How Not to Work For Yourself, Part 2
It’s a hard world out there right now for meeting planners. From government restrictions on meetings to a ruined economy, companies just are not planning what they used to. On top of that, many are no longer going to self-employed planners as contract help for their needs. So how will you survive in this jungle? Look to the properties.
Many of the hotels are using inside people to help companies plan their events. Why? Because companies are asking them to do it. Rather than pay a freelancer, they are asking the hotels for help with planning events, sometimes holding the entire shindig in one place.
Hotels, on the other hand, are having to dedicate an employee’s time to helping each client. Rather than dump the complexity of a conference in the hands of a desk clerk, they are looking to their own in-house planners to serve the clients.
What this means to you is that some properties may be ramping up their conference departments, or at the very least starting one. This will not only help the hotel managers attract business, but it will help them catch the eye of companies or groups that might need last minute accommodations, a typically difficult thing for a third party planner to find.
Current convention services employees will no doubt find that they have increased responsibility, but some of these departments may be hiring new help, even if only part time. If you are looking for a way to get started as a business meeting planner, look for one of these positions to start off. Build your experience, reputation, and maybe even a bit of a following so you don’t have to hunt down clients if you do decide to start your own planning business.
