Business, General Tips, Student Ambassador, Your Event Career

3 Ways to Boost Your Event Planner Salary Post-COVID!

With the end of COVID finally in sight, it’s time to turn your focus back to your business! So, how can you increase your event planner salary once things return to normal? QC Event School‘s Student Ambassador, Jenny Alperin, is here with 3 important tips! 

Jenny Alperin is a graduate of QC’s Corporate Event Planning Course and a student of the Promotional Event Planning Course. Her company, RosePOP Parties, specializes in weddings, holiday parties, corporate team-building events, and more. A master of handmade bespoke party favors, her business also provides custom gift boxes called POPBoxes. 

The Realities of the COVID Pandemic

It’s no secret that the pandemic of 2020 majorly affected the event planning industry – as well as the event planner salary. Over the past year and a half, we’ve seen events being canceled and/or postponed for unknown periods of time. In the beginning, event planners were lenient on their client’s financial obligations, in terms of cancellations and postponements. After all, life was basically placed on pause indefinitely. As such, we wanted to be flexible and understanding to our clients’ plights!

But as the months passed, event planners had to start creating policies to ensure that their businesses didn’t go under. Yes, times were tough. But still, our salaries needed to be something we could live off of.

While the COVID pandemic created challenges for events, planners grew to even more creative heights than ever before. We’ve adapted and figured out how to support our clients while boosting our own income. Virtual events emerged as something truly viable and, dare I say it, fun! Moreover, event planners added on services to their offerings to make the planning process simpler for their clients. Common examples included adding on bartending and server packages, design and party favor creation, and many other amazing, creative things! These ideas helped to boost the event planner salary so that when events do come back, we are still in business and ready to help!

The Bright Side

Here’s the good news: the end of the pandemic is finally in sight! While it may take a little bit more time for the world to feel ‘normal’ again, larger, in-person events are starting to be discussed. In no time at all, the planning process will soon begin!

In this industry, being prepared is ALWAYS important. Being prepared for life post-pandemic is no different. Event inquiries and bookings have already started picking back up, in a way event planners have never seen before. Now more than ever, it’s critical to think ahead and create your game plan for your event planning business. The goal is to avoid getting overwhelmed. You can avoid this by being prepared to take on TONS of new clients. Of course, in turn, this will have a majorly positive impact on your event planner salary!

So, what can you do to prepare yourself? Let’s look at 3 excellent ideas…

3 Ways to Boost Your Event Planner Salary Post-COVID

1. Strict – but necessary – contract clauses.

Over the course of 2020, there was much talk and action taken to create stricter payment policies within event planners’ client contracts. Clients can now expect to see clauses about non-refundable payments, as well as specific postponement and cancellation policies. As an event planner, don’t take these clauses out of your contract! And if your current contract doesn’t have these clauses, it’s time to write them in. After all, we now know what could happen… and how seriously it can affect everyone’s lives. So, protect your business!

What I Recommend

Firstly, one thing to keep (or add) to your client contract is that any payment made to you is non-refundable once paid. As event planners, we are working every day, week, and month leading up to an event. As such, even if the event doesn’t happen, there was still time invested and work completed. However you structure your payment plan, consider every payment made listed as nonrefundable.

Additionally, I recommend keeping or adding postponement fees to your client contract. When a client books you to be their event planner, they are booking a specific date that you are now holding for that specific client. You may even turn away other prospective clients who need your services for that date. Thus, when a client moves their event date, you’ve potentially lost money. So, it’s completely acceptable to charge a change-the-date fee. Mind you, I wouldn’t charge too much, because you still want to be reasonable. However, a change-the-date fee around the ballpark of $200 shows the client that your time is valuable.

2. Outsource your knowledge.

Websites need traffic in order to sell their products and/or services. As such, you can add to your event planner salary by writing content for these companies! Blogs are an incredible way to boost Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and value to potential clients. Since this is a valuable and necessary part of a company’s marketing efforts, writing blogs for other companies can be a lucrative way to boost your income. In turn, this will also boost your credibility as an expert in the event planning industry! Plus, you’ll be helping potential clients and partners learn about you and your business, on somewhere other than your website and social channels.

3. Obtain an event planner certification.

No, technically you do not need an event planner certification to work in the industry. But it’s a REALLY great way to boost your event planner salary! On top of that, it’ll benefit your career in so many other ways, too!

Having a certification and continuing education credits easily qualifies your skills to potential clients. It’s a recognition that people across all industries understand, whether they’re familiar with event planning or not. Clients like to know that the person they’re hiring to plan their event has put time and effort into mastering their craft. A reputable certification shows that commitment by you immediately!

When you have a certification from a legitimate school, such as QC Event School, you can raise your rates and increase your event planner salary. The more qualifications you earn, the higher you can raise the prices of all of your services! Plus, it’ll be easier to sell those services to potential clients. Personally, I am always looking for continuing education, intensive programs, and other ways to learn about the event planning industry from qualified professionals. Every time I complete a course, I increase my prices. It’s fun to learn – and it’s satisfying to make more money for my company in the process!

Your Event Planner Salary: Food for Thought

In conclusion, the event planning industry was hit harder than arguably ever before during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, event planners are emerging more adaptable and that much stronger! We’re clearer on how to handle client payments, deal with the unexpected, and ready to take on the event boom that’s about to hit.

I strongly urge you to look into certifications and continuing education through QC Event School. Boost your knowledge, arm your business with its strongest weapon, and ultimately, increase your event planner salary.

Please leave a comment below, telling me your thoughts! And remember, you can always reach out to me directly on QC’s Virtual Classroom on Facebook. Thank you for reading! 🙂

Boost your event planner salary in as little as 3-6 months by getting professionally trained and certified with QC Event School! Click here to enroll today!

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