Meeting Planner Careers

Meeting and convention planners need many skills to function effectively in a very hands-on professional career. Many have bachelor degrees in meeting management. However, the biggest part of training is on the job learning from a seasoned planner. Nevertheless, there are additional skills that can open doors for a meeting planner.

Mastering a second or third language is always a wise investment for a meeting planner. This often includes building a knowledge base about the customs and geography of targeted countries. Communication is a core skill for meeting planners; knowing a second language builds confidence, increases client base, and demonstrates your ability to go the extra mile.

What software does the company use? Can you just get by or are you competent with the software? Company software should be second nature to a meeting planner; after all, it is a vital tool of the trade. Take some extra classes and earn the rank of expert. Hone your Internet skills; the World Wide Web is constantly growing and changing, adapt right along with it.

Keep current with technology. Cell phones, PDA’s, net books, and hand-held GPS systems are tools every meeting planner needs to use confidently and competently. Combine these tools with social networking skills and you will be at the head of the meeting planner class.

When preparing for a different career, one of the most crucial aspects you must consider is the salary. Meeting planner income varies broadly depending on the specialty, but there are a few common guidelines to check when deciding on a career.

National Statistics

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.Bls.Gov) reports that in May of 2006 a convention planner's median annual wages were $42,180, with the bottom end of the income scale at under $26,000 and the upper ten percent making more than $70,000. The agency further separated the specialties, stating business, professional, and political event planners made the highest amount, around $45,000, and the lowest wages were earned by persons in the travel industry at $38,270. Salary.Com reports current salaries at $53,532, with variations allowed for location and category.

Salary by Type

The type of planning you would like to do will determine a lot vis-а-vis your income and benefits. Corporate Meeting planners can get paid around $45,000 as the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports, but there are diverse types of corporate event planners. For example, meeting and convention planners could make a bigger salary than those who put together department and team building meetings.

Outside the corporate world, employees of nonprofits often have somewhat lesser salaries than corporate planners, but freelancers experience a more tough time — they are self employed and many times labor extra hours as well. College and university event planner incomes may be more in the middle to low end of the event planner income range.

Salary by Location

If you are interested in a definite location for your event planner career, you must look for statistics by state and city. For example, if you presently reside in a little town in Iowa but plan to relocate to the East coast, do a study not only on average salaries, but also on cost of living, commute times, job availability, etc., before you reach your final decision. You may uncover that a city that offers extraordinary salaries also has a high cost of living and it would benefit you to look for an alternative place.

Nonetheless how you make your career decisions, investigation and education are important.

According to a US News & World Report on December 28, 2009:
“A Meeting Planner is one of the 50 best careers of 2010, and should have a strong growth over the next decade.”

According to the weekly news magazine's report, the employment of meeting and convention planners "is expected to grow faster than the average for all professions over the next decade or so" thanks to the "growing importance of meetings to increasingly global companies."

Because the recession caused a contraction of the meetings industry in 2009, U.S. News said today's meeting planners have to be "tougher," "willing to negotiate for lower costs and better perks," and "willing to face tough questions on budgets and return on investment."

Despite companies' reduced meeting budgets, however — and in spite of the AIG effect, which caused an unfortunate association of off-site meetings with corporate excess in 2009 — U.S. News concluded that "most organizations recognize the value of the face-to-face meeting — as not just a perk but an imperative for companies that have greater global reaches."

Anticipate this future need for meeting planners and establish yourself by enrolling in a Meeting and Event Planning Certificate Program. This type of certificate program will give you the knowledge to position yourself for the future with a new career or enhance your current job or validate skills you are already using in your personal or professional life.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of meeting, event and convention planners is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations over the 2006-16 decade. Additional job openings will come from the need to replace workers who leave the workforce or transfer to other occupations. Career opportunities will be best for individuals who have earned a bachelors degree and who have some meeting planning experience.

Employment change. Employment of meeting, event and convention planners is expected to grow 20 percent over the 2006-16 decade, which is much faster than the average for all occupations.

As businesses and organizations become increasingly global, meetings and conventions become  more important. In organizations that span the country or the globe, the periodic meeting is increasingly the only time the organization can bring all of its members together.

Despite the proliferation of alternative forms of communication, such as e-mail, videoconferencing, and the Web, face-to-face interaction is still a necessity. In fact, new forms of communication foster interaction and connect individuals and groups that previously would not have collaborated. By increasing the number of human connections, electronic forms of communication actually increase the demand for meetings, which may offer the only opportunity for these people to interact in person.

Source:  US Bureau of Labor Statistics

Meeting and convention planners search for prospective meeting venues, which may be hotels, convention centers, or conference centers. They issue requests for proposals to all the sites in which they are interested. These requests state the meeting dates and outline the planners’ needs for the meeting or convention, including meeting and exhibit space, lodging, food and beverages, telecommunications, audio-visual requirements, transportation, and any other necessities.

The venues respond with proposals describing what space and services they can supply, and at what prices. Meeting and convention planners review these proposals and either make recommendations to top management or choose the site themselves.

Once the location is selected, meeting and convention planners arrange support services, coordinate with the facility, prepare the site staff for the meeting, and set up all forms of electronic communication needed for the meeting or convention, such as e-mail, voice mail, video, and online communication.

Many of these blog posts have been about the various meeting planner careers that are available to you. It doesn’t matter whether you want to plan events for nonprofits, weddings and honeymoons, corporate meetings, or incentive travel for top employees–there is a career to match your creative streak.

However, do you know what the job prospects are for your chosen profession? The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook has many of the answers you’re looking for. Even with the recession and government frown in the direction of meetings and planners, it says that this profession is expected to grow faster than average between 2006 and 2016.

It also says that some of this will be due to natural attrition–some people will retire, some will move on to other professions, and some may switch professions within the planning category. That said, the handbook also tells us, “Unlike workers in some occupations, meeting and convention planners often can change industries relatively easily, so they often are able to move to different industries in response to the growth or declines in particular sectors of the economy.”

This is important to consider when choosing your specialty. Think about the days when you might want to switch, or pretend that you are only planning a five-year-long career. If you think about where you want to go, and it’s within the meetings profession, you can start planning for it while you’re working and training now.

Thinking ahead should be one of your strong points as a meeting planner–use it for yourself as well, and be on top of things when you need a change.

If you have checked out the career path of an event planner, you already know that there are many different ways you can go. From corporate jobs to freelance world, the possibilities are enormous. Here are some popular careers in the field to help you narrow down your choices.

Meeting Planners

These employees are entrusted with organizing, budgeting, arranging, and executing all kinds of meetings. From corporate board meetings to team building get-togethers, the meeting planner should be ready to assemble events from formal evenings to paint-ball competitions. Knowledge of VOIP is important, as some companies who want to hold international meetings turn to the internet to save money and time. Read more…

When planning for a new career, one of the most important aspects you should consider is the salary. Event planner salaries vary widely depending on the specialty and who you talk to, but there are some general guidelines to check when deciding on a career.

National Statistics

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov) says that in May of 2006 a convention planner’s median annual earnings were $42,180, with the low end of the salary scale at under $26,000 and the upper ten percent earning more than $70,000. The agency further divided the categories, stating business, professional, and political event planners made the highest amount, around $45,000, and the lowest wages were earned by those in the travel industry at $38,270. Salary.com reports current salaries at $53,532, with variations allowed for location and specialty. Read more…