down the type of events he or she would like to specialize in. In other words, when you decided that you would like to become an event planner, what exactly did that mean to you? When you developed that image in your mind, what did you see yourself doing? Weddings? Parties? Large events or concerts in a stadium? A classy black-tie gala at a beautiful venue? Or high-profile corporate events? You can’t do it all (we’ll discuss why in a minute); so you need to really clarify what you envision yourself doing. “Why do I need to pick a niche?” Keep in mind, just because you decide to focus on one area of event planning, it doesn’t mean that you can never accept work on another type of event if offered the opportunity! And it doesn’t mean you can’t change your mind in the future, either. It simply is a way for you to narrow down your focus so you can become really, really good at one area of planning. There are three very important reasons why you need to establish a niche:

1. Efficiency 2. Your Customers See You as an “Expert” in that Niche 3. It’s Easier on You

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Let’s look at each of these reasons a little more closely: Efficiency: As a planner, you will need to surround yourself with “experts” (vendors) that you work with repeatedly; this will become your “team.” This may include caterers, décor companies, DMCs, production companies, entertainment, presenters, writers, DJs, and so on. These vendors may or may not specialize in the same niche as you (some vendors, such as caterers, don’t necessarily need to specialize in niches in the way that you, as the planner, need to); but having a niche helps them to understand what you expect from your events when you hire them. Of course, if you develop a national (or international) clientele, you will most likely work with new vendors for nearly every event. If, however, you intend on planning events mainly on a local level, then it’s very likely you will work with the same vendors over and over again. This allows you to create a “team” of preferred vendors with whom you work repeatedly. This is beneficial for two reasons:

• You learn what you can expect from a certain vendor and eventually choose only those with the utmost quality of product and professionalism. This eliminates the risk factor of hiring new vendors with each event, and running the potential of failure. • You establish a rhythm of working together, an understanding of how the other works and what the other expects. Imagine if, for each event, you can call up your favorite décor company and say “Hey, it’s me, I just landed a new client. I’m thinking we can do something like the Survivor party we did last year….” That is so much more efficient than starting over each and every time with, “Hi. My name is Mary. My company specializes in corporate events. My expectations are….”

Even if you intend on planning events around the country or around the world, quite often you’ll still establish a relationship with certain vendors that you’ll take with you. Most corporate planners, for example, tend to be very loyal to one specific production company (as I mentioned earlier, production companies manage the staging, lighting, sound, and often the entertainment for larger events and meetings). The production company learns what the planner expects, and the planner learns how to work with that production company; and they create a working relationship that is very beneficial to the final event. Therefore, it’s well worth it to pay the extra costs of bringing the production company along; including airfare, hotel rooms, and other travel expenses for the entire production crew. Many planners also find a photographer they like; and will pay for the photographer’s fee, flight, hotel, and meals in order to be able to take their photographer with them wherever they go. This is much more efficient than going through a learning curve with each and every event; learning how the other works, what their expectations are, and what they need to make their event a success. Of course this isn’t true of all vendors; for example, you have to find a local décor company regardless of where you go for your event; as the logistics and costs of shipping décor and props

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to various destinations would be illogical. You will always have to work with a local catering company or the banquet department in your chosen hotel or venue, because you have to have local access to food and a kitchen. However, whenever possible, it’s extremely valuable for everyone involved if you can work repeatedly with a chosen team of suppliers with whom you have a great working relationship. Your Customers See You as an “Expert” in that Niche: Establishing a niche allows you to position yourself as an “expert” in that particular industry. This allows you to become “the go-to” person for that type of event. Also, people have an innate distrust of anyone that tries to be “all things to all people.” They don’t believe (and are probably right) that you can be really great at everything. As I mentioned before, you wouldn’t go to an eye doctor if you have a sore throat; and you wouldn’t take your sick child to a foot doctor. We tend to have more trust in people that are specialists in a certain area. In the same way, a client who is looking for someone to plan a large international meeting for 3,000 people is not going to hire someone who is known as a wedding planner; and a non-profit organization looking to hire a planner for their fundraiser is not going to look at someone who only has experience in sports marketing. On the other hand, if that non-profit wants to do a sporting event as their fundraiser, they are going to actively search out a planner who is known as being an expert in that niche. It’s Easier on You: Each niche within the event planning industry has its own language, procedures, and nuances. A wedding planner is going to speak a fairly different “language” than a corporate planner or a sports marketer, and is going to go about the planning process differently than the others who specialize in different niches. When you become an expert in any given niche, planning your events becomes almost “cookie-cutter;” while some of the creative elements will always change, the foundation of your events will be the same. So once you become an “expert,” as soon as you land an assignment you hit the ground running and know exactly what to do. If, however, you’re asked to plan an event in a niche in which you’re not familiar, it’s a lot more work for you. For example, I am an expert at corporate meetings and incentives. My friend Mike, on the other hand, is an expert at trade shows. If one of my clients asked me to plan a trade show for her, I’m not saying I couldn’t do it. But the process would be much more difficult and time-consuming for me than it would be for Mike. I know, for example, that most convention centers (where most trade shows are held) run on union labor; which is an entirely different way of working than what I’m used to at my high-end corporate hotels. I would have to learn what exactly the laws and rules are for working with union workers. I also know that there’s a certain order in which a trade show floor sets up (do

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the biggest booths load in first, or do you start from the back of the room and move forward?), but I’m not immediately familiar with it and I’d have to do some research. I’m not familiar with the kinds of electricity that various booths need. I don’t know, off-hand, who supplies the heavy machinery such as fork lifts and scissor lifts; so I’d have to look into that. And I have no clue what types of insurance and permits are required for a trade show. My foundation in event planning would definitely help, but I would have to do some research. My friend Mike, on the other hand, knows all of this inside-and-out, because this is all he does. If I handed off the same project to Mike, he’d have the initial planning done in one-tenth of the time it would take me, because I’d be so busy learning and researching the information that I don’t know. And this isn’t even addressing the potential mistakes I could make by not knowing information that I should know.

It’s hard to know what you don’t know if you don’t know that you should know it!

On the other hand, if one of Mike’s clients asked him to plan a five-day meeting for 5,000 people with 200 breakout sessions, he would be paralyzed and not know where to start; whereas I wouldn’t even think twice and would jump right in. I’d have the initial steps and outline done in one-tenth the time it would take Mike, because it’s not his area of expertise. Basically, finding a niche helps you focus on a specialty in which you truly enjoy working, in which you can establish a team of reliable vendors with whom you work well, and allows you to establish yourself as an expert to your customers.

                                                                                                   

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“Ok, so HOW do I go about picking a niche?” So now that you understand why it’s important to pick a niche, let’s figure out how! There are three things to consider when determining your niche:

1. Know your passions and interests 2. Know your market 3. Are you willing to travel

Let’s look at these a little more closely:

1. Know your passions and interests You need to consider your passions and interests when narrowing down what event planner jobs to look for. Again, it’s not completely necessary to find a niche that you love, but it definitely helps if you have a personal interest or passion for whatever events you’ll be planning. While you can easily enjoy planning any event just for the thrill of planning, wouldn’t it be that much more fun to plan events in an area you personally enjoy?

• For example, do you enjoy participating in or watching sports? Then sports event marketing would be for you. You could plan events such as marathons, triathlons, horse shows, dog shows, rodeos, car races, ski events, sailing regattas, and so on. • Do you enjoy knowing that you are helping people or working toward a greater good? Then planning fundraising special events would be perfect for you. This is an area where your passion can really go far, and you can live a life of knowing your career is not only enjoyable, but also incredibly rewarding and beneficial toward good causes.

• Do you have a corporate background or a business mindset? Then corporate event planning would be a natural next step in your career. You would fit right in with the business mentality, and find reward in the fact that you are helping these companies achieve their goals through successful meetings, events, and incentives.

2. Know your market When I talk about “knowing your market,” I’m talking about a number of things; including your potential hiring/clientele base, your competition, and the viability of doing certain types of events in your area.

• Potential hiring/clientele base: If you (very wisely) want to start out working for someone else, you need to figure out what kinds of companies are available in your area to hire you. This will determine if you are going to find work as an employee, a contractor, or by starting your own business. If you want to start your own business, then it’s important to figure out if there are enough people in your area to hire you for what you want to do. • Research your competition. If you live in a small town and want to plan community festivals, is there already an established company that handles all of the community events? And if so, are they any good? If they are good at what they do,

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you will have a tougher time winning over their business. If they are the only game in town and they are horrible, you might have a very viable niche that is available and eagerly awaiting you!

• Viability of doing certain events in your area: If you want to plan ski events but you live in Hawaii, then you need to reevaluate your plan. Or, perhaps you want to plan large corporate events but live in a small town. It’s entirely possible to find success as a corporate planner regardless of where you live, but this just means that you’re going to have to spend more time and money marketing yourself and proving yourself; it also means you’ll spend a lot more time traveling.

3. Are you willing to travel Which brings up another point….in the world of event planning, this is a very important question to ask yourself; as this will be a major factor in determining which niche you go into. If you’re not willing (or able) to travel, then you need to look into working for local community events such as festivals, local sporting events, or local non-profit fundraisers. Of course, the availability of each of these is determined by the size of your town and the competition. You could also look into some of the other “event-related” jobs, which I discuss in later on. This means you can work for vendor companies that work with events, but where you won’t necessarily be the event planner. This could include DMCs (Destination Management Companies), décor companies, or florists. You could also work at a venue which hosts events, and work as their “in-house” planner that manages incoming events. If you are willing to travel, then of course this opens up your opportunities. If you definitely want to find a job that consists of a lot of travel, then I would strongly suggest you look into corporate meetings, events & incentives, which will be discussed in greater detail later in this chapter.

So, now that you understand not only why you need to pick a niche but how, let's look at the types of events that need planners to plan them.

   

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Types  of  Events  Party  Planners  vs.  Event  Planners:  Understanding  the  Difference  

One of the very first steps toward understanding the event planning business is to understand the difference between "party planners" and "event planners." To those not in the industry, it might seem like a small matter of semantics; but to those in the industry, it is a very important designation. “Party planners” organize parties on a smaller scale: birthday parties, kids parties, holiday parties, office parties, and so on. “Event planners” organize events on a much larger scale; anything from special events and sporting events to corporate meetings, conference, and conventions (in which case they are usually referred to as "meeting planners"). While many party planners might refer to themselves as event planners, you'll never hear an event or meeting planner refer to herself as a party planner. It's not really a snooty thing (well, ok, it sort-of is); it's simply a designation that event and meeting planners feel entitled to. In the world of planning, “party” planners are seen as amateurs, while event planners are the pros. Again, that’s not to insult anyone who is a party planner, because planning on any level has its challenges; but it’s difficult to object to the fact that a planner of kids’ parties has a different level of expertise than someone who plans large events for thousands of people. Why I Don’t Recommend Party Planning as a Career Move I personally don’t think that it’s realistic to expect to go into party planning as a full-time career. If you have a spouse that brings in most of the income and you’re just looking for something fun to do, then parties can be a great side job; but if you’re really looking for a full-time career, it is my strong opinion that you steer clear of party planning. Why?

• It is a very competitive industry. Everyone and their dog wants to be a party planner, and everyone (including the dog) thinks they can be. There are a lot of people passing themselves off as party planners (whether they are good at it or not), and not enough work to keep all of them busy. • It’s a tough sell. It’s hard to sell a service that most people feel they can do themselves. Look at it this way; would you hire someone else to plan your kid’s birthday party? Only the super-rich or the super-busy will outsource their anniversary party or their kid's birthday party to a party planner; and even then, they won’t pay you much.

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• It is very difficult to make a living as a party planner. Most people who are holding a smaller-scale event cannot afford to pay someone to organize something that they feel they can do on their own. The average rate seems to around $150 - $300 to plan a party; and for how many hours? How many parties a year would you have to plan just to pay the bills? I always put it this way; who would you rather have signing your paycheck….Microsoft, for an international, week-long meeting for 3,000 people, or Mrs. Jones down the street to plan a five-year-old’s birthday party?

• It’s tough to find a “job” working for someone else. There are likely a number of party planners already in your area who have filled this niche; and most party planning companies are small enough that they aren't in a position to hire. Therefore, you won’t find anyone that’s hiring “assistant party planners,” so your only option will be to strike out on your own; which, as I explain later, is a risky decision if you don’t have any experience.

Using Party Planning to Gain Experience Many people who hope to begin a career as an event planner think to themselves, "I'll just start out as a party planner, get some experience, and work my way up to larger events." However, that’s not really how it works. Even if you find work as a party planner, then you will find yourself "pigeon-holed" into this specialty. Large-scale event planning has nothing to do with party planning, so it's a waste of your time to try to impress an event planner with party planning experience. In an event planner's mind, it's comparing apples to oranges. If you try to apply to a job planning special events or corporate meetings and all you have for experience is party planning, you will have no more advantage than someone who hasn’t had any planning experience at all (and, believe it or not, it might actually hurt your chances of getting the job). Therefore, it's a waste of energy and time to try to "work your way up" to event planning from party planning. If you want to go into party planning, that’s great; but don’t use it as a stepping stone to work your way up to larger events. It takes just as much effort to break into one career path as the other; so why not spend your time and energy on an industry that is much larger, more exciting, higher paying, and offers endless opportunity?

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Why I Don’t Recommend Wedding Planning as a Career Move Many people dream of becoming a wedding planner. They have helped a few friends out with their weddings, and think, "Hey, this is a piece of cake!" (no pun intended). They dream of being the second-most-important person at that wedding (after the bride, of course)....The Wedding Planner! They have Jennifer Lopez-inspired visions dancing through their heads, and they dream of working every day with flowers, cakes, and happy brides oozing with money.

But that is just not reality. If you want to have a successful career as an event planner, my personal opinion is that working as a wedding planner is not the path to take! Here are some of the tough realities for wedding planners:

• Wedding event planners are a dime a dozen. There are many, many people who want to become wedding planners, and not that many brides who are willing to pay for one. It is a very, very competitive business. • Many brides want a wedding planner, but aren't willing to pay for one. They want everything done as cheaply as possible, which means you do a lot of legwork for little return. There are very few brides who have an endless amount of money, like the bride in the movie "The Wedding Planner." Corporate events, incentive meetings, festivals, special events, and sporting events, on the other hand, still have budgets, but on a larger scale. And, they usually have the attitude of "do what it takes to get the job done." If a last-minute emergency requires that you spend another $5000 than what was budgeted, the company will find the money. Brides are not corporations; they have very set budgets and will work you to death to save fifty cents per invitation.

• Many brides don't believe they even need a wedding planner. With all the resources available (such as "how-to" books, wedding planning guides, and “plan your own wedding” websites), it is a tough sell to convince someone that they need you.

• You are constantly marketing yourself to new clients. If things go well, you only have each client once. Even if someone gets married twice, she usually keeps the second wedding a bit more low-key and definitely doesn't need a planner. With corporate meetings, incentives, and special events, it’s just the opposite; there is a lot of repeat business, month after month, year after year. If you land a few clients that have annual events, then your income is set (for as long as you keep those clients, anyway).

• The only place “the perfect wedding” exists is in the bride’s mind. There is a lot of emotion and high expectations with weddings, and it is nearly impossible for your event to be viewed as a success. It simply does not matter how great the wedding goes; in some brides’ minds (or the minds of their mothers), it will never be good enough.

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Ok, that's just some of the realities that starry-eyed hopefuls often don't think of. However, if you just know in your heart that you want to plan weddings, then by all means, go for it! There are plenty of people who have made a wonderful career as wedding planners. Above all else, you must follow your heart; or else you’ll never find happiness in your career.

Types of Events that I DO Recommend “So,” you might be thinking to yourself, “what kind of events DO you recommend?” Basically, any event that’s not a party or a wedding! While there are thousands of different types of events that you can plan as an event planner, most events can be broken down into two basic categories:

• Special events • Corporate events

What are the main differences between special events and corporate events? Generally speaking, there are some major differences between special events and corporate events; but of course, there are always exceptions and quite often, there are “gray areas” when an event could qualify as either or both.

• Events usually exist to entertain or promote; they involve entertainment, décor, and food. Corporate meetings, events, & incentives usually exist to educate, discuss, or promote; they focus more on presenters, staging, and information. While they may include events as part of the program (after-meeting dinner events, team building events, etc.) the main purpose is for business. • Events are usually open to the public, either for free or via a paid ticket (i.e. concerts or music festivals). Corporate events are usually restricted to either internal employees of the company, or invited customers who are specifically interested in that company’s event.

• Events usually only last a day, or even a few hours; corporate events often last for several days or longer.

• Events often (but not always) involve a committee in the planning process, whereas most corporate events are spearheaded by one person who has a support team.

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Breaking it down further…. To get even more specific, each of these two categories can be broken down into three sub-categories:

• Special Events o Fundraisers o Sporting Events o Festivals & Fairs

• Corporate Events o Meetings o Events o Incentives

Please note that when discussing categorization of events, there are not any set, industry-accepted rules; and many events, as we will discuss, cross over into two or more categories. But this is merely a way to break down a large, complex industry into more manageable “bites.” So let’s look at the first of the two categories, special events, in greater detail.

Special Events When many people decide they want to become an event planner, they are envisioning the exciting world of special events. They think of the high profile, general public, special events and festivals that are held in every town, every city, every state, and every country, worldwide. And with good reason. Although it is impossible to determine just how many special events are held each year, the non-profit sector alone generates approximately $40 billion through special events each year. And this does not include the for-profit festivals and events, such as food festivals, wine festivals, music festivals, and any other event you can think of! Just to get your mind whirling, here's a very short list of the literally countless examples of special events and festivals held each year:

• Food Festivals • Wine Festivals • Beer Festivals • Music Festivals • Concerts • Theater Productions • Art Fairs • Book Fairs • Town Fairs • Oktoberfests • Fourth of July • Holiday Events • Renaissance Fairs • Dog Shows

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• Horse Shows • Marathons • Triathlons • Political rallies .....and on and on and on!

And just think, every single one of these events needs planners to plan them! As I mentioned earlier, the special events sector can be divided into three general categories:

• Fundraisers • Sporting Events (marathons, triathlons, Kentucky Derby, Indy 500) • Festivals & Fairs (wine fests, food festivals, Oktoberfests, Renaissance festivals)

Let’s look at these in greater detail. Fundraiser Event Planning If you have any non-profits of any size in your area, then they need to raise money! This can include fundraising galas, silent auctions, marathons, political events, church events, or any event associated with non-profits and fundraising. While not as lucrative as other event planner jobs, it can be extremely rewarding. Since, by nature, fundraisers are almost always held by a non-profit organization or association that needs to raise money, it is a great career opportunity for those who like to have some meaning behind their work. There are as many reasons to have fundraisers as there are organizations that hold them. Some of the common types of fundraising events are:

• Festivals or other Special Events: As I mentioned in the beginning of this eBook, my very first event I ever planned was a Rubber Duck Race that was a fundraising event for a non-profit organization. There are literally countless examples of special event fundraisers, including celebrity golf tournaments, food festivals, wine tasting events, fashion shows, pet shows, book sales, bake sales, and on and on. • Galas: A gala is an event (often a black-tie dinner, but not always) where guests often pay to attend. There are usually some high-profile people and local or national celebrities to create more of a "draw." Obviously, there is a lot of attention to detail on these events, and the focus is on the entertainment, decor, and food; in addition to educating its attendees about the non-profit that the event is benefitting.

• Sporting Events: When we’re talking about fundraising events, a sporting event is usually an event where the attendees participate in a sport of some kind (as opposed to merely watching professionals compete). A great example is Race for the Cure. Held in various cities and countries during the year, this is a chance for people of various athletic abilities to use their hobby (walking or running) toward something good. The AIDS Walk is another example of a sporting event that is held to raise money. Other common fundraisers are golf tournaments, marathons, triathlons, or just about any combination of a sports hobby and a financial need.

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This is a good example of how an event might cross into two categories, as I mentioned earlier; Race for the Cure is both a sporting event and a fundraising event. That’s why I recommend that you not get too caught up in the categorization!

• Silent Auctions: Auctions are often a small part of a larger event such as a gala or other fundraiser; but sometimes an auction can be an event on its own. The planner (or committee) rounds up donated items; such as signed celebrity photos or other signed items, airplane tickets to great destinations, gift baskets, or gift certificates to popular restaurants or hotels. Then they place these items out for bid. Attendees walk around to the tables where the items are displayed, and sign up with their bid on a piece of paper. This process is different than a “real” auction where an auctioneer calls out the bids as they go, and the bidding for that item goes quickly. The winners (whoever places the highest bid on the piece of paper) are announced at the end of the fundraising event; and, since the items were donated, all of the money raised from the silent auction goes toward the non-profit organization.

Of course there are many, many other types of events that can be held in any city by any organization; the only limitation is the creativity of the planner! Sporting Events Sporting Event Planning, also called sports event marketing, is one of the most high-profile and potentially lucrative of the types of special events. Here are a few examples of high-profile, globally-recognized sports events:

• Super Bowl • Orange Bowl, Rose Bowl, etc. • The US Open • Masters Golf Tournament • NBA All-Stars • Kentucky Derby • Indy 500 • Boston Marathon • Race for the Cure ....and so on!

As I mentioned before, many of these events fall into numerous categories. As an example (which I already mentioned), "Race for the Cure" qualifies as a fundraiser, a special event, and a sporting event. The Indy 500, however, is not a fundraiser, but could be considered both a sporting event and a special event. Don't get too caught up in the terminology; these categories are just to give you a basic introduction to a very large industry.

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Local Events That Might Need You There are numerous opportunities to gain sports event planning experience where you live. It's impossible to list every kind of event out there; so you need to know your market, know your area, and begin researching! But here are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing:

• Local football, hockey, basketball, and any kind of sporting event. • Ski and Snowboard Events: if you live in a location that's accessible to ski resorts, you have many opportunities to break into the world of sports event planning. There are any number of events, from numerous ski and snowboard races and expeditions to product introduction. Also, many ski resorts kick off the season by some kind of "welcome to winter" or "bring on the snow!" kind of events; and close the end of the season with a bash too.

• Water Events: if you live near the ocean or a large lake, there are likely all kinds of events happening all the time! Boat races and sailing regattas, jet ski races, water-ski competitions, and so on. • Athletic Events: regardless of where you live, there is likely a large variety of marathons, triathlons, bike races, skating competitions, hockey games, golf tournaments, swim meets, and any other event where healthy and active people compete.

• Animal Events: thanks to movies like "Best in Show," the general public has now joined in on the dog show phenomenon! Dog shows are big business, as are horse shows, stock shows, and rodeos.

....and the list goes on! Festivals and Fairs Of course, this is a whole other category of special events. Festivals and fairs are most often open to the public, either for free or for a fee. Nearly every community in the world has some kind of festivals or fairs throughout the year; and so this is a fantastic niche with many opportunities. The “Festivals and Fairs” category can include (but certainly is not limited to):

• Food Festivals • Wine Festivals • Beer Festivals • Music Festivals and Concert Series • Cultural Festivals • Art Fairs • Book Fairs • Oktoberfests / Fall Festivals • Renaissance Fairs

….and so on!

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If you’ve ever been to a food festival, such as a “Taste of Chicago,” then you can imagine the amount of work that goes into it. Someone has to organize the stages, the music, and obviously the food vendors. The parking situation is a major part of large events, as are the licenses and permits to shut down city streets. Someone has to plan out the layout across multiple city blocks, and which vendors go where. There are usually other vendors such as artists, jewelry makers, or caricature artists. And that’s not even touching on the promotion, marketing, and sponsorship! Festivals and fairs are the lifeblood of any community of any size; and each and every one of them needs planners. To Sum up Special Events…. The special event planning industry is large enough that, with a little bit of effort, you should be able to find opportunities for work. It can be a fantastic way for you to get volunteer experience (which we’ll discuss later), and can easily become a life-long, exciting career.

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Corporate Events DON’T SKIP THIS PART!

Now that I have your attention… Sorry, I didn’t mean to yell. But I find that when I start talking about corporate meetings & events, a lot of people tune me out. They just assume that corporate planning is boring, and they don’t even consider it as part of the event planning industry. But those assumptions couldn’t be more wrong! In this section, I’m going to explain the very exciting reasons why you should consider going into corporate event planning as your chosen niche. As I’ve mentioned, the majority of my experience in the last two decades has been in corporate meeting & event planning. This job has taken me to approximately 35 countries, and to 48 of our 50 states. I have visited places and have been part of fantastic events that I will remember for the rest of my life. Here are just a few of the events I’ve planned in my years as a corporate planner.

• A “Gone with the Wind” party at a plantation in Savannah • A “Sound of Music” event in Lucerne, Switzerland • A “Pirates” party on a beach in the Bahamas • An “Evening with the Phantom” event starring the top Phantom performers from Broadway • A team-building sailing regatta in Sydney Harbour, Australia • An “Under the Sea” party in Sydney, Australia • Countless poolside, beachside, and rooftop parties all over the States and the Caribbean • Countless events at world-renowned museums • Events on aircraft carriers, private mansions, and world-famous gardens • Plus, I’ve worked with numerous famous comedians, musicians, motivational speakers, and presenters

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Additionally, thanks to my corporate incentive planning, I’ve had the opportunity to participate in activities that I might never have experienced outside my job:

• I have seen numerous musicals and shows, such as Lion King in Toronto, Beauty and the Beast in London, Blue Man Group, Celine Dion, and numerous Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas, Phantom of the Opera, Les Mis, Wicked, and Hair Spray on Broadway in New York City • Ziplined in Costa Rica and Mexico • Swam with dolphins in the Bahamas • Swam with sting rays in Grand Cayman • Went on helicopter rides through the Grand Canyon, over Maui, and over the Rockies in Alberta • Walked on a glacier in British Columbia • Visited the Red Square in Moscow • Rode horses through a rain forest in Puerto Rico • Toured all the monuments and Smithsonian museums in Washington DC • Went sea kayaking in Hawaii

…and this is just the tip of the iceberg of the things I’ve seen or done in nearly twenty years working for corporate meetings & events. It also does not include the personal trips I was able to go on because of the miles and hotel points I was able to accumulate; including New Zealand, Nepal, India, Costa Rica, Mexico, and many “beach” vacations throughout the Caribbean. See? Corporate planning is not boring at all. Of course, I will be the first to admit that there are plenty of boring meetings that come with the territory. But those seem to be a small price to pay for all of these “other” moments that I would never get to experience unless I was a corporate meeting planner. Why You Should Consider Corporate Planning as a Career There are several reasons why I always urge people to strongly consider corporate planning when choosing which event planning path to take.

1. This is Where the Work Is: First and foremost, this is where the most work is. In the U.S., there are hundreds of thousands of corporate meetings every year; but there are only a handful of large events. Of course there are many smaller community special events, and countless fundraising events; but they are competitive and pay less. In Las Vegas alone, each year there are approximately 24,000 meetings or conventions; which bring in 6.4 million business travelers who spend almost 8.2 billion dollars (and this grows every year). And yet….there was only one Super Bowl half time show. Yes, that one show is much more exciting and most likely more profitable, if you can land it; but until you gain enough experience to apply for that kind of job, I suggest you "get your feet wet" (and keep paying the bills) with corporate events and meetings. ….and that’s just talking about Las Vegas! That’s not including cities like Dallas, Orlando, LA and New York City….not to mention all of the large cities around the world where corporate meetings & events are happening every single day. The numbers behind corporate events are staggering.

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2. Incomparable Education and Experience: Secondly, you get to learn every aspect of event planning; from food & beverage to room set-up to audio-visual to working with big-name entertainment. All of this creates a great foundation for you to branch off into any kind of event planning you'd like to do in the future. 3. This is Where the Money Is! And thirdly, working as a corporate event manager pays well. Although every business is watching every penny right now, large corporations are simply accustomed to paying more for services than smaller companies, non-profits, or individuals. Your flat fee might seem outrageous to a smaller organization, but a larger company won’t even bat an eye. In other words, if you are open to starting out in corporate events: you are more likely to break in more quickly than in many other niches, you will get paid more in the meantime, and you will build experience that will easily translate into qualified experience when applying for large-scale special events. For example, let’s say that you aspire to someday work on the Oscars. If you have ten years working local festivals, that might not go very far. But if you have ten years of working with production companies, celebrity entertainment, and some of the most globally-recognized Fortune 500 companies in the world, then you might have a better chance!

 

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The Different Types of Corporate Events There are three types of corporate events that require planners:

1. Corporate Meetings 2. Corporate Events 3. Incentive Trips

Corporate Meetings Admittedly, working a "boring old meeting" for a "boring old company" might not be as exciting as planning the half-time show at the Super Bowl. However, as I mentioned earlier, many "boring old corporate meetings" aren't boring at all (although yes, some are). Many are held in international destinations, at five-star hotels, with high-end evening events and top-name entertainment. At some corporate events, there are exciting excursions such as whale watching, helicopter tours, or sailboat regattas (further explained in the "Incentives" section). They are often fast-paced and large-scale, with millions of dollars at stake; and often with large budgets to match! What’s a typical meeting like? There are hundreds of thousands of corporate meetings every year worldwide. Yet most people, unless you’ve attended one, have no clue what corporate meetings are all about. With the increase in telecommuting and downsizing, meetings are more important than ever to build company morale, increase face-time among employees and management, and share ideas and knowledge. Many sales people work from home these days, and the only interaction they get with the company for whom they work is to attend a large, national meeting along with the thousands of other employees they’ve never met. And even if a company has local branches and offices, it’s vitally important to gather all of the employees that work for the company and offer ideas, suggestions, and support.

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So just to get a picture in your mind of what a corporate meeting is like, let’s use an example: Funky Pharmaceuticals Product Launch Meeting.

• A company called Funky Pharmaceuticals has created a new product that they are about to “launch,” or release to the public. Funky Pharmaceuticals is a nation-wide company, with 3,000 pharmaceutical reps selling their products across the country. • Most “pharma” sales reps work independently from their homes and don’t report to an office; so it is difficult for upper management to communicate ideas or train their sales force on new products.

• So Funky Pharmaceuticals decides to hold a national sales training meeting. All 3,000 employees of the company are required to attend. At this national sales meeting, the sales people will be educated about the new product and how to sell it.

• Funky Pharmaceuticals either assigns an in-house planner (in other words, a person who works within the company already), outsources to a planning company, or hires a contract planner to plan the meeting.

• The planner picks a city, a hotel, and dates for the meeting to be held. The planner then starts planning every last detail required for this type of event.

• Since the company is requiring the employees to attend, the company pays for the flights, hotels, and all food during the week for each employee. It wouldn’t be fair, after all, to require the employees to attend the meeting, but then expect them to do it at their own cost; so everything is at the company’s expense.

• On the pre-designated date, all of the employees fly in to the host city, get to the hotel, and attend various meetings throughout the week. Most larger meetings such as this one are held Monday through Friday.

• The week-long event is referred to as a “program”; and consists of a General Session (where all attendees gather together for one large meeting), smaller breakout sessions (where they break down into smaller groups), and evening events (where they get to eat, drink, and let loose a little after a long day of meetings). Sometimes the evening events are held at the hotel, sometimes they are held “off-property” at various venues; this is a chance for the attendees to get out of the hotel and see some of the city that they are visiting.

• For example, if the program is being held in New Orleans, it would be natural to rent out a local blues club for a private event for the group. If the program is in LA, then perhaps the planner will rent out a sound stage or production lot at Paramount Studios where movies are filmed.

• Sometimes, the program includes team-building events; but not always.

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• The planner organizes every aspect of every meeting, from materials, audio-visual requirements, and set-up, in addition to all food functions, evening events, off-site events, team-building, and anything else required for that program. • When the program is over, all attendees get to the airport and fly back home, armed with the information they need to go out and start selling this new product.

Phew! As you can imagine, a lot of planning goes into something like this. An event of this size could easily take a year to plan. There are a lot of players involved in the process, and a lot of moving parts. But it’s an exciting, potentially lucrative path with endless opportunities for future growth. Of course, not all meetings are large meetings for 3,000 people. The majority of my clients tend to have company meetings that consist of around 200 people; I’ve also organized plenty of meetings with only around 20 people. But the foundational process is basically the same, so when it comes to learning how to plan meetings, it doesn’t really matter how many people are attending. Larger meetings just mean you need larger budgets and more time in the pre-planning process; but the foundation and the process is still the same. So what are some of the things that the planner is responsible for with these types of meetings? The planner needs to arrange for:

• Registration for all of the attendees • Coordination of flights and hotel rooms • Transportation to and from the airport • All meeting materials, name badges, handouts • All food for the week for the entire group • Audio visual, staging, and presenters • Evening functions, off-site activities, or team-building events • Anything and everything specific to that meeting

As you can see, there is a lot to do. But as you might imagine, once you learn the basics of corporate planning, you can quickly progress into being the planner; because the basics of every meeting are pretty much the same. Advantages of Working as a Corporate Meeting Planner One of the biggest advantages in becoming a corporate meeting planner is the consistent work. Once you get “in” with a company, either as an employee, an employee at a planning company, or as a contractor, then you become their planner for nearly everything. Companies like consistency, and they like to have a planner that learns the “ins and outs” of their company and what the company’s expectations and guidelines are. Also, many meetings are annual meetings, and occur every year around the same time. So you really only need to build up two or three good clients with annual meetings, and suddenly you’ve got enough work to keep you more than busy.

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Another advantage is that even in a tough economy, companies must have meetings; whereas many special events are “optional” and therefore might be cancelled if the money isn’t there. Admittedly, company budgets have been cut back with all the attention lately on corporate spending; but they still have to have meetings. It’s the nature of business. Companies will always be able to justify the costs in order to build and maintain communication, morale, and unity among their employees. A nd, as I mentioned before, corporate experience is respected and can be carried into any area of event planning you’d like to go. It’s a great way to get into the industry, and learn everything you can; then you can carry your experience over to large-scale special events. Corporate Events The broad umbrella term “corporate events” can, technically, also include meetings and incentives. However, for the purposes of this eBook, we will separate corporate “events” from “meetings” and “incentives.” Within the category of “corporate events,” there are three main types of events:

1. Conventions 2. Team Building 3. Trade Shows

Corporate Events – Conventions Conventions are a huge piece of the event industry pie; with everything from huge computer and software conventions to hobby-themed conventions, the career opportunities are endless! If you’ve never attended one, it is hard to fathom exactly what a convention is. However, you have heard of them, you just don’t know it. Ever heard of a Star Trek convention? Sure – it refers to the event where thousands of people converge on a town to mingle with other people who share the same obsession. They dress up, they mingle, they hope to meet some of the actors from the show, and spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on Star Trek products. Other conventions are no different….other than perhaps the bizarre costumes. A group of people might attend a convention to discuss, learn, share, and otherwise focus on any given topic; computers and software, educational products, farm equipment, health foods, fashion, the latest techie gadgets….anything relating to any type of any business. If you’ve ever heard of boat expos, sporting expos, hunting expos, scuba diving expos, fashion expos, cosmetic expos, jewelry shows, health expos, spiritual expos, (and on and on and on), then you know what a convention is. A convention usually has a trade show, in addition to hosting multiple optional meetings or seminars. For example, a convention for yoga instructors will have a trade show floor with booths offering the latest yoga wear, yoga mats, yoga DVDs, and endless health products. Simultaneously, there will be various seminars going on which the attendees may choose to attend, but are not required to (unlike at a corporate meeting, where the employees are required to attend all the meetings). The convention is open to anyone who is a yoga instructor or hopes to become one, and anyone who pays the entrance fee.

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So, just like anything else, someone has to plan, implement, and supervise the entire thing. There’s big business in convention planning; and this would be a great source of steady income for future planners just like you! Corporate Events - Team Building Team building has become quite the trend for corporations over the last few years. Team-building events usually are part of a company meeting with employees; they rarely are part of an “open” event such as a convention, as there is no need for total strangers to work together on team building. One exception to this is if you are part of some kind of retreat, where the focus is on self-improvement; then team-building among strangers might be a tool to teach each person about his or her strengths and weaknesses. A team-building event is an activity that, as the name implies, encourages teamwork among people in order to accomplish a certain task. The goal (in the case of a corporate team-building event) is not only to encourage employees to get to know one another better, but to encourage each individual to zero in on certain areas where he or she might need some improvement when working with others. The underlying theme, of course, is that every person who works within a company needs to work as a team for the benefit of the company as a whole. From a planner’s perspective, there are two ways to look at team-building events. First, and most obviously, as a corporate planner you will more than likely incorporate a team-building event into one of your meetings at some point in your future. But secondly, you can also look into finding job openings at a company that coordinates team-building events for meeting planners. There are quite a few companies who specialize in nothing but creating team building events for company events. If you like being active and are good at customizing small events just for corporations, this might be a great area for you to look into. A perfect example of this is the Eventurous company out of the U.K (http://www.eventurous.co.uk). As a planner, you might hire them to manage the team-building portion of your corporate meeting; they would meet with you, figure out your objectives and the type of group you have, and put something together. On the other hand, this would be an example of a place were you could find work if this is something that you find interesting. (Please note that I am in no way affiliated with this company, I merely found it to be a good example for our discussion. I do not know if they run great team-building events or if they have positions open (for those of you living in the U.K.)). As a planner, team-building events are a chance to get a little creative and allow your attendees to have some fun.

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Here are a few examples of team-building events I’ve organized as part of various corporate meetings or incentives:

• I worked a week-long meeting that was held, believe it or not, on a cruise ship. We “bought out” the entire ship for our 3,500 attendees, and held all of our meetings on the ship while we sailed around the Caribbean. For our Team-Building Day, we brought in a company that specializes in creating customized “Amazing Race” events. They separated the attendees into teams, gave them t-shirts and bandanas to identify their teams, and gave them their assignments. Just as on the TV show, the teams had to find their way to various parts of the ship using clues and puzzles that the team-building company had organized ahead of time; and which were customized to fit the company and the theme of this particular meeting. The company had representatives stationed all over the ship to help lost teams and to handle issues. The attendees had a blast running all over the ship completing various tasks and figuring out clues. It was a fantastic event that the attendees still talk about, several years later. • During an incentive trip in the Caribbean, we brought in a company that teaches people how to build professional-grade sand castles. We’re not talking small kid-sized sand castles made with a bucket; these were full-scale, large, professional-level sand castles. The attendees were separated into teams and had three hours to come up with the best sand castle; of course the winners received goofy prizes.

• I once did a sailing regatta in Sydney Harbour, Australia. We divided the company attendees into twenty teams, and each team was assigned a sailboat. They were given basic instructions on how to sail a boat, and then were set loose in the harbour to see who could finish first. Of course, for safety reasons each boat was equipped with an actual qualified sailing crew that could step in when necessary; but overall it was left to each team to figure out how to work together and learn how to sail their boat. It was an amazing experience to see how some teams pulled it together, and how some teams just drifted in circles as they tried to figure out how to work together.

• A very common team-building event that many of my companies have done is “Build-a-Bike.” With Build-a-Bike, the organizers divide up the attendees into teams; and give each team all the parts to build a child’s bike. The catch? The teams are not given any instructions, and have to work together to create the bike so that it’s safe and there aren’t any leftover parts. Representatives from the Build-a-Bike company oversee the process to ensure the bikes are built safely. The first team to finish their bike correctly wins. Then, at the end of the day, we bring in underprivileged or at-risk kids from a local non-profit that could benefit from a free bike. Each team gets to present their bike to a child, and quite often it’s very emotional and a great “feel-good” moment for everyone involved. It’s a great way to build team morale while also doing good things for the community.

You can see that not only are team-building events part of a meeting planner’s role, but the companies themselves are often a great way to break into the industry. You can see if there are

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team-building companies in your area by researching terms such as “corporate team-building companies,” and so on. Corporate Events - Trade Shows Trade shows are where customer interaction and "big business" often take place. With over 2500 trade shows bringing in billions of dollars each year, maybe this is where you can find your niche! Many people have never been to a trade show, and so it is difficult to envision just how large-scale they can be. Or, you’ve been to a trade show and didn’t know it. If you’ve ever attended a Home and Garden show, an auto show, boat show, or RV show, then you’ve attended a trade show. *** The definition of a “trade show” is: An exhibition organized so that companies in a specific industry can showcase and demonstrate their new products and services. Some trade fairs are open to the public, while others can only be attended by company representatives (members of the trade) and members of the press, therefore tradeshows are classified as either "Public" or "Trade Only.” *** You might be wondering how conventions and trade shows are different; it’s a very fine line, and quite often they are used interchangeably. Even people in the industry aren’t really sure what the distinction is. However, usually, a convention includes a trade show as part of the event; but in addition they also have seminars and meetings; whereas a trade show pertains to just the activities on a trade show floor. Also, some people would define a convention as only open to those within that particular industry (a convention for teachers, for example, is only open to teachers) but a trade show is open to the public. Conventions might focus more on education or discussing a certain topic, while trade shows are focused more on selling goods. Trade shows are a huge business; the larger trade shows often draw upwards of 100,000 people. There are approximately 2500 trade shows every year in the US alone. Trade shows are a very important piece of business for many companies, especially larger corporations. This is a chance to “show their stuff” to potential customers. I once worked a trade show for a company that sells very expensive medical equipment; at this one particular trade show they sold only a few machines…but the machines costs $120 million each, so it was considered a successful trade show. Of course, not all companies involved with trade shows exhibit such expensive wares, but that is an example of the level of business that can be conducted at these exhibitions. Unless you’ve been to a large trade show, it is difficult to imagine the extent to which companies will go to showcase their company. The trade show display business is enormous; many companies will spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on the booth design alone. Some booths are not much more than a table and a corkboard; others are mini-buildings that are multiple stories high, with walls, electricity, carpeting, and even elevators or waterfalls.

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The companies have employees working the booths to answer customers’ questions; and often hire professional presenters or entertainment to lure customers into the booth. If you’re interested in trade shows, keep in mind the various angles from which you might find work. You might work on the team that organizes the entire trade show, or you might work for a specific company in their trade show department. Many companies employ people to do nothing but work trade shows around the globe for their company. Or, you can work for a company that designs booths for trade shows, and other companies offers presenters or entertainers that serve as the “draw” in a booth. Other companies do nothing but design products to use as promotional hand-outs at trade shows. Once you start really digging in to the trade show world, you will see that the opportunities are endless. Corporate Incentives Incentive programs are the reason that many people get into corporate event planning, and the reason that most of us stay! Incentive programs are truly one of the most exciting parts of corporate event planning. As an incentive planner, you get to travel the world to five star resorts, go along on fun excursions, and host some of the grandest events in the business! This is one of the most competitive event planner jobs to land; but if you are able to break in, it's worth it! So what exactly is an incentive trip?

• An incentive is an all-expenses paid company group vacation. Using our previous example, let’s say Funky Pharmaceuticals has an annual incentive trip that it offers to its sales force. If the sales people make a certain pre-set quota, they win a trip to some exotic location. So, for example, if a sales person sells $1 million worth of their product in one year, then they get to go to Grand Cayman on the company incentive trip (the destinations change every year, to prevent repeat winners from getting bored). This is, as the name states, an incentive to get the sales force to work harder and make more money for the company. And the trip itself is the company’s way of saying “thank-you” to the “winners” for making so much money for the company. • So, if fifty people make that quota, then all fifty people win that trip to Grand Cayman Island. They don’t go individually or on their own, but they go on a predetermined set of dates as a group. Each of them gets to take a guest, and during that time there aren't any meetings. Instead, the “winners” and their guests get to have a few days of relaxation and

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company-sponsored activities; such as golf, horseback riding, boat excursions, spa appointments, whale watching, deep sea fishing, hot air ballooning, and so on. • Of course, since these are the top sales people in the company and they made the company a lot of money, they are treated like royalty; and customer service is of utmost importance. Usually the president of the company and his or her spouse go on the trip, and get to know the “winners” on a personal level. Budgets are usually more forgiving, and this is a fun chance for a planner to really get creative on designing the ultimate vacation for the winners.

The best part is that, while this is a vacation for the guests, somebody still has to plan (and supervise on-site) all of this fun! So, although as a planner you are still working, it is not uncommon at all to get to go along on these excursions and make sure everything goes smoothly. This is where, as I listed in the beginning of this eBook, you get to go along on whale watches, helicopter rides, horseback riding, or any countless excursions. Of course, as the planner you don’t always get to go; someone has to hold down the fort and so quite often, you’ll send your on-site staff to go along instead. It all depends on your group and your role in that particular event; but more often than not, this is a great opportunity to see and do incredible things that you’ll remember for the rest of your life. However, a word of warning. Before you decide that all you want to do is plan incentive trips, be aware that very few planners get to focus strictly on incentives. Why?

• Incentive trips only happen seasonally. Most incentive trips happen in the spring, and that’s it. That’s because it’s the most “available” time for most companies to be able to let their “winners” take time away from work. In the summer, there are too many other employees taking personal vacation, and in the fall and winter, you have to work around the holidays. • Even in the corporate planning world, incentives are seen as a “reward” for the lucky few. Therefore, most companies will only allow their regular planner (who is around to plan all the “boring” meetings throughout the year) plan the incentive trips. Why would a company be loyal to one planner to plan the regular meetings throughout the year, and then allow someone new come in just to plan the incentive? In other words, in order to get the incentive trip, you have to put in your time with the other work throughout the year.

• So it’s rare that you can create a career only planning incentives, unless you can find work with what is known as an “incentive house.” This is a company that only plans incentive programs for other companies. Again, it’s insanely competitive; but if you can land it, it’s a great way to make a living!

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So, incentives are a “reward” not just for the employees of the company, but for the planner as well. However, remember that they are still a lot of work; but if you have to work, you might as well work on fun, exciting trips to exotic destinations, right?

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Want to Learn More about Becoming a Corporate Event Planner?

If you want to learn more about incentive trips (and corporate planning as a whole), please click on this link (http://www.careers-in-event-planning.com/event-planner-course.html) to learn more about my Complete Event Planner Toolkit online video course. This course teaches you, step by step, how to become a Special Event & Corporate Event Planner. I teach you about the industry and how you fit in; I give examples and include numerous sample event planner contracts, RFPs, and other event planning templates. I also include a free bonus, my Event Planning Resume eBook; which shows you how to create resumes and cover letters to get you in the door. Additionally, I offer a free weekly newsletter: http://www.careers-in-event-planning.com/event-planning-tips.html Sign up and start your event planning career today!

                                                             

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Event-Planning-Related Jobs Now, I have to address a point that you might not have considered. What many people don’t realize is that there are countless ways of working in the exciting world of event planning, without being the event planner!

Most people think that if they want to work in events, it’s all or nothing; you’re either the planner, or you find another path. But that couldn’t be any further from the truth! Perhaps, after reading this material, you’re wondering if being a planner is really for you. You want an exciting job or career path, but don’t want the overwhelming stress of being the sole person in charge of absolutely everything. That is perfectly fine; because there are many, many other options out there.

Not too long ago, I was in the midst of a week-long meeting for 3,000 people in Vancouver. And, after eighteen years in the business, it still amazes me when I look around to see just how many people it takes, with different areas of expertise, to put together a large event. Sure, I'm the "planner;" which means I get to spend six or eight or twelve months planning very last little detail of an event. But on-site is where the "magic" happens. This is where it "goes live," and we either succeed or fail. And an event of any kind and any scale just can't happen without the dozens, if not hundreds, of other people involved. As I looked around in this frozen moment of time, I took note of my amazing team of on-site travel directors. There were numerous teams of eight to ten people managing all the transportation, food & beverage functions and evening events, registration desk, and two wonderful people catering to the needs of my VIPs. There were over twenty other people from the DMC (Destination Management Company) and countless smiling faces who were working the food functions from the hotel's side. I had hired a decor company that has a team of a dozen people to create incredible parties; not to mention the production company, the audio-visual techs, and the chefs who made our food. And, I realized as I looked on our little beehive of activity, we all had one very important thing in common. We all love events. I hope you are starting to see what I am getting at. While being an event planner has its perks, it is far, far, far from being the only career option if you are interested in events and meetings. Here are just a few of the types of companies that are part of the dynamic world of events (and remember, even within each of these types of companies, there are different positions; so the opportunities are endless):

• Hotels (banquets, Convention Services) • Destination Management Companies • Venues

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• Décor Companies • Florists • Caterers • Audio-Visual Companies • Production Companies • Team-Building Companies • Content Management Companies • Entertainment Agents • Group Activity Suppliers

If you think you want to start a career in the world of events, it is well worth your time to look beyond the "Event Planner" position and explore all of your countless options for job opportunities. There are many areas that each play an imperative role in the success of any event; and often offer great "entry level" job opportunities for you to begin your career and gain some experience while getting your feet wet.

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Chapter Three: Learn Everything You Can

  What am I doing wrong? One of the questions I hear most often is, “What am I doing wrong?” If you are one of those people who has meticulously crafted your resume, written compelling cover letters, and sent them off to every event planner job opening you can find and yet have not heard even one response, then you are most likely asking the same question. The good news is, there is a very obvious explanation, and there is a way to fix it. I am going to explain to you the single biggest obstacle you face as someone who hopes to break into event planning. This, single-handedly, is the answer to your frustrated confusion, and the one main reason you cannot land a job in event planning until you make some changes. Ready? Here it is:

* * * Employers do not have the time or the resources to teach you

how to become an event planner (even for entry-level assistant jobs)

Therefore……

You simply must take it upon yourself to learn

the basics of the industry; and then reflect that knowledge in your resume and cover letter.

* * *

This is the single most important piece of advice that I can give you. Period. So what does it mean? It means that in order to break into the event planning industry, you are going to have to take it upon yourself to become the type of person that event planning employers want to hire. You see, it’s a basic fact that especially in a recession, most companies are running on a pared-down, skeleton-crew staff. This means that they do not have enough employees to be able to spare one to take you around and teach you how to do the job they are paying you to do.

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Now, don’t panic! This does not mean that you have to learn how to plan events for 5,000 people all by yourself right away. But what it does mean is that you know enough about the basics of event planning that you can understand the basic lingo, understand how events fit together, and understand the progression of planning. It also helps to remember that not only do companies not have time to train you, but that in such a big recession, there are a lot of other people out there with more experience than you who are looking for jobs too. So, in answer to your question of “What am I doing wrong?” it comes down to this:

• You don’t know enough about event planning • Your lack of knowledge shows through on your resume and cover letter • You are saying things such as “I really want to become an event planner” • Your only experience is planning your friend’s wedding • You are relying on your resume alone to land you an interview; but your resume reflects your lack of knowledge and lack of experience, so that will never work

Now…please know I’m not saying any of this to offend you; I just want to help you see what you’re doing wrong, and how to fix it. And the thing is, I have the answers for you on how to fix every one of these issues and make them “right”….so that you can finally start getting calls back on your resume!

The Three Steps Necessary to Succeed There is a formula that you need to follow in order to break into the event planning industry. It’s not complicated, but neither is it an overnight solution. It will take some effort on your part, but it is definitely “do-able.” And, more importantly, it works. I know that it works because I have a collection of emails from people who followed this advice, and then wrote me to tell me about their fantastic new event planner positions that they landed because of what I taught them. So the key formula toward your success is this:

1. Learn everything you can. Learn at least enough to understand the language of event planning and the foundation of how to plan events; and then reflect this knowledge in your cover letter and on your resume. 2. Get some experience. And no, I’m sorry; but “planning my best friend’s wedding” doesn’t count; you need real-life, viable experience. I will explain how (and why) in Chapter Four.

3. Network like crazy! These days, it truly is a matter of “who you know;” so network to make connections, then wow them with your knowledge and experience.

This chapter will explain the first step; the following chapters will explain the other two steps. And, I go into this in much greater detail in the Complete Event Planner Toolkit (http://www.careers-in-event-planning.com/event-planner-course.html).

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Step One: Learn Everything you Can The first step is probably the most important; because without this one, the other two are a waste of time. But it’s not as complicated as you might think! The event planning industry is structured upon a secret language of acronyms and cryptic words. Once you learn this lingo and what the terms mean, you can strategically use this information to show your potential employers (through your resume and cover letter) that you do know the basics of the industry. This secret alone will practically guarantee you at least an interview. This, frankly, is how I got my first job as a travel director. Although I had already gained some experience from my internship planning special events and my subsequent three years working at a production company, I wasn’t showing my knowledge on my resume and cover letter. A friend told me to use two specific industry terms in my cover letter, and almost immediately I got a call and landed my first project. However, don’t get all excited and think that you can just find a few industry terms to drop into your resume and then you’re set. Short-cuts only cheat yourself in the long run, and will come back to haunt you. You have to actually learn how to plan events if you’re going to become an event planner! This statement seems obvious, but I can’t tell you how many people don’t seem to want to learn the industry that they claim they want to be in for the rest of their life. Our society is all about shortcuts and easy-way-outs. If you truly love events and are interested in this career for the right reasons, then your desire will come naturally and you’ll want to learn everything you can about this fascinating field. So…..how in the world do you go about learning the event planning industry? Event Planning Education, Schooling, and Certification If “what am I doing wrong?” is one of my most-asked questions, then this is my second-most-often asked question: “What education or certification do I need?” It is natural, and admirable, for you to wonder what path of education you need to take in order to pursue your career. It is admiral because it shows that you are dedicated toward learning what you need to learn in order to not only advance and get a job, but to truly understand this career path you’ve chosen. It shows that you are willing to do what it takes to succeed, and I applaud you. However, the answer to this question can seem very convoluted; actually, it’s muddy at best. You probably have spent hours scouring the Internet looking for answers, but were left more confused than ever. But in this chapter, I will try to help you clarify this answer and help you decide the best path for you to take.

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First of all, we need to clarify the difference between “certification,” “schooling” and “education.”

• Certification: This word is perhaps one of the single most misunderstood words by event-planner hopefuls, who mistakenly believe it is a short-cut to education; or, at the very least, mistakenly believe it is something that is required to attain before you can land a job. I’ll explain this fallacy in much greater detail shortly. • Schooling: For our purposes, we will assume that "schooling" refers to a degree in event planning (or some other equivalent degree) at a college, university or equivalent school. Later in this chapter, I will explain which schools and courses are best for those who have yet to go to college but want to pursue a career in event planning.

• Education: For our purposes, we will assume that “education” is just that; learning about event planning for your own personal educational benefit and development, with no degrees or certifications attached. It strictly refers to the act of learning about a topic which you know nothing about.

So, back to the question...do you need certification, schooling, or education in order to begin your event planning career? A complicated question deserves a complicated answer; and that is, it depends. It depends on a number of factors, including:

• Where you are in life. Are you 18 years old and fresh out of high school, wondering whether to go to college (or which college to go to)? Or are you in your mid-30s or 40s, with a college degree (or years of work experience) and not able or willing to go back to school? • What you hope to get from your education. Are you hoping to learn just enough to land a job? Are you so in love with events that you want to learn everything you can? Do you want to start your own business? Or are you merely hoping to take a course so that you can put it on your resume and instantly land a job?

• What niche you want to go into? Someone who is interested in wedding planning is going to need different education than someone who wants to go into special events or corporate event planning. Which niche you want to go into can affect which educational path you take.

Let’s talk about these three options in greater detail.

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Event Planning Certification Event planning certification is easily, hands down, the single most misunderstood concept in all of event planning (for beginners). I would say at least 99.5% of my readers believe that they need to “get certified” before they can land a career in event planning; and I am here to clarify this misconception. If you get nothing else from this eBook (other than the Three Steps you need to take to become an event planner), it’s this:

*** “Event Planning Certification” is, overall, a scam. You do not need to “become certified” in order to begin your career, and by

“becoming certified” you are not making yourself more marketable.

Most importantly, by “becoming certified” you are not automatically ready to open your own event-planning business. Any course that tells you otherwise is

just trying to make money off you. ***

It is so important that you understand this concept that I'm going to re-phrase it. True "certification" is not a way to learn about event planning (that would be called “education”); certification is a way to test your expertise and knowledge that you already possess about event planning. It's a title that one bears after having earned it from extensive experience. Therefore, most TRUE certifications require that you have experience in the industry before attempting to take their test or certification. The two most reputable certifications in the industry are the CMP (Certified Meeting Professional) and the CSEP (Certified Special Events Professional); however you cannot even apply to take these tests until you have 3-5 years of experience in the industry, and you must be currently employed in an event planning position at the time of taking the test. So yes, I know what you are thinking; "But I don't have experience! How am I supposed to get certified?" That's just my point exactly. You don't. Just because it’s one of the most important points for you to understand, I’ll say it one more time:

You do not need to “become a certified planner” in order to begin your career.

However, just about every person who wants to break into event planning feels the need to “get certified." Why? Because there are plenty of websites, online schools, and spammers out there

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who try to convince you that you need certification in order to become an event planner; because they want to make money off you. In reality, you do not need a certification to begin your career. That's because there isn't any true "certification" for beginners. If you don’t believe me, call up a few meeting & event planning companies. Ask them what certification they look for when hiring beginner event planners (again, the CMP and CSEP don’t count, because you don’t have enough experience yet to apply for those). I can guarantee you, not one of them is going to give you the name of any online certification test. I often compare this concept of beginner certification to someone who would walk into an aviation school and hope to get their pilot's "certification" without ever having flown a plane. In the same way, you cannot get "certified" until you have worked several years in events and can prove that you are worthy to be certified. If you want to take a certification course for the pure knowledge of it, then that's another story (which we'll discuss more in a minute). But do not take any online "certification" course in hopes that it will single-handedly guarantee you a job or help you start your own business right away.

In other words, if the only reason you’re interested in a certification course is to put it on your resume in hopes that you’ll get a job out of it, then you will be disappointed.

If, however, you take a course for the knowledge that it will teach you, then you are on the

right track and taking an event planning course can be a very wise move.

I want to re-iterate that above point again. While taking a course for the purpose of “getting certified” is a waste of time and money, it is not a waste of time or money to learn everything you can about the industry. Therefore, you do need to educate yourself in any way possible, including taking an online course. But you need to be cautious of which online course you choose, and why. So in a minute, I will tell you what to look for when choosing an online course, and the red flags that signal which courses to stay away from. When I first started my website, I started really researching what courses are available out there for people hoping to break into event planning; because I wanted to be able to refer my readers to the most qualified course. I, personally, fell into the industry by accident, long before the Internet and long before any event planning “certification” courses existed; so I had never researched the options and I didn’t know what was out there. However, as publisher of a site that teaches beginners how to achieve their dream, I felt it was only fair that I should use my expertise to determine which courses were worth recommending to my readers. But what I found astonished me. To put it bluntly, every course out there is full of crap. Pardon the French, but that’s the reality. What I found are a bunch of companies who profit from playing off the vulnerable desires of people such as yourself; good people who really want to have a career they love, and yet don’t know where to begin.

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The more I researched, the angrier I became. I became angry because:

• They are selling you information that isn’t applicable to real-world job hunting and career planning. Most of the courses out there only teach wedding and party planning, which in my opinion are not the most realistic paths to take if you want a full-time career. Even worse, they sell you a course that covers both wedding and party planning, which means that at least 50% of your money and time are wasted on a niche you won’t pursue. • These courses tell you lies and say you’ll become a “certified event planner” just from taking their courses; which, after nearly twenty years in the business, I can promise you means nothing to any future employers. Absolutely, positively no certifications other than the CMP and the CSEP mean anything to anyone; yet these courses are telling you that you’ll land a job just because you became “certified” from taking their course.

• These courses also convince you that you can start your own event planning business although you’ve never planned a single event in your life, just from reading their material or watching their videos. That’s like saying a beginner surgeon is suddenly qualified to operate on your heart, just because he watched an online video telling him how to do heart surgery.

The insanity of this lie absolutely blows my mind, and it breaks my heart because I receive dozens of emails from heartbroken, disillusioned, frustrated people who tried to take on too much too soon. They believed these lies that it’s easy to start an event planning business with no experience, and now they have failed, are jaded, and are broke. Worst of all, they are giving up on event planning forever because their first attempts at starting their own business failed; and not only are they disillusioned about their future, they lost thousands of dollars in the process.

It’s an easier sell, to be honest, to tell you what you want to hear, rather than to tell the truth. I get emails all the time from people saying that after they read my material, they no longer want to go into event planning. And you know what? I’m fine with that! Sure, if I lied and told them what they wanted to hear (“You NEED to become certified!” “You CAN start your own business!”), then I could have made more money off of them. But I believe in karma, honesty, and truth; and I would rather lose out on a few sales and keep a few people from going into a business where they didn’t belong, then make a few extra dollars by lying and telling you what you want to hear. And so, the more I researched, the more courses I found selling these lies and offering worthless information; and so I slowly began to realize there was only one way around this. I had to create my own course. Now trust me; when I first started my site, I had absolutely, positively no intention of creating my own course. I just wanted to create a simple website where I could send people who had a lot of questions about how to start their career, because I was spending a lot of time emailing the

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same information to so many people. Eventually, I thought I might write an eBook and try to sell a few copies in order to pay for the costs of maintaining the website (and, perhaps, to help support my wine habit J). I never thought I’d create a video course. I really fought against the idea, for almost three years. I had no clue how to do it, from a technical standpoint, and I really had no desire to learn how to do a video course. Not to mention I really, really, REALLY hate the sound of my own voice, and despise seeing my face on video. I actually considered hiring an actor, but I knew that they couldn’t talk about the industry the way that I can; and I didn’t want it to be fake or scripted. And yet, I felt an obligation to my readers. Despite the fact that I had no intention of my site ever being anything more than a hobby, it kept growing. And I was surprised at the connection I felt to my readers, and how passionately I truly cared about these people I only knew through email. And, as you might be able to tell, I got really, really ticked off at all these courses who are taking advantage of innocent people like you just to make some money. And so, I succumbed. I eventually created my own online video course, with the sole intention of teaching people what you need to know in order to truly get your start in event planning. And, yes, if you’ve read the product page you might have noticed that I offer a “Certificate of Completion” with my course. When I first launched the course, I didn’t offer a certificate at all; because I didn’t want to mislead anyone like the other courses do and fool anyone into thinking the certificate was more than it is. However, understandably, my students wanted proof that they put in the time and effort to learn about event planning; so I created the Certificate of Completion. This confirms to future employers or clients that you completed the course and passed the test; without crossing into the false sense of promise that comes with “becoming certified.” This seemed to be a fair compromise and makes it clear what students can expect; to learn everything I have to teach you, without any lies or smoke-and-mirrors.

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How to Tell if a Certification Program is a Scam So, of course, I strongly recommend taking my online video course, because it is the only one of its kind and is the only one that offers real-life information for starting a real-life career in event planning. However, I encourage you to shop around. There are many courses out there, and you need to feel comfortable that you are making the right choice.

So what exactly do you look for when finding a course that’s right for you? After deeply investigating nearly every event planning course out there, I developed a few "pet peeves" that always stick out to me as "red flags"; and think they are great guidelines for you to keep in mind when doing your research. I would be very, very cautious (and most likely would recommend you stay away from) any course that focuses on the following:

• Wedding planning combined with event planning in one course. I gave my personal opinions on wedding planning as a career earlier in this eBook. But if you have your heart set on wedding planning, then go for it! My opinion is merely that; just an opinion. However, my online course will not be of any use to you; but there are dozens of online training programs for wedding planners out there. However…if you aren’t interested in wedding planning as a career, why would you take any course that focuses at least part of the course on weddings? The majority of the courses I have found online combine wedding planning and event planning into one course. As I’ve discussed already, it’s important as a planner to not try to be a “one-stop-shop” and instead focus on a niche. Despite what these courses try to sell you, wedding planning and true event planning are not the same. If you’re only interested in event planning but half the course focuses on wedding planning, that’s a completely absurd waste of your time and money; so stay away from any course combining event planning and wedding planning into one course. • Party Planning as a career. I also gave my opinion about party planning earlier in this eBook. And, again, if it’s your passion, then go for it! But if it’s not, then don’t waste your time and money on any course that teaches party planning; as it will be of no use to you in your career. Most of the courses I have found spend a portion of their course discussing birthday parties, funerals, anniversaries, and office parties. One course actually has a section that teaches you how to fill out invitations. Seriously? You are more intelligent than that, and should not be wasting your money on anyone who doesn’t believe it. None of the information that focuses on party planning will translate into a career of special event or corporate planning.

• Starting your own event planning business. This topic just about makes my head spin off. It completely blows my mind that anyone would ever promise you that you can start a company doing something you've never done before.

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• Becoming a “certified event planner” at the end of the course. Certification is not a short-cut to education and experience; and all beginner-level "certifications" promise more than what they're worth. There aren't any beginner level certifications that mean anything to any potential employer. As I mentioned before, you should take courses to further your education about the industry; not in hopes that it's a shoo-in for a job.

If you approach these event planning training courses with realistic expectations, then they might be worth it. But what makes me angry is that they promise you things that you won't, in reality, get out of the course; for example, making a great living planning birthday parties, or that you'll be capable of starting your own business right away. Remember, a little planning now can save you years of heartache or misguidance in the future. If you want to plan for a living, plan your living now! Event Planning Schooling Now, as I mentioned before, the level of education or training that is right for you depends on many factors. For many people, the question of whether they need to go to school or university is simple; either they do, or they don't. But for many other people, the decision to invest in further event planning education isn't so clear. Should you invest the time and money to go back to college? Or will an online course be enough to get you started? Before we go any further, however, please let me emphasize one thing. The event planning industry isn't like many other industries, where your degree can make or break you. In event planning, nothing counts more than experience. If you already have a college degree or have been out of school for many years, or if you don’t have the time or the money to pursue a degree, then educating yourself about event planning and getting some experience is usually enough to get you started; and you do not need to go back to school. However, many of my readers are just graduating high school and/or are interested in attending college or university; and they are curious about which schools offer event planning degrees. Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of schools that offer event planning degrees. Up until recently, event planning has never even been considered a “real job,” much less something that is worthy of studying in college. Therefore, there aren’t many universities that offer event planning programs. However, there is a growing number of schools that offer at least event planning courses, perhaps as part of a hospitality degree. Below are a few event planning schools, universities, or colleges that offer event planning and/or hospitality programs. Please note that I am not personally endorsing any of these event planning schools, as I do not have direct experience with any of them. This list is merely a starting point for your research. I took their own school descriptions from their websites; so the wording is theirs, not mine.

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The International School of Hospitality: The International School of Hospitality is dedicated to training individuals for careers in hospitality related industries. A few of the courses offered are: Contracts and Risk Management, Site Selection, and Special Events & Trade Shows. Northeastern State University: The Hospitality and Tourism Management program offers a Bachelor of Business Administration degree and provides students with knowledge necessary for success in enterprises related to the meetings, travel, tourism, gaming and hospitality industries. The program in Hospitality and Tourism Management at Northeastern State University was one of the first event planning schools to be approved by the Professional Convention Management Association. Johnson & Wales University: Over 3,500 hospitality employers have recruited Johnson & Wales graduates, and with good reason. Our students get practical, on-the-job experience at on- and off-campus properties including hotels and restaurants. You can get your Bachelor of Science Degree in one of the following: Hotel & Lodging Management International Hotel and Tourism Management Restaurant, Food & Beverage Management Sports/Entertainment/Event Management Travel, Tourism & Hospitality Management George Washington University: School of Business, Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Event and Meeting Management Concentration: The Event and Meeting Management Concentration is for students interested in the theoretical and practical aspects of event and meeting management, including research, design, planning, coordination, and evaluation of events and meetings of various types and sizes. Emphasis is placed on the management competencies required for successful event and meeting professionals.

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Which College Courses are Best for an Event Planning Career? So what if you are attending a school or university that doesn't offer event planning classes; but you know you want to pursue a career in events? What should you do? As I mentioned earlier, it's important to realize that event planning is not like many other fields, where your degree can make or break you. It's not like becoming a doctor, or a teacher, or an engineer; in the event planning industry, what your degree is in is relatively insignificant (but it’s still important to get a degree if at all possible!). For example, my degree was in Advertising in the School of Journalism; and yet I’ve made a career out of event planning. However, since you do need a degree, you might as well pursue education that will help with your future. Therefore, I suggest the following:

• If you have a "second runner up" passion or desire for a career, then pursue a degree that will assist with that choice. For example, if you want to be an event planner OR a writer, then pursue a degree in Journalism. If you want to be an event planner OR a teacher, then pursue classes in education. That way, if your event planning career doesn't pan out for any reason, then you are ready to pursue your second choice career. Of course, if your university offers any type of event planning or hospitality classes (but does not offer it as a major), then take as many as you can. • If you have your heart set on becoming an event planner, then I would strongly encourage you to pursue a degree in Business, with a minor in Marketing. I suggest this for two reasons:

o Many people who go into event planning eventually decide to open their own business; therefore a Business degree will prove essential. o If, again, event planning doesn't work out for you, or if you decide after fifteen years of the business to go in another direction, a Business degree applies to just about any career path you might someday choose.

• Similarly, a Communications degree would be a good choice. Although not as widely applicable as a Business degree, a Communications degree would create a good foundation which would prove useful in event planning. • And finally, many schools offer a Hospitality degree. This can also be a good choice, however research this carefully. Many Hospitality degrees focus mostly on restaurant management and often hotel management, in addition to offering a few event planning classes. The restaurant courses are a waste of your time (unless, of course, restaurant management is an interesting option for you); and the hotel management courses will only prove useful if you’re open to working as a Convention Services Manager (the “event planner” within a hotel). If your school offers a Hospitality degree but it focuses on hotel or restaurant management (and neither of these are of interest to you as your “second choice”), then it would be better to pursue a Business degree instead.

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However, there’s a catch. If you can't attend one of the few universities that has an event planning program and therefore have to choose another major, then you still need to learn the basics of how to plan events. Event Planning Education As I mentioned before, in these tough economic times, potential employers simply do not have the time or the resources to train beginners on how to plan events. They want someone who can hit the ground running. Therefore, pleading with them to "just give you a chance" because

you "really, really want to become an event planner and just know I'd be great at it" won't work. You need to impress them with a resume and cover letter that shows them you know at least the basics of planning and the industry lingo. If you can't do this, then you'll never even be given the interview. Therefore, you need to take it upon yourself to

learn the industry, learn the lingo, and learn how to plan events. There are a few books out there that teach about the basics of event planning, but they don’t explain the industry. And I think I’ve already made it clear how I feel about most of the online courses that are available. And that’s why I created the Complete Event Planner Toolkit online course. I offer over fourteen videos (nearly eighteen hours) of training that will teach you everything you need to get started; including an overview of the industry, how you fit in, and where you can find work. I explain the complicated lingo that is part of the event planning world, and how to use it in your resume and cover letters. Most importantly, I give step-by-step instruction on how to plan events; from the initial RFPs and site inspection, to writing contracts (including numerous downloadable contracts for you to use). I explain how to find a venue or hotel, how to set up your space, and how to manage registration, food & beverage, audio visual and décor. No other online course teaches this material, and this is the material you simply must understand in order to start your career. So if you’re serious about starting a career in event planning, you simply must learn the basics first; and the best way to learn the basics is to sign up for the Complete Event Planner Toolkit (http://www.careers-in-event-planning.com/event-planner-course.html). Isn’t it time you invest in yourself and your future?

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Chapter Four: Get Experience

"A ship in the harbor is safe...

but that's not what ships were built for." ~ John A. Shedd

In this chapter we will discuss the second of the Three Steps, which is “Get Experience.” Many of you have run into that age-old “catch-22” when it comes to event planning; in order to get a job, you need experience; but how can you get any experience until you get a job? I’ll show you how to break through this “catch-22” in a minute; but first, let’s address why experience is so important in the world of event planning and why employers think it’s so important for you to have experience before getting hired. There are four main reasons why experience is necessary:

• The obvious reason – to learn. Clearly, there is no better education than getting hands-on experience. You can read all about the elements of event planning and how they fit together; but until you actually see it happening and have a hand in the process, you won’t truly understand events. There is, quite simply, no better teacher than getting hands-on experience. • To make sure this is what you really enjoy doing. I know it might seem impossible to believe, but you might not really enjoy event planning. As I discussed earlier in this eBook, there are some very common misconceptions about event planning and what the job is really like. You can’t really know if you enjoy planning (or just the idea of it) until you really do it!

• To show employers that you really understand what the industry is all about. Along the same lines, employers are fully aware of these misconceptions, and always have a bit of a mistrust factor with beginners. Employers are wary of hiring beginners, because it’s very possible that after they invest in you, you will discover that event planning isn’t quite what you had hoped, and you’ll quit. However, if you have some experience on your resume, that shows that not only do you understand how to plan events, but you understand the reality of what the job entails. This means you are not as big of a “flight-risk” and aren’t as likely to be someone who will quit once you see the true side of event planning.

• To make contacts. When you volunteer, you are working with any number of important people who more than likely are pretty good networkers. You never know who you might impress, and that person might know someone who is looking to fill an entry level event position. More importantly,

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the planner you are working for might hire you after seeing how you work. I have had dozens of students of my course email me to tell me that they followed my advice and volunteered; and eventually that led to a full-time job with the very organization for whom they were volunteering.

Again, the single most important thing to potential employers is your experience. Event planning courses, college education, or training will give you the foundation you need to understand how to do the job; but hands-on experience will show that you can. Experience is so important that a potential employer is more likely to hire someone with a degree in physics who has helped plan a few events than someone with an event planning degree who has not planned any! Here’s another important note: if you have to count the fact that you helped plan three friends' weddings as “experience,” then your resume will end up in the trash. In some ways, it is experience; but when you have to count this as your only "experience," it actually magnifies the fact you have none. If a potential employer receives your resume and your only experience listed is, "Helped plan my best friend's wedding" and "Organized my parents' 50th wedding anniversary," then you’ll never get a call back. Getting experience with a bona fide event shows that you truly want to work in this industry, and that you have had enough hands-on experience to know what you're doing.

 

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How Do I Get Experience? There are two main ways to get experience in the event planning industry (besides, of course, getting a job):

1. Volunteer 2. Work in an entry-level, event-related job

1. Volunteering The first option is the easier of the two; especially for beginners with no experience at all. And that is, volunteer! There are countless events happening in your community all the time; and most of them would be more than happy to accept free help. What kinds of events might accept volunteers?

• If you’re still in college, get involved with the campus and plan FACs or home-coming parades. Or, join a fraternity or sorority and get in on the event planning committee; or find an organization in your area that has connections with the campus, and get involved! • If you’re not in school, every community in the country is involved with events in some way. Your best bet is to look for any event that is hosted by a non-profit; as non-profits need to produce events for as cheaply as possible, and usually are more than happy to accept free help.

• Examples include Race for the Cure, the Breast Cancer Three Day, American Cancer Society, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Dumb Friends Leagues, local triathlons, golf tournaments, food festivals, beer or wine festivals, Oktoberfests, art fairs, music festivals, farmers’ markets, and countless fundraising special events or galas.

• Think small: the smaller the organization, the more help they need, and the less likely you are to have competition.

• Think locally; what organization is active in your community?

• Side note: Although it’s ideal to find volunteer opportunities in your chosen niche, it’s not necessary. The foundation of all events is the same; and any experience counts.

So get any experience you can; and as much as you can. Just get out there and get involved! When volunteering for events, keep in mind there are two aspects of the event that you might be able to volunteer for:

1. The pre-planning process: If you get in early enough (anywhere from three, six, or twelve months out from the time of the event) you might be able to get in on the planning process. This is ideal, although a bit more difficult to do; and you definitely have to have a basic understanding of how to plan events and what all the lingo means (as I teach in my online video course).

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2. On-site at the event: This is the easier way to get in, and at first, perhaps the best way to volunteer. Many events ask for volunteers for any number of duties at the event; from taking tickets at the door to manning the registration table. You might be asked to hand out t-shirts, hand out wrist-bands, or act as a “go-fer” for the planner.

Check your pride at the door! An important thing to remember when volunteering is that at first, any experience will help. You might not think that sitting at the entrance counting people with a clicker is getting experience, but it is; for every event that you volunteer for, you are subconsciously picking up on the “feel” and the rhythm of what events are all about. You get to see what great planning results in, and what poor planning can do to an event. So don’t get upset if you don’t get assigned to shadow the planner around the entire event, and don’t act as if anything is “beneath” you. Likewise, if you get in on the planning process and the planner asks you to lick envelopes or drive across town to pick up the florals, do it with gratitude and an open mind. Some of this might seem menial….but, to be honest, what do you really think event planning is all about? It’s all menial tasks, and nothing is ever beneath you. To this day, at my own events, you will find me picking trash off the floor or bussing dishes off the buffet; whatever it takes to make the event go well. If you have that attitude, I can promise that someone will notice, and you’ll go far. How do you find volunteer opportunities? There are numerous ways in which you can research opportunities in your community to volunteer. Keep in mind that many times, they won’t even post the need for volunteers anywhere; you just need to find the planner, call them up, and see if they could use some help. Here are some resources to find what events are going to be happening in your community:

• “Where” magazine, local publications • Community calendars on local newspaper, radio, and television websites

• Internet: CitySearch, Yelp, MyCommunityEvents, Google

• CVB, Chamber of Commerce, local business associations

• Sometimes Volunteers of America posts opportunities (ww.voa.org); simply click on “Volunteer At Our Local Offices,” pull up your state, and poke around from there (each branch organizes their site differently).

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How do you apply for these opportunities? Treat volunteering as you would a job. Although you are not getting paid, competition is stiff even for volunteering. And remember, the person who is “hiring” you to volunteer might very well be the person who is in a position to hire you for a real job someday; so first impressions are important!

• Cover letters and resumes need to be every bit as professional as if you were applying for a job. • NO typos or grammatical errors, and must be well written and to the point.

• If you can “pepper” your resume and cover letter with industry lingo and terminology, you will have a much better chance of landing a “planning” position (I talk must more about this in the Complete Event Planner Toolkit). Keep in mind that even with volunteering, they are not going to “train” you. They only want to bring on people that have a basic working knowledge of events.

• In your cover letter, include how much time you can dedicate to the project (and specific days, if possible) i.e. “I can work Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:00pm – 9:00pm.” And stick to it!

• Call first and make a contact; if you just send in unsolicited resumes or cover letters, you will never stand out from the crowd and will rarely get a response.

• Follow up.

Although it seems like a lot of effort, I can personally guarantee you that this is one of the most effective ways to break into the event planning industry. Experience matters; so you must do what you can to get some. Volunteer and get some true hands-on, real life event planning experience, and leave the weddings and anniversary parties off your resume!

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How Do I Get Experience? 2. Paid Positions Of course, I fully realize that for many of you, volunteering is not an option. Perhaps you’re working two or three jobs the way it is, and you don’t have a spare moment to spend on anything that doesn’t pay. If this is you, then there are other options for getting entry-level experience. These options are harder to come by, and most of them are on a contract basis (in other words they hire you on an hourly basis only when they need you, instead of offering a full-time job). However, here are some very viable ways to make money while learning about events. The key to this, though, is to keep one thing in mind: you need to aim low in order to shoot high. Aim Low to Shoot High What do I mean by “aim low to shoot high”? Here is another key concept to understand in order to start your career, in three short sentences:

• You do not, you cannot, start out your career at the top. • You need to aim lower to shoot high. • In event planning, this is good news!

You cannot start out your career at the top. As I’ve discussed, I can almost guarantee that if you have started the job search process at all, you are frustrated at all the obstacles and brick walls you seem to be running into. This is the infamous "catch-22" situation: in order to start, you need experience, but how can you get experience in order to start?

* * *

I'm going to tell you a secret. In order to become an event planner, you cannot start out as an event planner.

* * *

I get emails from people every day saying, "I have been trying to find an event planner position, even an assistant to a planner position, but they all require experience! What am I supposed to do?" Do you see the simplicity of that statement? That’s like saying, “I have been trying to find a position to be a brain surgeon; and I’m willing to even start out as an assistant to the chief surgeon, but they all require experience! What am I supposed to do?”

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Of course your employer wants you to know what you’re doing before he hires you to do the job. And yes, even as an assistant. How helpful of an assistant are you going to be if the person you’re assisting has to explain everything to you? And that’s where most people get stuck. In their excitement to be an event planner, it is easy to put on blinders to all other options that will lead you toward being an event planner. It’s as if it’s an all-or-nothing deal; either you get a job as an event planner, or you give up. But this is the wrong way to look at it, and this might be the thing that’s keeping you from breaking into the industry. I’ve said it before, but would you want someone who just decided a few days ago that he wants to be a surgeon to operate on you? Would you want someone who "really wants to be a pilot" to jump in the cockpit of your plane, although he's never flown any aircraft before? Of course not. You want people who have studied under the experts in their industry, and have learned what to do and what not to do long before you have to count on them. You want people who have studied and know their craft not only on paper, but in real-life practice and application. And therefore, you should accept the fact that you need to learn your craft just as everyone else does; from the bottom up. Yes, you'll get there, and possibly more quickly than you ever thought. But first..... You need to aim lower to shoot high. Like any other career in the world, you need to start with the basics. And so, I am telling you to aim lower. No, not for your overall dream - for that, shoot for the stars. But for the short term, think even more basic than "being an event planner's assistant." And I do mean short term. I would say that if you really go in with the right attitude, and really immerse yourself in learning, then you only need to work in these entry-level positions for 3-6 months (that is if you are working full time; up to 6 months to a year if you are working part-time). Then you will have enough material on your resume and have picked up enough lingo to interview for event planner assistant jobs. In event planning, this is good news! I'm going to tell you a little secret. I personally find that working in a support position is much more exciting than being an event planner. A planner spends 90-99% of her time preparing for her big event, and only a small percentage at her event. And it's over before she knows it. In a support position (such as the entry level jobs I'll discuss in a minute), you get to show up, see great events happening, watch people having a good time, and then get to go home, without all the pre- and post- stress that the event planner is going through. Yes, you are still working, but you aren't quite so attached to the event, so you get to see it more objectively. Not to mention, you get to work event after event after event (some glamorous, some not so much - but all events offer great experience).

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If you approach these jobs for what they are - a chance to absorb and learn everything you can - then you get to see countless events planned by different planners. You get to learn what works, and what doesn’t; and see how different planners manage similar tasks differently. If you just go and work for one meeting planner, you only learn her way; without the objective perspective that comes with working these entry-level positions. Take these entry level job suggestions as a great way to break into events, start learning the lingo and the process, and start absorbing the best ways to do things (and how not to do things) for when you will someday run your own events. Treat these as your internship, or your schooling, for that is what they are. Show me the money Ok, admittedly, these job suggestions are not going to make you the next Bill Gates. If you need to keep your current day job to pay the bills, then I encourage you to do so, and work these jobs on the weekends. I know it is not easy, but it will be worth it. It just depends on how badly you want a life spent in a career that you love. And, as I’ve mentioned before; you will progress quickly, and more quickly than most people in other professions. Some career paths, such as doctors and pilots, require years of “entry-level” training and working their way up the ladder. And how many company presidents or CEOs just landed their job at the top? Nearly every single upper management person had to work their way up from the bottom. However, if you follow these suggestions, you can progress to an event planner assistant position in as short as a few months (again, depending on your determination, attitude, and gumption). Ok, then, show me the jobs! The following are a few suggestions of entry-level jobs that won't require any schooling or experience. Again, open your mind! They might not seem glamorous at first, but they can be your ticket in.

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Paid Position #1: A Server for a Catering Company A job in catering is one of the few ways to secure a paid position without any experience that will help you get your foot in the door to the event planning business. Many catering companies hire banquet servers, especially around the holiday season and in the summertime, even if you don't have any serving experience at all. Why is this good experience?

• You learn all the lingo to the Food & Beverage (F&B) side of events (I have an entire module dedicated to Food & Beverage in the Complete Event Planner Toolkit), and you will learn how hotels and venues work. • You get to see countless events, from small to over-the-top. You learn a lot by seeing how different planners do things differently; what works or doesn’t.

• You can do it on the weekends and work around your work schedule; or full-time if you’re unemployed.

• While you might not think that serving food has any connection to event planning, it does.... a huge one. Almost every event in existence has an F&B element to it, and you learn a lot more about events by working for a catering company than just the food. • You learn, for instance, the most common room set-ups and traffic "flow." You learn about double-sided buffets and table configurations. You work side-by-side with decor companies, and often directly with event planners. You begin to get a feel for how events are managed on-site, and that is priceless in the long run. • Understanding the food & beverage portion of events is a great way to get your foot in the door to events, meetings, and incentives.

• If you have hopes of becoming an on-site manager/travel director (which I’ll discuss in a few moments), you increase your chances of landing work by a hundredfold.

Catering companies offer contract hourly work, just like the banquet opportunities at hotels. The main difference is that hotels have their own in-house banquet department, whereas catering companies go to whatever venue is hosting a party or a wedding for that day. Again, this is a great way to learn about the food & beverage part of event planning; which is practically a guaranteed way to break into the business.

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Paid Position #2: A Server for the Banquet Department in a Hotel Along the same lines of working for a catering company, working in the banquets department at a hotel is a fantastic way to make money while learning about events of all kinds. And again, if you don't see the connection between working as a server and becoming an event planner, think about this: as a meeting or event planner, a large percentage of your job is dealing with the food functions. You have to pick out menus that appeal to all kinds of tastes (which is more difficult than you realize). You have to learn about dietary restrictions, allergies, and kosher requirements. You have to learn about how a room "flows" so that you don't get a "bottleneck" situation. You have to learn how many buffets and bars to order for your size of crowd, and how to organize the tables for the appropriate kind of "atmosphere" you want to create for your particular function. You have to learn how a table is set, and how to light a room to make it appropriate for a food function. When you become a banquet server, you learn every single thing I mentioned above, and more. The benefits of working in banquets are the same as working for a catering company; including:

• You learn all the lingo to the F&B side of events, and learn how hotels work. • You get to see countless events, from small to over-the-top. You learn a lot by seeing how different planners do things differently; what works or doesn’t. • You can do it on the weekends and work around your work schedule; or full-time if you’re unemployed.

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Paid Position #3: Work for a Destination Management Company (DMC) What is a DMC? A DMC is, to put it simply, a company that specializes in planning the logistics for inbound events, meetings, and incentives that are coming to the DMC’s home town or city. A DMC is sort-of like a planning company that specializes in their local town or city, and nowhere else. For this reason, they often work alongside or for planners who are coming to their city for an event and need a little local guidance. So, let’s pretend that you’re a planner who has been hired to plan a five-day corporate meeting in New York City. The problem? You live in San Francisco and have never been to New York City; so you have no clue where to start. In this case, you’d hire a DMC in the NYC area to help you out. Here are just a few examples of what the DMC might manage for you:

• Transportation for all attendees from the airport to the hotel; and also from the hotel to their off-site excursions later that week. The DMC would know, for example, the better of the two airports to fly into; the traffic flow for certain times of the day; and on which streets of the hotel the buses can drop people off. • Decor for the evening events at the hotel or venue; DMCs often manage the "party" side to event planning and supply décor and themed events.

• Ideas on which Broadway shows to treat your VIPs to; what nights are dark on Broadway, which shows have received the best reviews.

• Which restaurants to choose for the group's "dine-around" night, which restaurants need reservations, which ones have private rooms, and what the dress code is.

• Suggested venues for your off-site dinner events.

• What day is best to take the group to see the Statue of Liberty; the DMC secures tickets, arranges transportation, and sends local staff along with the group so nobody gets lost. They can even provide a tour guide, if you would like one for the group.

There are Destination Management Companies (DMCs) in every major city (unfortunately, they usually don’t exist in smaller communities or towns that don’t have inbound groups). There are two ways you could find work at a DMC; as a contract on-site coordinator (often called a “travel director” or “TD”) or in-house as a program manager. However, it is unlikely that you could land a program manager job until you first get a lot of experience working for a DMC as an on-site staff person or TD. As a staff person for a DMC, you will work on an hourly basis; and your hours will vary according to how busy the DMC is that week. One week you might work 10 hours, the next week you could work forty hours or more.

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Your duties might vary from day to day; one day you might be standing at the airport holding signs and making sure the attendees for a city-wide convention get on the right buses. The next night you might help manage a huge event with staging, decor, and entertainment. The next day you might give a tour of your city for tourists. You can pick and choose what your strengths are and decide which areas you enjoy working. DMCs pay hourly for their on-site staff; rates can range anywhere from minimum wage to $15 or $25 per hour. However, due to the inconsistent work, it is not a great way to make a full-time living. They might need you every day for a week, then might not need you for a month. They might need you for 12 hours one day, and only four hours the next. Why is this good experience?

• However, it is a GREAT way to break into the industry (in my opinion, one of the best ways), because most DMCs do not require any experience. • You also get to see first-hand some of the most important aspects of any meeting or event, and learn first-hand some of the most foundational aspects of event planning.

• DMCs offer many opportunities for event jobs. Working for a DMC is one of the most effective ways to break into meetings and events, particularly if you live in a destination city for events and meetings; and also is a good option if you would prefer not to travel so much.

• If you can live on a less-than-steady income, or at least work part-time on weekends for the experience, and live in a great market for events and meetings, this is one of the best paths toward becoming an event planner!

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Paid Position #4: Event Planning Venues Event planning venues offer another great path into event planning. As I discuss in greater detail in the Event Planner Toolkit video course, there are countless venues at which planners host their events. A great option is to work for a venue that handles events; perhaps assisting the person in charge of events, or working as a server who works events at the venue. Here are some ideas of venues that might need help for events:

• Some restaurants turn into great event venues when needed: think of places like House of Blues, or private rooms at places like Hard Rock Cafe. • Do you have any historic buildings in your town? Chances are they rent out as event venues.

• Museums, botanic gardens, and zoos all rent out space for events.

• Places like Dave & Busters or other entertainment centers make great event venues "after hours."

• Ask your Convention & Visitors Bureau for a list, or go to their website and do some research. You'll find dozens of ideas!

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Paid Position #5: On-Site Coordinators / Travel Directors (TDs) There is one other way to learn about event planning, and in my opinion, the most efficient way to learn everything there is to know about events. However, it is a very, very, very difficult industry to break into, and therefore I don’t often plug it as a viable option for many people. What is a travel director? In the world of event planning (in particular, corporate meetings) there is a position known as an on-site coordinator or travel director. The position is also referred to as an on-site manager, on-site staff, or travel staff…but the most common title to those of us in the industry is “travel director” or TD. Travel directors work as independent contractors (there aren’t any “jobs” as a travel director) who travel the world working at corporate meetings. Their job is to assist the planner with everything in relation to the event. Basically, TDs are temp staff or assistants who happen to specialize in corporate meetings & special events. If you can imagine a week-long meeting for a few thousand people, you can imagine how many people it takes to pull it off. The meeting planner can’t be everywhere at once, so she hires staff that are experienced in meetings to manage different elements for her. For example, she might assign a TD (or a team of TDs, depending on the size of the event) to manage all of the food & beverage elements to the meeting. Another TD is assigned to handle the VIPs and cater to their needs. Another team of TDs works with the DMC to make sure the transportation from the airport goes smoothly, and another team of TDs is in charge of setting up all of the meeting rooms. So, you can see how working as a TD gives you hand-on experience in the truest sense of the word! You are literally immersed in the event, and quickly learn all about event planning. I personally got my start (after working in production) as a TD. I worked for nearly ten years “on the road” as a TD. It was an amazing experience, and laid the foundation for my years as a planner; but it’s not for everyone. The drawbacks to working as a TD are:

• You have to travel all the time; during my peak years I put in 180-220 days a year on the road (you can do less if you are married or have another source of income). • You work insanely long hours; a twelve-hour day is standard, fifteen hours is normal, and an eighteen-hour-day is not unheard of at all. • It is strenuous, stressful work. • There is tough competition; it is very, very, very difficult to break into. • You have to deal with inconsistent work and income; you might have a few really busy months and then three months with no work at all.

So, I used to recommend this as a way into the industry; but it is so difficult to find work (even veterans who have been in the industry for fifteen years are having a hard time finding work right now) that I have scaled back on this recommendation.

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However, you do need to be aware of TDs, because as a planner you will more than likely hire them for some of your events. I talk much more about that in the Complete Event Planner Toolkit video course (http://www.careers-in-event-planning.com/event-planner-course.html).

* * * As You Can See….. There are several options for paid, entry-level positions that will expose you to fantastic experience with events. I’m not saying it’s the easiest path, but for those who go into it with the right attitude, starting out on this path can be an effective and powerful introduction to the event planning industry; and the beginning of a long career in event planning! To Wrap it Up…. Obviously, the event planning industry is enormous, with numerous opportunities for work. Each of these types of businesses plays an integral part in creating large, exhilarating, amazing events; and starting out at any of these businesses would be a great way to get experience. I can't emphasize this enough: if you are interested in becoming an event planner but don't have any experience, any one of these event jobs would be a great way to break into the business! Yes, most of us want to take the "fast track" and just start planning events tomorrow; but it is a complex, challenging job that takes years and years of experience to perfect. Most planners, including myself, after eighteen years of experience, still feel as if we'll never know it all. And, unfortunately, there are a lot of people who want to break into event planning. But if you take these simple steps of learning the basics and getting some experience, then you’ll be miles ahead of all those other people who want to be event planners but don’t know these simple tricks. I promise you, it doesn't take long; and before you know it, you'll be planning great events, living the career of your dreams!

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Chapter Five: Network Like Crazy In the event planning industry, we can adjust a popular quote to say this:

“It’s not only what you know, but also who you know.”

In other words, it does matter what you know; that’s why it’s imperative that you take it upon yourself to learn the basics of the industry, or else you’ll never move forward. However, it’s also important to “know people who know people.” The event planning industry is extremely competitive; there are a lot of people trying to change careers and get their foot in the door. However, if you take the three steps I outline in this eBook, then you will automatically be far ahead of all the others who just know they want to get into event planning. However, sometimes learning everything you can and getting experience still isn’t enough. If you live in a highly competitive market, this third and final step will be just as important as the others: you need to get out there and network. Networking is important for several reasons:

• Many job openings aren’t even advertised anymore. • The person who is in a position to hire you is too busy to look at resumes. • Unless you have twenty years of experience in the industry, it will be difficult for your resume alone to get you an interview.

Let’s look at these in greater detail:

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Many Job Openings Aren’t Even Advertised If you have spent hours scouring the Internet looking at job sites like CareerBuilder or Monster.com, you might have noticed that there aren’t a lot of event planner positions that are advertised. You have probably thought to yourself, “Surely there are more openings than this out there??” And you’re right. There are more openings out there than what you’ll find listed. Why? The simple fact of the matter is this: when a business lists a job opening of any kind, but especially in event planning, they have to brace themselves. They have to button down the hatches and prepare for the storm; because they are going to get hit. They are going to get positively bombarded with cover letters, resumes, emails, and phone calls; all from eager event-planner-hopefuls, the majority of whom don’t have any experience or even know what a BEO or a guarantee are (if you don’t know either, then that’s a good sign that you need to sign up for the Complete Event Planner Toolkit - http://www.careers-in-event-planning.com/event-planner-course.html). And many businesses don’t have the time or the resources to manage this onslaught of activity. Searching for a candidate is a time-consuming process; and one that many companies would rather not deal with. And so, instead, what do they do? They network. They send out a note to their closest buddies and colleagues, asking if anyone knows anyone with some basic knowledge of event planning and with the personality traits that would be a good fit for the job and/or the company. They keep their eyes peeled at networking events, and they spread the word. Because a person in a hiring position is a thousand times more likely to trust a colleague that calls up and says, “Hey, I just met this person last night at a mixer, I think she’d be great for your assistant planner opening” than they would a faceless resume. And so once you start networking, you will be amazed at how doors start opening.

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The Person in the Hiring Position is Too Busy to Look at Resumes This is a very, very common problem (and one that I’ve personally encountered myself). It’s a sad irony that the very person who needs to hire someone to take some of the workload off is too busy to find time to hire the person who could free up their time. If you’ve ever been so busy that you forget to stop and breathe, then you can imagine how impossible it would seem to find time to filter through the hundreds of emails, cover letters, and resumes to find someone to hire. And filtering through the paper is just the first step; then you have to go through a round of time-consuming interviews. And what if you don’t find a qualified candidate, or someone who fits in with the company? Then it’s back to the drawing board, to start all over again. It’s no wonder some people can’t “find the time” to hire someone. And yet, if I happened to be at a business networking luncheon and happened to meet someone who was nicely dressed, carried himself or herself well, and was in the market for a job, you can bet I’d zero in on him or her in a heartbeat. Not only does this save me hours of shuffling through resumes and painful interviews, but I already love that this person is putting some effort into his or her job search by going to networking events. I’d be much more likely to hire someone with no planning experience but was out there networking than someone with more experience who just sent in a resume. I’d also be more likely to take the time to interview someone that was referred by a colleague or a personal friend. Therefore, you don’t necessarily have to meet the person in the hiring position, but just “someone who knows someone” that is in the hiring position.

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It’s Difficult for Beginner Resumes to Land You an Interview This is something that I can’t emphasize enough. It does not matter how sparkly your personality is, how organized you are, or how creative you are; it’s impossible to tell all of this from a piece of paper. And, unfortunately, as a beginner it will be difficult to create a resume that single-handedly “wows” an employer enough to warrant an interview. I’m not saying it’s impossible, and if you apply the tips and tricks I teach in the Event Planner Toolkit, your chances increase exponentially. But in the beginning, until you build up a few years of experience, it’s going to be really challenging to rely on your resume alone. The only time a resume alone will land an interview is if the candidate has some really amazing experience to back him or her up. And, as a beginner, that’s not going to be you. And so you must rely on your personality and gumption to get you in the door; and this can only be done in person.

How to Network I discuss this in much greater detail in my online video course. But basically, find networking events in your area that focus on either influential people in the community or business people. Keep in mind that you need to think beyond the box of events geared toward event planners. Sure, you shouldn’t rule out “event planner networking events,” as someone there could very well be in a position to hire an assistant. But you should also attend other types of networking events; especially if you are open to working as an independent contractor. Quite often, people in administrative assistant positions or marketing positions are the people who are looking for assistants or beginner planners to help them plan an event. Planning responsibilities don’t always fall on people whose title includes the words “event planner;” sometimes it’s someone else within a company who has no clue how to plan an event. In that case, that could be the person who is looking for someone like you. And, as I’ve mentioned, you never know when you’ll meet someone who knows someone; and if you are charming, professional, and oozing personality and confidence, then you never know who might recommend you to the very person who might someday hire you. So, take networking seriously, as it can be the key that opens the door. If you have the knowledge and some experience to back you up, all it takes is meeting one right person; and your career will be on its way. And before long, you’ll be looking back on years of fantastic events and amazing memories, and you’ll be thankful you put the effort in to pursue your dream career.

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In Summary….

"I didn't fail 9,999 times, I discovered 9,999 ways

not to invent the light bulb." ~ Thomas Edison, when asked about his "failures" in his career

So, that’s it. It all seems so simple, and yet so overwhelming, all at once. However I can almost guarantee you that if you follow these steps (learn everything you can, get experience, and network like crazy) then it’s just a matter of time before you’re well on your way to a lifelong career in event planning. I know it seems like a lot of effort, but trust me….it’s worth it! I recently read a statistic that said that in the world of self-help books, career training, coaching and consulting, only 5% of the people who purchase products to improve their life or career will apply the information and really go after their dream. Five percent. Are you one of them? Will you do what it takes to get out there and chase your dream down? You’ve taken the first step by purchasing this eBook. Are you ready to take it to the next level? Are you ready to learn everything you need to know in order to start your career? Then I encourage you to sign up for the Complete Event Planner Toolkit. As I’ve already mentioned, it teaches you everything you need to know in order to start your career. I know it works, because I have a wonderful collection of emails from students that did apply what I teach in this course, and it worked for them. And it can work for you too. Yes, it’s an investment, of time and money. But when are you going to stop wishing and dreaming of a better life, and instead step out and grab it? When are you going to choose to stop waiting for your life to begin, and instead go after it and make it happen? Your time is now. Sure, it’s intimidating, and there is a lot to do. But I promise you, it will happen more quickly than you ever dreamt possible. And someday, down the road, you’ll look back on this time in your life when you chose to take the first step, and you’ll be grateful that you did. I’ll see you at one of your events!

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Biography

Sirena Evans has worked in the meeting, incentive, and event planning industry for nearly twenty years. During that time she worked as a planner for countless meetings and incentives, worked for nearly ten years as an international travel director, and worked over five years in production. This wide range of experience in various aspects of the industry has given her a well-rounded and thorough understanding of the event planning world. Sirena is the webmaster and publisher of Careers in Event Planning (http://www.careers-in-event-planning.com), a website geared toward teaching others how to become event and meeting planners. Sirena started the website after being continuously asked by event-planner-hopefuls how to get started in this exciting industry. Having once been in their position, she understands the frustration of not knowing where to begin to pursue an exhilarating, dynamic, and rewarding career. After spending hours researching which online courses she should refer her readers to, Sirena decided that there wasn’t one course out there that truly teaches what it takes to succeed in special event and corporate planning; so she created her own online course. The Complete Event Planner Toolkit (http://www.careers-in-event-planning.com/event-planner-course.html) offers over fourteen hours of online instructional video, in addition to dozens of downloadable documents, sample contracts, and other supplemental learning tools. In this extensive course, Sirena teaches exactly what you need to do in order to not only land your first job in event planning, but also gives step-by-step instruction on how exactly to plan events and corporate meetings. In addition, although Sirena is adamant that no one should start an event planning business until they have some experience, she does realize that many people do have enough experience and don’t know where to begin. For that select group, Sirena offers an online video course called How to Start an Event Planning Business (http://www.careers-in-event-planning.com/starting-an-event-planning-business.html). Additionally, Sirena offers a free weekly newsletter which offers tips, hints, and ideas on how to get started in event planning. You can sign up for free here: http://www.careers-in-event-planning.com/event-planning-tips.html. If you are trying to start a career in event planning but keep running into brick walls, Sirena can help. Her advice has resulted in dozens of her students landing jobs and finally reaching their goal of finding a career that they love.