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Event Planning Careers Thrive in These 6 Industries

Event planning is a career path without limits. Now, just about every industry utilizes events as a form of marketing, networking, or for personal purposes. This means that event planners have more opportunities than ever to thrive in their careers.

Continue reading to learn about the top 6 industries that event planners can (and should) pursue for thriving careers.

Film & Entertainment

You may not realize it, but you’ve probably witnessed the work of film and entertainment event planners before. There are so many events that happen on an annual basis in these industries. Hollywood folk sure know how to party!

If you like the idea of planning large scale events, there is a lot of opportunity for you in the film and entertainment industries. How does planning the Cannes Film Festival sound? Or the Oscars? It may not be easy to start planning events of this scale. Luckily, there are smaller scale events that need planning wherever you are. Local theaters always have opening nights! Plus, holidays are always in need of party coordinating. This is a great way to get some experience before applying to plan more glamorous events.

There are two main points to consider when thinking about pursuing a career in these industries. First, its cutthroat. All the glitz and glamour attracts planners everywhere. You need to be the best! If you have the proper training and gain the right experience, you won’t have any issues. Another thing to consider about these industries has to do with the scale of planning required. More often than not, you will be working with other planners. If you want complete creative control, this may not be the industry for you.

Sports

Sports will forever be popular. Whether its basketball, soccer or figure skating, people love to watch! When events draw large crowds there’s a lot to coordinate. From the Superbowl to regular season games and events, planning is a necessity. Without event planners, sports and their teams would have some pretty unhappy fans!

Organization is a must in any event planning career. But it’s especially important when so many details depend on your coordination. The sports industry crafts some busy careers. Planning these events can be very rewarding when you see how happy they make people!

If you’re interested in a career in sports event planning, make sure you have the right attitude. This is an industry for tough cookies. You’ll need to be able to handle pressure from management, sponsors and fans. Do it right and you’ll create an amazing atmosphere and memories to be enjoyed by all.

Hotel & Hospitality

The hotel and hospitality industries are no strangers to event planners. The wonderful thing about a career in these industries is that it can take you anywhere – literally. There are hotels and resorts scattered throughout the world. And with travel being easier than ever, they all have a lot of competition.

In order to be successful, industry participants need to give guests experiences that will keep them coming back.

Locally or abroad, there is no shortage of work available to you. These industries are very customer oriented. You’ll need to be good with people and have some business and marketing knowledge. Fret not! There are plenty of courses that can teach you about these subjects, and plenty of venues waiting to hire you afterward.

An event planning career in these industries does not fit a basic mold. Depending on where you work and the goals each business has, you may find yourself doing different things. In metropolitan areas, you may be planning conferences or showcases. If you work in a travel destination, you’ll likely focus your days more on planning events for visitors. The latter of which definitely requires creativity and the ability to come up with fresh ideas.
There is no shortage of fun to be had in the hotel and hospitality industries if you are ready to take it on!

Corporate

Business minded event planners tend to congregate in corporate industries. A career here will involve working as an in-house planner. The other scenario is that you could end up working for contracted event planning companies. You could always start your own corporate planning business as well, but you’ll need some experience first!

Regardless of how you participate in the corporate industry, we can tell you a bit about the events you’ll be planning. Meetings, conferences, networking events and trade shows all require the help of an event planner. Today, business is a lot about networking, and these events are an opportunity for businesses to do so. You’ll need to impress guests with elements like event technology and top-of-the-line catering!

Professionalism is key in this industry. A lot of the events you are planning will cater toward other business or consumers. You can thrive in this industry as a planner, and there is also room for career movement. That’s always a plus! If you are an ambitious planner, working in corporate industries may be a good fit for you!

Wedding

The wedding industry is a classic favorite for event planners. These careers are both rewarding and lucrative. Plus, the industry has high and low seasons, which is great for those looking to transition gradually into an event planning career. It’s also a benefit if you like the idea of seasonal work! Don’t get us wrong, wedding planning is in demand all year round, but there are definitely more opportunities in the warmer months.

A career in the wedding industry requires a great deal of creativity and patience. After all, your clients will be hiring you to plan one of the most special days of their lives! We’re sure you’ve heard of the term “Bridezilla” or seen one of the many movies about crazy weddings! Luckily, this is rarely the case.

However, you still need to prepare for whatever comes your way. Oftentimes, brides try to plan their own weddings and then realize they could use the help of a professional event planner. At this point, you may have to accommodate whatever vendors or elements that are already set in stone.

Some of the weddings you plan will be visions of perfection. That’s why so many are drawn to wedding planning careers. There are also opportunities to work freelance or start your own business. Make sure you are ready to work with budgets and weddings of varying scale. From luxury to destination to rustic weddings, there is no limit to what you will find yourself planning!

Not-for-Profit

Philanthropic planners everywhere flock to charity and not-for-profit industries. This is definitely a rewarding career, so we don’t blame them! There is also a variety of events that require planning in these industries.

It’s hard to say exactly where you’ll end up if you pursue this type of planning as a career. There is a big gap between the requirements of small and large scale events. From fundraisers to celebrity causes, you can end up anywhere! If you have a heart of gold and an inclination to help others, this is the career for you.

Remember that each event will have different goals. But regardless, you will need to be good at balancing a budget. After all, there’s no point in throwing a fundraising gala if no money is raised for the cause!

We hope that one of these 6 industries is calling to you. If so, you’re in luck. Each and every one of these industries offer thriving careers for event planners. So train up and dive in!

Interested in a specific industry? Check out QC’s variety of online event planning courses!

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