The 4 Coolest Event Planner Jobs We Wished We Had
So you’ve got your event planning certificate in hand and want to know if there’s more than just wedding parties and corporate functions ahead of you. Well, there certainly are!
While some of these jobs are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, it’s important to know that every one of the planners behind these huge programs started from somewhere. Hang tight! We’re taking you through a list of the coolest event planner jobs we can only wish we had.
Product Launch
Sometimes a successful product launch party can make or break a company! Let’s look back on Apple’s successful media events. You know the one, the annual product keynote event that tells the world just how the next Apple product is going to revolutionize the industry… again! These events are usually streamed live on Apple’s website, a coordinated effort that cannot be done without the special skills of an expert event planner.
We realize not all product launch parties are as highly anticipated as Apple’s, but there’s something about the launch of something new that gets everyone excited about an event. You can’t deny that all that exciting energy is harnessed by every member of the team in preparation for the event. While it is not an event planner’s job to market the product itself, if people can associate a good product with an even better event, everyone wins!
Plus, if you get to handle a hot-shot project like an Apple Special Event, you may be held within their roster for events to come…
Celebrity Wedding
If you’re a wedding planner, there may have been at least one occasion where you considered planning for the stars. While planners take on coordination roles during a wedding to make sure that everything goes smoothly, there will be times when the planner gets to interact with guests. How cool would it be to socialize with Ellen DeGeneres during the reception, or give Rebel Wilson directions to the cocktail bar?
With big budgets to work with, you can plan the most lavish of weddings—but working creatively and trying new things within a set budget can do wonders for your career if you do it well.
Take David Tutera, he started the long-table rustic chic country wedding trend that’s sweeping the nation! His first huge client was Nancy Reagan for a party for Prince Charles for goodness sakes! Celebrity wedding planning is for trendsetters, since no one wants their special day to be media-documented and compared to Adam Levine’s back in 2014. But if you’ve got what it takes, you may end up chummy with the world’s biggest stars!
Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show
There’s no way you haven’t heard of the glitziest fashion show of the year. This international media event attracts the who’s who in the entertainment industry. With musical performances by some of the biggest names in music, (Taylor Swift, Rihanna, and Justin Bieber ring a bell?) the VS Fashion Show attracts millions of live viewers every year. While the actual fashion runway show itself is planned by artists, fashion experts, and professional set and stage designers (along with the show’s executive producers), you can’t forget that the encompassing event is just as important!
Planning this type of event goes beyond just figuring out the seating, lighting, and catering – there’s the huge media presence that must be considered! The event is broadcasted live so it’s definitely not the most forgiving format. Entertainment’s most famous photographers and journalists flock to the event, so ensuring that the industry professionals are able to enjoy the event while fulfilling their professional goals is bound to be tough.
Besides opening up dozens of doors for your career, you’ll also get to catch glimpses of silver-screen stars… what more can you ask for?
Olympic Ceremonies
The Olympic Opening Ceremony is watched on millions of screens around the world. It’s supposed to be an international stage showcasing the host country’s cultural heritage and introduce every participating nation’s star athletes. It’s a big deal.
Unlike some of the other jobs on our list, the Olympic ceremony taps into the world of celebrated athletes! They are big names in their own right, but their time in the international spotlight is short and sporadic in comparison to entertainment stars.
A whole new element of diversity is thrown into the mix. You’ve got to be seriously creative to be able to make the host country’s culture shine while not snuffing out the flame of the world’s most impressive athletes in the stadium. Remember that this grand event encourages the use of pyrotechnics—no wonder previous Olympic Ceremonies had Academy Award-winning directors at the helm. The ultimate perk? How many other people can say they’ve been in the vicinity of Usain Bolt?
You may be stuck planning high school reunions and cocktail parties for now, but a great career portfolio isn’t built in a day. If you work hard enough and network with your clients and other event planners, you might one day be tapped to plan the Grammys. Sally forth!
Enamored by luxury event planning? Check out our article on luxury event planning jobs you didn’t know existed!
