Getting Into the Event Planning Business

Event planning can be a great career option for anyone who is organized, social and outgoing. For the right person, planning an event can be a creative experience as well as a lot of fun. So if this sounds like something that you would like to do, then pursuing a career in event planning can be the right venture for you.

To get into the event planning business, you don't really need a college degree or any other specialized certificate. As long as you are good at organizing, and have the creative skills to plan and execute events you can make it big in this business.

Having said that keep in mind that this business is not going to fetch you over night success. It takes hard work, effective marketing and time before you can taste true success. Remember no legitimate business will offer you quick success.

What you should know about event planning

There are a lot of resources available that can guide you or inform you about how you can go about setting up your business. And although these days anyone with a little working capital and internet connection can easily start a home business, if you want to get established in this business it is going to take a lot more than just a website or a few business cards. Remember people are going to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in an event, and as an organizer or event planner it will be your job to ensure that their money is well spent.

So go forward only after you have researched, re- researched and gathered all relevant information about your industry.

Starting small is always the best option. You could start by organizing birthday parties for kids in your neighborhood or community. Or look out for church or a charitable institute events. Don't just pick up jobs that pay; sometimes the best way to gain experience and build up a reputation is by volunteering or offering your services for free. You might also want to work with an already established event planning company, gain some first hand work experience before taking the plunge.

Whether the event is big or small, you will have to deal with responsibilities such as selecting venue space, organizing and engaging vendors, selecting menus, taking care of seating arrangements, creating itineraries, selecting insurance, managing billings and drawing out legal contracts among other things. So as is obvious, this is not an easy job. You will have to painstakingly go through each and every detail of your planning as well as run through your execution list a zillion times before the "D" day.