Meeting Planner Careers

Whether you are just starting out in the field of event and meeting planning, or are a seasoned professional constantly on the lookout for ways to improve and grow your business, there are certain must-have items that you should quickly acquire, if you do not have them already. These items will assist you in increasing awareness of your services, in coming across as professional and reliable, in ensuring that people you meet will remember you, and in bringing in new clients. While each of the three must-have items listed below may seem simple, once you begin to use them you will quickly see their value as part of building a solid foundation on which to expand your client base and grow your list of contacts.
 

1. A professional website – If you do not already have a website, you need one immediately. Even if you only have basic information on a home page, it is absolutely essential to establish an online presence and have a convenient place for potential clients to obtain information about your services.
2. Business cards – Whether they are simple or sophisticated, business cards are an absolute must. Order them now and carry them with you everywhere you go. You never know when you might meet someone who will be important to your business.
3. Thank you cards – You can opt for stylishly imprinted cards with elaborate designs or simple blank cards from your local stationary store, but you should always have thank you cards on hand. Thank everyone for everything. People like to feel appreciated and it will help them remember you.

You already know that attending networking functions and connecting with local businesspeople are an important part of increasing awareness of your meeting or event planning services. You also know that networking events are a great way to meet both potential clients and vendors that you might like to work with in the future. But, there is more to making the most of networking functions than simply showing up and shaking a few hands. To get the most out of social networking events, you need to plan ahead, be prepared and have a plan in place for following up with the folks you meet at the function.

Planning ahead and being prepared includes making sure you have enough business cards and written materials to distribute to everyone you meet, practicing your elevator speech and making sure that your appearance and demeanor will appropriately display your professionalism and personable nature. You want attendees to feel comfortable in your presence, to want to know more about you and your services, and to quickly become confident in your ability to provide professional, reliable meeting or event planning services.

Aside from planning ahead for the event, you should also plan tasks for the days following the event. These tasks should include following up with everyone you spoke to with an email or handwritten card expressing how pleased you were to meet them, scheduling lunches with people who might be particularly helpful to you and visiting the websites of attendees to learn more about them.

Joining local business organizations and attending networking meetings or socials are essential tasks for meeting planners trying to break into the business or expand their current client base. Networking functions are an excellent way to meet potential clients, connect with local vendors, find new staff members as your business grows and get your name out there as a meeting or event planner who is accepting new clients. Networking socials and meetings are also a great way for shy or reserved folks to practice speaking about their business to strangers and to work on their people skills, which are particularly important to meeting planners.

Of course, it is not enough to simply attend networking functions and introduce yourself around. Following up with the folks you meet is just as important as making that initial contact. While you may have handed out your business cards and spoke about your meeting or event planning services, you must keep in mind that each attendee met plenty of other people as well; therefore, you must take extra steps to ensure that they remember you and that you will be in the back of their minds when they are need of planning services or when one of their friends or colleagues asks if they happen to know a good event planner.

It is not difficult to start a career in event planning. In short, an event planner is responsible for the logistical details of planning parties, luncheons, and other organized events for both individuals and businesses. A professional image, both personally and as a company, is far more important than a college degree or formal training in event planning. There are a number of steps to help you get started with your new career as an event planner right away. The good news is it does not take a lot of startup cash to open your new business.

1) Decide on a business name and get a domain name. Image is everything in the world of event planning. Pick a catchy name and buy a domain for a web site. Your design can be simple and done using a Web template, or you could pay a few hundred dollars for the services of a web designer to create a really snazzy page. Read more…

Meeting planners are facing an era of insecurity, it’s true. With companies making cutbacks that often include events, meetings, and incentive travel, the meeting planner has to think of new ways to increase business. This may mean increasing your client base. How do you do that? Read on for some ideas.

Volunteer

Advertising, handing out business cards, calling potential clients, meeting up with decision makers–all of this is the old way of increasing exposure. There is another way, and it is not all that new but it has become more critical lately–and the best thing is, it doesn’t have to cost much.

You can increase your visibility by service and volunteerism. Volunteering at the local Red Cross, for instance, will increase your visibility to anyone who works with them. There are also other community groups that are in constant need of volunteers. Whether you would rather be a volunteer firefighter or a driver for the physically challenged, there is a place for you. Read more…