Meeting Planner Careers

Anyone considering a career as a meeting planner is likely to wonder just how much they can make. This is certainly a fair question for anyone considering a new career to ask, but the answer depends greatly upon a number of different variables. First and foremost is where one chooses to work.

Corporate meeting planners can start off with near-college graduate salary if they are competent regardless of whether they possess a degree or not. There are certainly arguments that suggest that corporate meeting planning might soon be a very large market and thus it is likely that education requirements are going to remain low while wages and responsibilities will increase.

Even more lucrative are the freelance meeting planner positions that allow those with the talent and drive to leverage their skills and connections for the mutual benefit of multiple clients. The results can be very impressive when it comes to raw numbers and the sky really is the limit in terms of earnings. On the downside, benefits are not going to be part of the package 99.9% of the time, but with a six-figure earning potential that may not be a severe downside.

Those working for smaller and medium sized businesses will have to flex their multitasking skills for a more modest salary but there may be benefits and perks down the road. For example, promotions from within are usually the order of the day at smaller and medium sized organizations.

Meeting planners that are considered to be extremely successful do not get to be where they are simply by accident. They get to be known as effective meeting planners because they know a few secrets that their less-well known counterparts do not. Here are the top three secrets of effective meeting planners.

Names – Never forget a name of anyone. This is true of the most high-powered executive or politician right down to the bellhop at the hotel everyone is staying at. Why? People love their own names and meeting planners who remember names are statistically more likely to be viewed in a positive light than those who do not.

Shake it up – Meeting planners that plan the same kind of meetings should expect the same kind of results. This may not be bad if the results are already stellar, but repetition does get old. A change of venue or a new catering company could be just what it takes to make an event more memorable.

Never forget an appointment – A Smart Phone and/or netbook may be required to keep a schedule, but that is a small price to pay for being effective. Learning to take notes while listening or offering feedback is important.

Smile – Believe it or not, studies show that people who smile more get promotions and assignments more often than those who do not. This is true regardless of skill or aptitude.