Event planners are tasked with ensuring that large conventions, weddings, conferences and meetings are carefully planned and well executed. Event planners are responsible for managing a wide range of tasks, which can include overseeing transportation, coordinating hotel bookings, setting up meetings, scheduling catering services and planning photography and videography shoots.
Being able to work under pressure is an important skill for these professionals. The fast pace of the work means that event planning is never dull or repetitive. According to CareerExplorer, the event planner category ranks in the top 29% of all careers for job satisfaction. ZipRecruiter reports that the average salary of these professionals is $60,759, as of June 2023.
If you love working with people, and you enjoy the reward of seeing a successful event come to fruition, a career in event planning may be right for you. The Southeastern Oklahoma State University (Southeastern) Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Hospitality Management online teaches the skills needed to thrive as an event planner. Southeastern is also among the 6% of global business schools that are AACSB-accredited, giving a business degree from the university weight and respect with prospective clients and employers.
A Day in the Life of an Event Planner
Event planners are either self-employed or work for an event space, group, large corporation, resort or casino. The first step in planning an event typically involves meeting with a client to understand what their expectations and goals are. Based on a given budget, the event planner will plan and evaluate expenses that may relate to:
- Transportation
- Catering
- Lodging
- Event space rental fees
- Taxes
- Entertainment
Once the event planner has an idea of the location, event duration and other factors, they can go about making reservations and soliciting bids from service providers and vendors. Once the staff and entertainment options have been scheduled, the event planner must coordinate the delivery and setup of those services.
What Skills Do Event Planners Need?
Event planners must be competent in many areas to succeed in their roles. For instance, organizational skills are highly important for event planners. Having to map out, schedule and coordinate services requires someone who can balance many moving parts at once. Communication and negotiation skills are also requisite traits for a successful event planner. Examples of common tasks that an event planner must perform include:
- Scheduling activities
- Building a guest registry
- Arranging for audiovisual equipment
- Handling billing
- Paying service providers
- Communicating with the client
- Negotiating deals on rentals
Event planners also require a wide set of foundational business skills and hospitality management knowledge to successfully plan, organize and execute a large event. This is one reason why Southeastern’s BBA in Hospitality Management teaches practical skills, such as:
- Marketing
- Organizational behavior
- Food services management
- Hotel operations
- Tourism marketing
To be hired as an event planner, you typically need a bachelor’s degree in a related field, such as hospitality. While having a background and work experience in event planning can be a plus, a college degree shows that you have gained a wide range of skills that can be applied to the multifaceted field of event planning. A business degree, in particular, can give you an advantage over the competition in the hospitality sector’s rapidly shifting job market.
Launch Your Career in Event Planning With Southeastern’s BBA in Hospitality Management
Event planning can be both a challenging and financially rewarding career path, especially if you enjoy working with a wide range of people and solving problems on the go. With a degree from Southeastern, you can benefit from in-depth courses taught by faculty members who bring real-life business acumen to your learning experience. Plus, with experience and targeted education, you can pursue high-level, lucrative positions in the field, such as the senior event manager — a job that comes with an average annual salary of $112,920 according to June 2023 ZipRecruiter data.
Few careers require as wide a range of skills as the field of event planning. Once you have completed Southeastern’s highly affordable online hospitality management degree program, you’ll be on your way to a rewarding career that positively impacts the lives of others.
Learn more about Southeastern’s online BBA in Hospitality Management program.