A professional event planner organizes and manages various events, finding suitable locations, negotiating rates, arranging catering and equipment, and overseeing preparations on the day. They can work for a planning firm, internal committee, or run an independent company. No set requirements, but many have degrees in business management, public relations, communications, or finance, and certification can improve their credentials.
A professional event planner is a man or woman who organizes, sets up and manages various corporate, public and private events and meetings. He or she finds suitable locations, negotiates days, times and rates, and determines the need for food, drinks, tables and equipment. In fact, many event planners attend the conventions, meetings or concerts they organize to ensure that all of the attendees’ needs are met. A professional can be hired by a planning firm, an internal committee of a company or run an independent company.
A lot of time and effort must be invested in planning a great event. Many companies, government agencies, and organizations simply don’t have the time, experience, or resources to put together a quality meeting. A professional event planner can take the stress out of clients and businesses by taking on all of the roles involved in planning and running a convention. He or she is usually given a basic idea of what an event is, including the reason for the event, budget information, and the number of people who will be attending. The event planner searches for the best venues, negotiates rates, and sets dates and times.
Depending on the type of meeting, a professional event planner may need to arrange catering, entertainment or special equipment such as microphones, video recorders and projectors for seminars and conferences. Once everything is booked, the event planner oversees the arrangement of chairs, tables and decorations and manages other preparatory tasks on the spot. He or she often attends events, making sure the food and drinks don’t run out and that their customers are happy with their work.
Many event planners work for large planning companies, where they are often assigned specific tasks, such as setting rates or finding suitable venues. An independent professional event planner, however, often takes on all the functions involved, including promoting, marketing, financing and overseeing events. The job can be hectic, although a seasoned professional will take all the necessary precautions and preparatory steps to ensure everything goes smoothly.
There are no set requirements to become a professional event planner, although many people hold associate’s or bachelor’s degrees in business management, public relations, communications, or finance. Many national organizations offer memberships and voluntary event planner certification tests, which can help a professional improve their credentials and chances of finding employment. Certification is especially important for independent planners, so clients can be sure they are dealing with professionals.
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