Event Planning

Welcome to Planning Meetings and Special Events. Being a planner for meetings and special events is an important role that is both rewarding and demanding. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has projected that this profession will grow by 43.7% between 2010 – 2020. Its not all parties and fun however. In 2012, CareerCast ranked event planners as having the 6th most stressful job, with soldiers and firefighters holding the top two positions. This is because a meeting coordinator is responsible for every detail of the event. Planners need to know how to communicate, have empathy and think of their customers. It is vital to remember that in certain instances, the event will be a once-in-a-lifetime occasion; therefore it’s important to get it right. Being a planner for meetings and events can be an interesting career, one that you are guaranteed will never be boring.

OBJECTIVES

• Recognize the skills required to work in this industry.
• Develop generic skills that may be used in multiple positions.
• Learn acronyms of the meetings and planning special events industry.
• Understand the great importance of accepting responsibility.
• Consider opportunities for pursuing a career in this field.

This course commences with a historical overview and proceeds in equipping students with the perspectives and skills they require to plan special events and meetings. All resources and materials are available online. The only prerequisites are the ability to think, question and write. Take advantage of every opportunity to carry out hands-on meeting planning and put some of the information you learn into practice.