Meeting Planner Careers

When you get out into the world, you may be handed an assignment to plan an event outside your city. For the sake of illustration, your boss or client may say, “We need to hold a meeting, but we want it to be in Las Vegas so we can have some fun, too.”

TARP notwithstanding, you imagine yourself trying to coordinate everything from your small office in New York city, destined to work from 1:00 a.m. until midnight every day for the next two months. However, it will not be that way because you will have a destination management company on the other end.

Destination management companies specialize in organizing meetings on the other end. You will be calling on this company to help you work out the logistics of travel, accommodations, conference centers, and other details long before the event’s doors open.

Destination management can be one of your best friends as a planner, especially if you are just starting your career. If you have been in it awhile and have just been handed your first off-shore assignment, they will be even more important–you have to deal with travel restrictions, alerts, possible language and culture barriers, and unanticipated passport/visa entry restrictions.

Sometimes a good way to find your perfect best friend is to ask around. Get some references and word-of-mouth advertising, which is something we all rely on to help us get the word out.

Once you have completed your degree and are ready to start your career as an independent meeting planner, you may be wondering where to start. Even if you had an internship somewhere–and let’s face it, almost every graduate has had at least one–you still may not know how to approach self-employment. A word to the wise here would be, “don’t.”

Although you can certainly end up with your own meeting planning company, the fact is you will want some experience with an established company related to your future plans. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Event Planners

If you want to work with special events and festivals, try getting jobs in booking agencies, promotional companies, theaters, and public relations before you try this on your own. While you’re employed elsewhere, you can build relationships with people you will need to know later while you build your skill sets. Read more…