OVERVIEW
What is an Event Planner?
An event planner ensures that meetings and conventions are planned, organized, and executed correctly. You could be working on everything from weddings, galas, and product launches to charity fundraisers, seminars, or award ceremonies. You’ll be responsible for ensuring everything goes smoothly and everybody has a great time.
RESPONSIBILITIES
What Does an Event Planner Do?
A good event planner must be a highly skilled organizer and a great communicator. Most of your working day will be spent doing tasks such as:
- Meeting with clients. It’s important to make sure you and your clients are on the same page. What kind of services are they looking for? What’s their budget look like? What type of locations are they interested in? Using your experience and contacts in the field, you’ll be able to provide them cost-effective solutions to their queries.
- Logistics and organizing. When you know what the client wants, it’s your job to make it happen. You’ll be inspecting various locations to see if they’re a fit. You’ll have to ensure any services provided at the event (food, transportation, entertainment) are well-coordinated and hiccup-free.
- Oversight. You might be called upon to be present during the event, in case of emergency. These events might be the most important days in some of your client’s lives, so you could be asked to stay on hand to prevent any mishaps from occurring.
EDUCATION & BEST DEGREES
How Do I Become an Event Planner?
Step One: Bachelor’s Degree
While not strictly required, you’ll typically need a bachelor’s if you ever want to apply for senior roles in this field. But if you’re just interested in entry-level jobs, a couple of years of experience actually planning events should be enough to get your foot in the door. A BSBA in Marketing or Management would set you up with the necessary marketing, management, and communication skills allowing you to step forward confidently on this career path.
And if you’re serious about getting the best jobs as an event planner, consider taking your resume to the next level with a master's degree.
Step Two: Certification
While not compulsory, there are a number of certifications you could earn to pad your resume and show prospective employers that you’re able to do the job they want to hire you for. Some of these are:
- The International Association of Exhibitions and Events offers the Certification in Exhibition Management (CEM).
- The Events Industry Council offers the Certified Meeting Professional credential (CMP).
- The Society of Government Meeting Professionals offers the Certified Government Meeting Professional (CGMP).
- School of Business, powered by WGU Academy offers a Business Leadership Certificate
Any of these certifications and designations are widely recognized and should be a great way to improve your skills and knowledge while aiding in your career development as an event planner.
And once you’re graduated and certified, you’ll be ready to start getting experience in the field and building up your resume.
Best Degrees for an Event Planner
Business
Marketing – B.S.
For those who want to lead brands and steer consumer markets:...
For those who want to lead brands and steer consumer markets:
- Time: 60% of graduates finish within 19 months.
- Tuition: $3,755 per 6-month term.
- Courses: 37 total courses in this program.
Skills for your résumé you will learn in this program include:
- Communication
- Marketing
- Sales
- Management
- Project Management
- Product Management
Marketing is a creative and exciting field—and one where an undergraduate degree will open better opportunities.
Business
Marketing – M.S.
Two online marketing master's degree options with a focus on either...
Two online marketing master's degree options with a focus on either digital marketing or marketing analytics.
- Time: 61% of graduates finish WGU master's programs in 18 months
- Tuition: $4,755 per 6-month term
- Courses: 10 total courses in this program
- Specialization: Students choose from two specializations to focus their marketing studies on digital marketing or marketing analytics
Skills for your résumé that you will learn in this program:
- Management
- Strategic Planning
- Digital Marketing Analytics
- Presentations
- Market Research
- Communications
A marketing master's degree will help you prepare for a wide range of exciting marketing careers.
Business
Business Management – B.S. Business Administration
Hone your business acumen and garner added respect:...
Hone your business acumen and garner added respect:
- Time: 61% of graduates finish within 19 months
- Tuition: $3,755 per 6-month term
- Courses: 40 total courses in this program
Skills for your résumé this program will teach you include:
- Business communication
- Product development
- Decision making models
- Project management strategies
- Budgeting for business
This online degree program is an excellent choice for kick-starting your organizational management career.
Business
Master of Business Administration
The flexible MBA program you need, focused on business management,...
The flexible MBA program you need, focused on business management, strategy, and leading teams:
- Time: Graduates can finish in 12 months
- Tuition: $4,755 per 6-month term
- Courses: 11 total courses in this program
Skills for your résumé you will learn in this program include:
- Leadership strategies
- Talent management
- Communication
- Data collection and interpretation
- Financial statements
Our competency-based model gives you an innovative learning experience you won't find anywhere else—and our MBA grads tell us they loved accelerating their program to see a faster ROI.
How Much Does an Event Planner Make?
$56,173
According to Glassdoor, the average pay for an Event Planner is $56,173. Those with higher education and experience in the field might make up to $77,000 per year. It also will greatly depend on where you work and the field you are in. Some large organizations that throw massive fund-raisers or charity events may have several event planners that make high salaries.
What Is the Projected Job Growth?
8%
The market for event planners is expected to grow by 8% during the 2021 to 2031 period, which is much faster than most other occupations, which grow by only around 4% each year. That’s around 15,200 job openings in the event planning sphere annually. This growing demand is being elevated by the constant need for businesses and companies to put on professionally managed events on a large scale.
What Is the Projected Job Growth?
5%
Management jobs are expected to grow by 5% from 2019 to 2029, a rate faster than the average expected expansion across all occupations. This will mean an estimated 505,000 new management positions across a variety of different industries.
Exact business manager growth figures are largely dependent on the success of the respective industries hiring business managers. Because business managers are responsible for managing businesses in healthcare, educational, industrial, automotive, technological, and other markets, the outlook is difficult to forecast.
Still, the need for business managers to tie financial goals, employee management, and corporate best practices together is only expected to increase in years to come.
SKILLS
What Skills Does an Event Planner Need?
An event planner, while not needing any specific bachelor’s program, will certainly need a particular set of skills to succeed in their chosen profession. Some of these essential skills include things such as:
- Problem solving. when you’re planning an event on a large scale, things will go wrong. You’ll be called upon to provide solutions at a moment's notice.
- Business negotiation. organizing an event means you’ll be negotiating with companies and people to provide services at a price that suits your client’s budget.
- People skills. maintaining great relationships with clients and companies that you work with or for is essential.
- Organizational skills. Being a highly skilled organizer is the most important attribute for a good event planner.
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No need to wait for spring or fall semester. It's back-to-school time at WGU year-round. Get started by talking to an Enrollment Counselor today, and you'll be on your way to realizing your dream of a bachelor's or master's degree—sooner than you might think!
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