Event Planning Tips, Planning Tips, Your Event Career
6 Books Every Event Planner Should Read
Being a busy event planner, you may not always have time to sit down and enjoy a good book. While a quick search on Google can bring up hundreds of thousands of helpful articles or webpages that’ll satiate your learning-bug, don’t overlook the old-school way of acquiring knowledge—books! If you’re not into staring at printed words on a yellowing page, web and audio options are great 21st century alternatives that won’t break the bank.
As a professional in a dynamic industry, you should always be learning. New trends and technologies are begging to be examined and incorporated into the way we plan events. You have to be in-the-know so that you can provide the best service to your clients. And while you can bet that there’s a wikia on event planning, nothing beats a detailed book written by a well-established event planning professional.
Ready to hit the stacks? Here’s a guide to the 6 books every event planner should read!
1. Dr. Joe Goldblatt—Special
Events: A New Generation and the Next Frontier
Although this is more of a textbook than a text for casual reading, don’t let the ISBN turn you away! It’s a great step-by-step guide to planning and managing an event and discusses adapting yourself to the realities of the industry. Dr. Goldblatt talks theory, eco-friendly planning, social responsibility, and also provides you with case-studies to give you a taste of some of the issues in event planning. You’ll also gain access to hundreds of online resources and appendices. If you’re new to the scene, this book will give you the biggest bang for your buck!
2. Judy Allen—Marketing Your Event Planning Business: A Creative Approach to Gaining the Competitive Edge
Judy Allen is one of the world’s most recognized event planners. A prolific writer of over 10 event planning books, many of which became Best-Sellers, she’s covered it all. Who wouldn’t want advice from a woman who’s planned huge events in over 30 countries all over the world? In such a highly competitive industry, it can be hard to keep your business afloat. This book covers everything you need to know about marketing your business effectively and diversifying your client base. Setting yourself apart from competitors is hard, but Allen teaches you how to do just that.
3. Mindy Weiss with Lisbeth Levine—The Wedding Book
While it’s the only book on our list that specifically centered on weddings, this one publication is enough! Mindy Weiss is a celebrity wedding planner, so you can bet she knows her stuff when it comes to orchestrating a huge wedding extravaganza. This comprehensive book will give you all the tips and tricks you’ll need to survive planning a wedding. From advising your clients on announcing their engagement to tips on preserving some wedding cake for the 1-year anniversary, this book has got you covered.
4. Laura Capell—Event Management for Dummies
No list would be complete without a “for Dummies” book! This book covers everything from how to start and run your event planning business, to actually creating and running events! Like the other books in the “for Dummies” series, this one promises to be unpretentious. Trying to understand complex jargon can be a pain for newbies, so if you want a solid resource that’s easy to read and understand, look no further!
5. Jon Petz—Boring Meetings Suck: Get More Out of Your Meetings, Or Get Out of More Meetings
Moving on from such a serious entry in our list of books, here’s one that is on the opposite end of the spectrum. Casual in tone, this engaging book can, at times, have you doubled over in laughter. It isn’t all jokes and no substance, though. We all know that some meetings can be so boring that you walk out of the conference room having learned nothing—the polar opposite of what’s supposed to happen! Petz goes over strategies on audience engagement that you can use to make sure that your clients achieve their goals for the event. If you’re the head of a big company, you can also use these strategies to organize your team and create a well-oiled machine.
6. Jerry Weintraub—When I Stop Talking, You’ll Know I’m Dead
Weintraub worked as a concert promoter for Elvis—a classic example of “you-know-you-made-it-when”. One can only imagine how stressful and chaotic his job was. He uses his experiences in such a dynamic environment to inform up-and-coming event planners about all the unsuspecting situations that can arise in blockbuster events. Some issues can be quick-fixes but others really require you to be quick on your feet and creative. In this book, he shares some personal stories from his illustrious career that will inspire you and reignite your passion for event planning.
