ABC of building a career in Event Management
Ever wondered how everything in a big event, say Filmfare Awards or opening ceremony of Commonwealth Games, comes together and works like a clockwork precision? Food, lights, seating, decoration, security, music, performances, sequencing, stage props, transportation, crowd management, publicity and what not – an event has so many moving parts like an Orchestra – but who runs this show? Yes, the event managers, and with an increase in corporate and personal events, their demand is ever increasing! Let’s dig deep into the realm of event management.
Types of Event –
There are three main categories of events that you’ll be handling in the field- private, corporate, and charity.
Private – Theme parties, award ceremonies, weddings, and anniversary.
Corporate – Conference, seminars, meetings, team building event, trade shows, business diaries, press conference, networking event, incentive travel, opening ceremonies, and product launch.
Charity – Charitable auctions, marathons, cycling contests, and fundraising.
How to prepare –
Some of the ways to prepare yourself for career in event management are –
1. NGO participation – Instead of just volunteering, become the fundraiser or an organiser for an NGO. For example, if you are contributing for a healthcare NGO, organise an awareness campaign or if you are contributing for an NGO working in education domain, organise a teaching session or seminar. The experience you gain while contributing as an organiser will help you understand the different aspects of event management.
2. Learn digital campaigning – Acquaint yourself with the basics of digital marketing. Create, manage, and promote campaigns in digital media at a local level like your college fests. Creating a fest’s Facebook page is a great way to try your hand on digital marketing, where you can manage and promote the fest through different ways on Facebook.
3. Get Certified Meeting Planners (CMP) certification – The International Special Events Society offers a Certified Special Events Planner (CSEP) program, which can help you learn a few tricks and establish your credibility with recruiters. It’s also helpful to get involved with Meeting Planners International (MPI) to keep up with industry trends and establish contacts within the industry.
College courses – National Academy of Event Management and Development (NAEMD) is a good way of getting started with your event management dreams. It offers several courses like MBA, BBA, and a diploma in event management where you can learn theoretical concepts about events. It also helps you get internships in event management companies apart from providing the contacts of other people in the industry. Many colleges across India also offer event management courses – National Institute of Event Management (NIEM), Indian Institute of Learning and Advanced Development, and EMDI Institute of Media & Communication are some of the top colleges offering such courses.
How to apply?
1. Create Portfolio – Create an event portfolio and showcase your work with photos, brochures, and invitations of the events you’ve worked on. Organize each of them in a book to visually present your experience. Check out Savannah Ruhl‘s portfolio and Melissa Franklin’s portfolio to get some idea. You can also find some guidelines about the portfolio making here.
2. Look for recommendations – Search for people in the event management industry and try to connect with them. You can use LinkdIn or Facebook to reach them. Also, get in touch with the HRs of top event management companies. Wizcraft, TAFCON, Cineyug and Percept are some of the India’s largest names in the event management industry.
3. College Placements – Most of the event management colleges offer good placements and invite companies like UTV, Percept, Zee, and Cinyug to their campuses. Whether it is the Bollywood awards shows, gala weddings, trade shows, or music festivals, they offer opportunities in all fields for internships and placements.
Skills you’ll learn –
Experience is the only way up in the event management industry and internships, in this case, are the best option. The important skills that you’ll develop eventually during your internship are negotiation, budget management, customer management, multi-tasking, and labor management. As an intern, you will become more creative and will learn to find realistic solutions to the problems that are a constant part of the event world.
Future as event manager – There’s an element of style, flamboyance, glamour, and glitz associated with this multi-million dollar event management industry. As soon as an event manager gets substantial experience in this field, she can charge fees from Rs.50, 000 to Rs.1 lakh or even greater, depending on the event. Harsh Patel, a 22-year-old commerce pass out, completed his event management internship this month and shares, “As an event manager, you focus on both the nuts and bolts of the event management, as well as the marketing side of the event. As an intern, I learned to multitask and deal with a lot of people from different backgrounds. I finally have the skill of getting the work done whatever the conditions. Budget management is another skill that I added after this internship.“
Want to be a part of this glamorous and flamboyant industry? Register here and apply for event management internships now!
