Meeting Planner Careers

Becoming an event planner can be a fun and rewarding process. Many people with degrees in business, marketing, hospitality, communications, public relations, and more end up in the lucrative and fun field of event planning. If you are interested in this field, here is a short guide to help you seek educational certification.

College Degrees

While experience is considered the best teacher, a college degree is critical certification these days. A two year degree in business with a few years of experience in the field of event planning–even in the capacity as an assistant–can help you land a good job in the industry.

A bachelor’s degree is even better, and chances are good you could earn an internship or externship, for either a salary or college credit, to get your first experience in event planning. There are even advanced degrees available in meeting management, and advanced degrees in marketing would be a huge benefit to job seekers in meeting planning. Read more…

Many companies are trimming the fat from their expenditures, which means that the face of event planning is changing. In spite of that, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov) expects faster than average growth for this industry. Here are some tips on how to become an event planner.

Education

Schooling for event planners can cover almost any business topic–general business, marketing, advertising, communications, public relations, and hospitality, just to name a few. Sometimes a two-year degree will be sufficient. There are now degrees available in meetings management, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Many companies also expect certification. You can earn the well-respected Certified Meeting Professional credential, or CMP, from the Convention Industry Council. Read more…