Corporate Event Planning, From the Experts, Student Ambassador
5 Secrets to Becoming a Corporate Event Planner
Kathy Snow is a Student Ambassador of QC Event School. She is currently enrolled in QC’s Promotional Event Planning Course, and has successfully graduated from the Corporate Event Planning, Event & Wedding Planning, and Event Decor Courses. Before joining the team at ‘All About Presentations’, Kathy operated as a contractual event planner; having worked for many companies and getting ample experience under her belt. You can learn more about Kathy here.
Congratulations! You have taken the first step to pursuing more information about QC Event School’s Corporate Event Planning Course. We’re thrilled that you’ve chosen to find out more information, and I hope that you enjoy and learn as much as I have from QC! Here, I will discuss some of my “secrets” to keeping you – as a corporate event planner – on track and successful, while dealing with corporate events and clients.
So, let’s jump into it!
What is a Corporate Event Planner?
Corporate event planning is filled with a lot of responsibilities and anxiety. But it’s also filled with excitement, and is incredibly rewarding!
As a corporate event planner, you will often get both of these experiences at the exact same time. But don’t worry! There are a few secrets that I’ve personally learned in my experience as a professional planner. Are you ready for the first secret? Here it is:
No matter what kind of event you’re hosting or planning, organization will ALWAYS be key!
This might seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how difficult it can sometimes be to remain organized once you feel even the slightest bit flustered. However, the more organized you are, the easier your job will ultimately be. It all boils down to how you set yourself up, and take on each task. This will often determine the overall flow of the project. It can either create a positive and engaging, memorable event – or a stressful, inefficient, and forgettable one.
Either way, as you read on, I’ll include a few more helpful (and fun) secrets to becoming the most successful corporate event planner possible!
You might think that an event planner falls under just one category of event planning. However, corporate event planning is a whole different ballgame! Suddenly, you are dealing with a business, government agency, or corporation. You’ll be planning for a much larger crowd, with a much bigger budget, etc.
It can be overwhelming, to say the least. This is where proper, professional training comes in – and why it’s so important. For example, at QC Event School, you’re given many tools and resources to help you succeed. Through your program, you’ll also receive helpful advice from QC’s knowledgeable and successful tutors/mentors that allows you to grow and strengthen your skill-set. Once you graduate, you’ll feel confident in your planning abilities!
Once you graduate, there are many different avenues you’ll pursue – and clients you’ll associate with – in the real world of corporate event planning. You’ll collaborate with CEOs, stockholders, managers, directors, and even political or government officials. On top of this, you’ll get to work on larger events, some with massive budgets. All of this can result in more responsibilities and opportunities for you to truly shine!
Corporate event planners get the opportunity to work with some amazing people. In this line of work, you’ll really gain some insightful knowledge into what event planning entails. For instance, within these different organizations, you’ll see various kinds of events. You’ll discover how to transform concepts into designs, and bring those designs to life! Some examples of functions that corporate event planners are responsible for putting together include:
- Galas
- Charity dinners
- Conferences
- Summits
- Awards dinners
- Product launches
- Employee retreats
- Company parties
- And so much more!
By nature, corporate events usually involve more people, more teams, more engagement, and definitely more duties for you to handle. However, the result is always incredibly rewarding!
Why I Entered the World of Corporate Event Planning
Surprisingly, when asked why I pursued my corporate event planning certification, I always respond with this: “I always thought I wanted to be a wedding planner. I thought there was nothing better than making every bride’s day special and magical.”
While I still believe this is true, I quickly realized that what I really wanted to focus on was organizing larger-scaled events. I wanted to take the idea of being a wedding planner, and magnify it by 100 times. To me, the clear answer was to instead become a corporate event planner.
Among the many things I love about this area of the industry, my top favorite factors are:
- Playing a direct role in bringing such a major vision to life
- The vendors, suppliers, and venues I get to work with are always top quality
- The table placements are always unique and challenge me creatively
- The lighting – paired with its audio/visual components – for such large events is simply magical
- The ambiance that guests experience when first walking into the room is always breathtaking
I thrive on knowing that once I’m finally finished, and everything has come together, my team and I can stand back, see what we’ve created, and know that we’re the ones who’ve accomplished such a memorable, engaging experience for our clients and their guests. My pursuit into the world of corporate event planning was mainly driven by a larger desire to take on bigger, more prestigious events.
I was interested in working with companies who promoted important issues and wanted to make a difference in the world. No matter what the cause or event is, if it’s something that has specific meaning to the client, then it also has a specific meaning to me. That is what ultimately drove me to corporate event planning, rather than just wedding planning.
Pursuing Professional Training / Discovering QC Event School
QC Event School made it extremely easy for me to expand on my event planning education. Thanks to their flexible, self-paced programs, I was able to earn my Corporate Event Planning certification while still living a normal life. I was able to be with my children and work; learning on my own time.
QC allowed me to pace myself, without having to worry about deadlines or rigid schedules. I was able to take the time to really grasp and understand the material. That was especially useful for me! It really helped me gain more knowledge and graduate quicker.
Although there was no rush to finish my courses, the information was very appealing to me. It made me want to focus on my studies and move forward! If you’re currently a QC student, or you’re thinking about enrolling, here’s the best advice I can give you: do NOT feel that you must rush! You’re encouraged to learn at your best pace, and spend as much time as you need in order to really understand the subject matter.
To me, QC Event School stands out from other schools because they truly want their students feel comfortable in their online learning experience. They want to help ensure that when you all graduate, each and every one of you is properly prepared to become real, working corporate event planners.
First and foremost, QC’s tutors have helped me improve and strengthen my professional career by giving me confidence in my abilities. They always allowed me to ask questions. They were available to me at convenient times, if I ever had any questions or concerns.
Overall, the impression I got (and still get) is that they legitimately care about the well-being of their students. There were SO many great tips provided to me during my classes, too. So much so that I even created a journal to jot down my favorite ones! This way, I can always refer back to them while pursuing my career as a corporate event planner.
My Top 5 Secrets to Becoming a Successful Corporate Event Planner
As I mentioned earlier, along the way, I’ve discovered a few handy tips and tricks to becoming a successful corporate event planner. I promise that if you follow these steps, you’ll not only learn how to manage your time – you’ll also genuinely enjoy going to work every day!
1 – Organize yourself and your time!
This is essential in any area of event planning. Keep a timeline, mark crucial dates, and stay on top of when things are due. Remember: not all projects can be done at the same time. Since corporate event planning usually involves a team of people, your responsibilities need to be approached with everyone in mind. For example, in some cases, you won’t be able to complete your part of the project until the other team members have done their part first.
This is okay! Continue to work on what you can, and be prepared to move forward as soon as you’re given the green light. This will keep you on task and on time!
2 – Always have a backup plan!
Make sure that you always have a backup plan in case something unexpected happens. This is where it’ll be important for you to have other vendors in your network that you can reach out to! No matter how many times you try to make things perfect, there will almost always be something that doesn’t go quite right. The best way for you to save the situation will be to stay calm and have a backup plan ready.
3 – Communication is key!
I cannot stress enough how important communication is in corporate event planning. After all, your client’s business will have a lot at stake. From upholding the company’s brand, to potential investors, shareholders, and consumers, etc. – there are SO many other reasons why your client’s event needs to be a success.
Your job is very important! Making sure that all of your vendors, suppliers, guests, speakers, venues, etc. are on the same page and understand their part is especially important!
4 – Be as invested in the client as they are in your event planning business!
While you might be working with 5 different clients at the same time, never forget that each event is just as important as the other. Every event has meaning to the client, and so you need to put the same amount of effort into every project. Remember: they chose you and your business for a reason. This is probably because you’re amazing at what you do. So, do it, love it, earn it, and OWN IT!
5 – Remember to breathe and take a lot of mental breaks!
While this may seem almost impossible in the trenches of event season, it’s especially important to remember to take a breather. If you can’t think straight, you won’t be able to produce great results. For that reason, when things get all tangled up in the weeds, take a step back, breathe, re-evaluate, and then execute the project the best you can. While we can reach for the stars, if you sometimes hit the clouds instead, that’s okay, too! Don’t be too hard on yourself. The event will still be a success!
On that note, I wish all of you future corporate event planners the best of luck. We hope you decide to join the QC community in your pursuit to earn your certification!
