Education, General Tips, Student Ambassador, Your Event Career
4 Reasons ALL Planners Should Have Their Event Planning Certification
An aspiring event and wedding planner, Lauren Ballinger is currently a QC Event School student. She is also one of QC’s Student Ambassadors, and you can connect with her in QC’s Virtual Classroom on Facebook. Today, she’s here to reveal 4 critical reasons why all professional planners should get their event planning certification!
Is an Event Planning Certification Necessary?
Technically, no. There’s no rule that states that you need to obtain an event planning certification in order to start your own planning career. That being said, having professional training of any kind is ALWAYS extremely important! Not only does it provide you with a deeper understanding of your profession; it also gives you with a better sense of uniqueness. A reputable certification will help you stand out from competitors.
For instance, planning a party can be done without any proper training or certification. Anyone can do this. So, the question then becomes: do you want to be just ‘anyone’? Or do you want to leave a lasting impression for others to strive for?
Operating and successfully maintaining a functional business requires proper training and certification. There are many aspects to an event planning career that you may feel that you know. But without a deeper understanding, you can encounter a number of complications along the way. For this very reason, it’s important to be educated on managing and navigating through the many challenges an event planner can face. The right certification course will teach you all about proper risk management. Thus, it’ll leave you feeling more confident going forward in your career.
Moreover, it’ll give your clients a sense of ease. They can rest easy, knowing that you have the training needed to handle their special event in a professional manner – as well as any mishaps or emergencies that may arise!
4 Reasons Why EVERY Planner Should Get an Event Planning Certification
1. It’s a Stamp of Excellence!
Whether you’re pursuing a career in wedding planning, corporate events, or even small-scale milestone parties, an event planning certification tell your employers, co-workers, and clients that you’re qualified for the job. Think about it… If YOU placed yourself in the shoes of a prospective client seeking an event planner, you’d probably be more inclined to hire someone with a reputable certification on their resume.
Educational experience is a very important asset to have. Many clients are seeking a professional that they can trust. They’ll want to be certain that you have the proper knowledge and experience required to deliver a truly successful event. Not only will having an event planning certification on your resume create a visual appeal; it’ll also will enhance your reputation and assist in attracting a larger clientele to your business.
Certification training also helps increase your confidence. When you get properly trained, you’ll develop the ability to approach ANY event from all possible angles. Hence, your belief in yourself will develop alongside it!
2. An Event Planning Certification Will Help You Develop Your Portfolio!
One of the most important tools in your career will be developing a professional portfolio. Most customers will be hesitant to book you as an event planner without proof and examples of what you can do and/or accomplish for them.
As such, your portfolio will not only act as a record of all of your best work – it’ll be one of your strongest selling points. It’ll entice new clients to book with you, as they’ll be able to see evidence of the high-quality results you can deliver. By keeping photos, testimonials, brochures, news stories, social media posts, and more, you’ll be able to demonstrate your skills and charge according for your talents and recorded experience. An event planning certification will provide you with all the necessary tools needed to build an outstanding portfolio that impresses future employers and clients. Furthermore, as part of your training, you’ll learn what information should be included in your portfolio and and how to correctly display it.
As you develop your portfolio, it’s important that you don’t cover up any challenges that you’ve faced in the past. If you pretend that you’ve never encountered any problems during your career, it can have an undesired effect. For instance, a client may fear that you will not know what to do when faced with a potential problem. Instead, it’s always best to be honest. Be open with your clients about times when things hadn’t gone as planned. More importantly, discuss the steps you took to fix the problem and save the situation!
3. You’ll Learn How to Be a Success!
Are you thinking about opening your very own event planning business? If so, you might be under the impression that all you need are some organizational skills, a knack for event decor, and the ability to throw a great celebration. Yes, these are all great skills to have as an event planner. But they won’t be enough to make you successful!
A professional certification is the single greatest way to refine your overall skill-sets. The one thing that I’ve come to realize in my own journey of pursuing an event planning certification is that there is SO much to learn in order to truly thrive in this industry. Obtaining a certification through QC Event School has covered everything I needed to know – from planning an event theme, to risk management and problem solving, etc. It even offers a full unit devoted entirely to critical business knowledge!
Having this training will prepare you to properly handle any situation that you may encounter during the event planning process, as well during the event itself.
Another great perk when you get event planning certification training is that you’ll strengthen your ability to communicate with local vendors. In turn, this will help you build long-lasting, professional relationships. Having a list of vendors that you can offer to clients will demonstrate that you’ve conducted thorough research and have built connections that’ll enhance your business’s success. This will also help you improve key marketing techniques. You’ll know how to promote your company and the professional ways to get yourself noticed among your competitors!
4. An Event Planning Certification Can Increase the Price of Your Services!
By this point, you know that a professional event planning certification will drastically increase the number of clients you attract to your business. But what you may not know is that your certification can also be a valid reason for you to increase your service rates!
The more training and experience you accumulate, the more you’ll be able to raise the prices of your services to reflect this. All of your experience will illustrate the time, money, and efforts you have invested into your career. A reputable certification indicates an advanced skill-set – and you deserve to be paid for what you’re worth. Don’t be afraid that increasing your rates will cost you clients. The right customers will be happy to pay a little extra for an exceptional, reliable planner!
Getting My Event Planning Certification Through QC Event School
I chose to pursue my event planning certification through QC Event School because I wanted to get real professional training and set myself up for success in the field. Moreover, it was important that I could study online and at my own leisure. QC’s self-paced, online learning environment met this criteria. They provide all of the knowledge you’ll need to start a thriving event planning business. Plus, you’ll have the flexibility of studying at your own pace, thereby eliminating the stress of meeting deadlines.
Once I graduate from my QC courses, I’ll have acquired an International Event and Wedding Planning Professional™ (IEWP®). I’ll also receive a certificate of completion from the Accelerate Your Business workshop. I have no doubt that my courses will help me build a thriving business and flourish in the event planning industry. That being said, I can already envision myself enrolling in many more QC courses in the near future. They have SO many to offer!
Key Lessons I’ve Learned So Far
As I complete my event planning certification, I’ve come to discover that every detail counts! Whether you’re choosing color schemes or learning how to properly manage a client’s budget – it all matters. When planning an event, you want to have all the aspects planned, right down to the last detail. This is what will truly make it a success!
I’ve also learned that another major component to being successful is having clear, concise communication between all parties of the event. You will want to make sure that the clients, vendors, and staff are on the same levels. Everyone will need to have the correct information at all times. This will help eliminate any – if not all – mishaps that could possibly take place during the function.
Having QC’s event planning certification on my resume and future business name will show prospective clients that I have the appropriate understanding of how to be a professional!
Why I Recommend QC Event School
As I mentioned earlier, QC Event School offers flexibility with it’s online, self-paced learning practices. All of their courses offer you a stress-free experience with their deadline-free assignments and learn-at-your-own pace structure. It’s also awesome to be able to complete your training from the comfort of home!
When you enroll in a QC Event School course, you’re designated a personal tutor. This tutor will be an industry expert who’s up-to-date on all of the latest trends. QC also has the highest possible rating with the Better Business Bureau (A+) and is celebrating its 15th year of accreditation! Along with this, all professional certification courses offered by QC Event School are approved by the International Live Events Association!
Final Thoughts
If you’re on a quest to find an affordable way of obtaining your event planning certification, QC is the school for you! You’ll be offered affordable tuition rates, monthly payment plans, and monthly promotional offers! Plus, QC’s courses are beneficial to both new and experienced planners alike! Starting a new career path can be intimidating at first. But QC Event School will help give you the confidence and skills to make it in the industry.
Let’s make 2021 the year that you take the leap. Let QC Event School make your dream career become a reality!
Thank you for taking the time to join me today. Please feel free to leave a comment below and let me know why you think all planners need to be certified! I also hope to see you in the Virtual Classroom on Facebook! 🙂
Great read! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Love this Lauren and I completely agree! I started realizing what a difference that extra certificate makes when building your portfolio especially! Thanks for sharing!!