Be more confident: How to Become a Certified Event Planner

How to Become a Certified Event Planner

Worldwide, the special events industry is worth
and estimated $500 billion, with profits
continuing to rise.[1] If you're just about to
graduate from college and haven't yet decided
on a career, or you're fed up with your
sedentary 9 to 5 job and need a line of work
where you can interact with people rather than
just a keyboard, then you might want to become a
certified event planner. These well paid and
highly in-demand professionals plan social events
for hotels, corporations, theme parks, cruise
lines and non-profit organizations.

Becoming certified as an event planner requires some creativity on
your part since there are no statewide or nationally recognized
certification programs in the United States. However, with personal
initiative and advance planning, you can become a certified event
planner by following these steps.

!! Steps !!

_ Decide what kind of event planner you'd like to
become. Think about whether you want to be known as a generalist
event planner (you're willing to help people plan any kind of event),
or whether you'd rather specialize in certain types of events (such
as weddings, high end corporate events, sports events, etc.). The
latter choice allows you to develop a specific expertise in one field
whereas the generalist approach will enable you to select across a
broader range of events. There are benefits and drawbacks to both
approaches that you should consider - for example, generalist work
means that you will have a wide range of events available to possible
booking of your services but you won't necessarily be able to
distinguish yourself as being unique; whereas, specialist work would
enable you to become renowned for certain types of events but unless
you are prepared to travel across the country or you live in a big
city, this could limit the options for your services being booked.

* Attend trade shows where you can get feedback from professionals
on the pros and cons of the industry.

* The types of events include weddings, fashion shows, corporate
sponsorship events, diplomatic events, celebrity parties,
conferences, fundraisers, openings and Open Days, sports events
(for example racing cars and horses, football, tennis, etc.),
business and product launches, travel accommodation, birthdays,
anniversaries and celebrations of people and companies,
commemorations, government sponsored events, etc. It is also
expected that you will be able to organize any type of meeting.

Talking to the client to be clear about their needs is one vital
aspect of event planningLearn more about event planning before
you invest money and time in training. Make sure you know
exactly what's involved in this highly specialized line of
work.

* Research the profession to identify a certified event planner's
job duties. These duties include locating sites for events,
working with caterers, entertainers and decorators, creating lists
of attendees, designing invitations, supervising mailings,
managing technology, and making special accommodations for guests
when necessary.

* You'll be expected to do all the research and footwork for your
clients. The ability to use technology and networking for this
purpose is essential; while you can question your client for some
of the information, often the client won't know and doesn't have
the time to fill you in on what's essentially your duty anyway.

* You'll be expected to design and theme events from start to
finish. Some clients will be more hands-on in this area than
others but the design aspect still falls squarely inside your
obligations. Keep a compilation of ideas from the start of your
event planning career so that you always have solutions to suggest
and draw on.

* Part of the process of planning events is developing your proposal
for the event, even before you win the contract. Be aware that
this is time-consuming (requiring thought, content creation,
photographs, design ideas, etc.) and you may not even win the job.
It's advisable to develop a fee for this work or you might have
your ideas "borrowed" with nothing recouped.

* There will always be more things to take care of than any list can
ever describe fully. Be ready for anything and everything to be
thrown at you, and be ready to have to constantly liaise with
people, even if you think you've already sorted things!

Rain, hail, or shine, you'll need to keep an even temper and
have solutions readyAssess your own abilities. It is very
important to be honest when assessing your own abilities because
this is a strenuous and demanding role. You will need to be
happy to interact and network with people constantly, even at
odd hours. Ask yourself the following questions to help
determine your suitability for the role:

* Are you creative, well organized and very detail-oriented? Being
organized is even more important than being creative because you
are responsible for the smooth running of everything, while you
can always call on other people for the creative input.

* Are you able to think laterally and outside of the box?

* Do you like to work as part of a team? Are you also patient and
able to clearly convey what is expected of everyone within the
team?

* Do you have the physical stamina to work long hours on your feet
in a fast-paced setting? This isn't a 9 to 5 job, so you'll need
to work during times that other people would consider "down time"
such as on weekends.

* Can you handle pressure, especially the pressure of last minute
changes and quick fixes when things go wrong?

* Are you comfortable working with technology (for example, audio
set-ups, PowerPoint and computer usage, etc.)? If not, how do you
intend to brush up this skill?

* Do you have good business acumen, including the ability to
negotiate, persuade, and receive and give feedback?

* Most importantly, are you good working with people from all walks
of life? Excellent people skills are vital in this profession.

Get some hands-on experienceGet relevant hands-on experience.
This helps you improve your people skills, a crucial part of an
event planner's job. It will also be the best way to make a
decision as to whether or not this is work you'll love doing.
It's wise to try work in event planning for at least a few
months before considering formal training, even if you just seek
work experience.

* Work as an assistant at a hotel or for a caterer, or seek job
shadowing opportunities with a professional planner. Get to know
what it's like to work behind the scenes at events that you
someday hope to plan.

* Volunteer to plan fundraising events with community groups.

Seek formal qualifications or trainingPursue formal training.
Although training isn't necessary to become an event planner,
it's a good idea because it will ensure that you have good
knowledge to begin with and can show your clients certificates,
feedback, references, etc. There are several ways to get formal
training, from getting a degree to apprenticing. What you do
will depend on the funds you have available and the availability
of training options in your area. The following possibilities
are open to you:

* Apprenticing with a professional event planner_: Apprentice in a
support staff role with a professional event planner and work your
way up the company's ladder.

* _Completing formal education through a college, vocational school
or online program_: Study hospitality management, public
relations or hotel administration at a trade school, college or
university. Attend information sessions to find out more about a
course that interests you.

* _Online study_: Complete a special program designed only for event
planners. Find these programs at such websites as Meeting
Professionals International. (Follow the education links to view a
list of college and university programs that can help you become
certified.) There are also various webinars online that enable you
to study online.

Get involved in organizing events as soon as possible, even
during your study or training vacation breaksBoost your
credentials before applying for professional certification. Gain
the kind of hands-on experience that will help you land a job or
start your own event planning business.

* Build a portfolio of relevant experience that you can show to
prospective employers and to professional associations that offer
certification. Keep records of any events you helped to plan, such
as photographs and professional references from clients and
vendors attesting to your reliability and expertise.

Apply for certification with reputable event planning associations.
Contact the various trade organizations associated with the event
planning industry, such as Meeting Professionals International
(MPI), the International Special Events Society (ISES), the
Convention Industry Council (CIC), or the Society of Government
Meeting Professionals for assistance. Consider membership of a
relevant trade organization as well; the benefit of belonging to
trade organizations is the fact that you'll meet many contacts and
find job opportunities through networking and resources only
available to members. If you are or have been a student in a
recognized event planning course, ask about possible membership
discounts, as memberships can be pricey when you're first starting
out.

* Note the difference between "certification" and "certificate".
While it is possible to get a certificate in event planning from
training, it is not possible to get certification from a school.
The difference is this: a certificate is the paper you're given by
a school at the completion of a program relevant to the field of
event planning. A certification, on the other hand, is a
professional designation given by a trade organization and it will
only be obtained after you have a proven track record of
professional experience and have successfully passed the
organization's tests.[2] Each program varies in the level of
professional experience required, so you'll need to contact the
organizations individually to find out if you meet the
requirements; if not, keep working until you meet the
requirements, as the certification will definitely improve your
reputation within the industry.

* The most recognized certifications are those offered by the
Certified Special Event Professional (CSEP) offered by ISES; the
Certified Meeting Professional (CIC), and the Certified Meeting
Planner (MPI).[3]

* If you are aiming to be very specific in the type of event
planning that you're doing, look for specific trade organizations,
such as the Association of Bridal Consultants and Weddings
Beautiful Worldwide if you're planning to be solely a wedding
planner. The specific organizations are likely to be of more
assistance when you are tailoring your event planning services
narrowly.

Are you keen to be in charge or be staff?Consider how you want
to get started. It is important to make a decision as to whether
you're prepared to start your own business or consultancy or
whether you'd like to start out by working for someone else. In
the latter case, you'll get the benefit of someone else's
experience and booked clients but you won't get paid as much and
it'll take longer for you to establish your own name. On the
other hand, starting from scratch can be hard work and requires
funds, business expertise, and a lot of determination; if this
is your preferred option, read about starting small businesses
and the types of strategies to use, as well as the pitfalls to
avoid.

* Be aware that some markets are already saturated with event
planners. Do your research well in advance of setting up your own
business or consultancy. Don't lose sight of the fact that you can
still offer something that is better and more unique than the
existing crowd even in a saturated market but what you're offering
will need to be extraordinary, and you'll need to be very
determined and consistent.

!! Video !!

!! Tips !!

* Get help choosing a legitimate formal event planning study
program. Check with Meeting Professionals International before
enrolling in any formal program. They can tell you whether the
program offers the kind of education and training you'll need to
become certified.

* It can be very helpful to be bilingual, such as having Spanish and
English. If you are planning for diplomatic events, even more
languages is a great advantage.

* The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has suggested that
planners with degrees and certification will do better than those
without professional credentials.[4] The BLS found that the median
annual salary for event and meeting planners in 2008 was $44,260,
with those being paid the most living in areas with large
concentrations of business and government, such as New York and
the District of Columbia and Maryland.

* Experience in catering is very useful and highly transferable to
event planning.

!! Warnings !!

* Learn early on how to have back-up plans. Having Plans B and C
will save you from a lot of embarrassment and frustration when
things inevitably don't go according to plan. Use "thinking on the
spot" skills regularly.

* Be very careful with online certificates. Some of them may be
nothing more than a "certificate mill", teaching you little and
rewarding you with a certificate that has little or no standing in
the event planning world. Do your research beforehand to check the
authenticity and reputation of the online study.

* This is not a 9 to 5 job; you need to be very flexible, and
available for weekdays, weeknights and weekends. This can be
difficult if you're raising a young family or don't like being up
late.

!! Things You\'ll Need !!

* Suitable training and qualifications

* Business start-up funds if running your own event planning
business

!! Related WikiHows !!

* How to Plan and Organize a Family Reunion

* How to Plan a Super Event

* How to Organise an Event

* How to Organize a Fundraiser

* How to Organise a Gig

!! Sources And Citations !!

* http://www.entrepreneur.com/startingabusiness/businessideas/startupkits/article37892.html#ixzz0Lvuy0DOw

* http://education-portal.com/event_planner_certification.html
*http://www.apparelsearch.com/Employment/Guides/event_planner_organizer_learn_how.htm