If you want to become a corporate event planner, it's important to understand that this career differs from a general events or party planning career. Although all event planners need good organizational skills and a strong attention to detail, corporate event planners have to keep the tone business-like and always pay attention to marketing strategies such as company branding. Even if a corporate event is more casual such as a golf tournament, details such as using the company colors and logo in the invitations to clients must be observed. The best way to become a corporate event planner is to have a business background with a network of contacts, but determination and perseverance are the most important qualifications. For example, if you can manage to convince a smaller business to hire you to plan a small event and do well at this to gain a reference, you will have started a path to your goal of becoming a corporate events planner.
If finding paid work proves difficult at first and you’re determined to become a corporate event planner, you may be able to gain references and work experience by volunteering to plan an event or two for a local charity. Make sure you have professional-looking business cards and hand these out to attendees at each event, if this is acceptable to your client. Also, hand out customer feedback cards along with a business card. This helps new corporate events planners hone their skills and make any needed improvements to their event planning.
Skills necessary to become a corporate event planner include being highly organized, staying calm under pressure and being able to work within a budget. Corporate clients tend to have a set budget for events and it can be challenging for event planners to get catering costs, speakers, marketing materials and a suitable venue to fit into the business budget. A strong knowledge of convention center and other corporate venues and their rental costs per event are needed by anyone who hopes to become a corporate event planner.
Corporate event planners must also know how to arrange for the correct audio visual presentation equipment and other details for meetings, seminars and conferences. He or she must manage and oversee all the details for numerous types of corporate events such as trade shows, new product launches, team building events and board of directors meetings. Handling all of the planning and execution of the details calmly, successfully and professionally to meet your client’s expectations should be your ultimate goal.