CAREER IN EVENT MANAGEMENT
Sunburn, IPL, Pro Kabaddi League, India International Trade Fair (IITF), Republic Day Parade, India Art Fair Event, Have you attended any of these? If not, at least you must have heard of these famous, super-big events. Have you ever wondered who manages these epic events and make them successful?
The human is a social animal, and events and occasions are an innate part of the life of a man. We just cannot do without events as they touch almost all aspects of our social lives. Be it birthday parties, Weddings, Anniversary celebrations, everybody wants to have an organized event creating an impression on society, these days.
Every person in their life has been a part of events from time to time. From the very beginning during your academic years such as annual days, inter/intra school events, university festivals, either you would have participated in the events or even organized them as well. But did you know, there officially exists a career in Event Management?
Event management is a career option that’s being considered by the youth a lot these days. Be it freelancing or joining an event management company or working in house for a company, event management is a career that you can take anywhere in the world.
Are you organized? Have a knack for details? Are you punctual? Love multitasking? You might have what it takes to be an event professional. So let’s get started.
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CAREER
It’s best to start early in any career. If you are adamant about starting a career in event management, you have to clear your class 12th in any stream (Science, Commerce, Arts) with at least 50% marks to be eligible for getting into any bachelor’s degree or getting any certification done.
Bachelor Degree
To be a successful event manager, you need to learn the nuances of this business in every possible aspect. There are multiple degrees you can choose from as your full-time graduate degree. These 3-year programs will allow you to gain experience and the professional ethics of event management, the things you learn is the essence of event management.
- Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations & Event Management
- Bachelor of Arts in event management (BA)
- Bachelor of business administration in event management (BBA)
- Bachelor in Journalism and Mass Communication (BJMC): In this degree, you will not only get to learn about event management as a subject but also about public relations, advertising, media research which all go hand in hand with event management.
Master’s Degree
To become an event manager in a reputed firm or company, one should have an MBA degree along with good public relation skills. Having a degree in public relations along with your Master’s in marketing will be an added advantage in this profession. Given below are 2-years of degrees that would offer you a wider scope of career opportunities in multiple industries such as Advertising & Media, Travel & Tourism, Hospitality, Event Management & Public Relations, and other related Industries.
- Master of Event Management & PR (MEM)
- Master of Business Administration (Event Management & PR)
- MBA in Marketing
Diploma Courses
It is always better to gain in-depth knowledge about any particular domain of career you are pursuing. But, if you do not have much time and money, there are other options as well to pursue a career in Event Management. There exist a vast majority of diploma courses if you do not wish to spend years doing graduation and post-graduation, and learn about Event Management quick, i.e. within 1-2 years, so could certainly go for any of the diploma courses right after class 12th and Post Diploma Courses after completing the Diploma Courses. Usually, event management course duration for diploma courses are 1-year.
- Diploma in Event Management
- Diploma in Event Management and Public Relations
- Advanced Diploma in Event Management
- Post-Graduate Diploma in Event Management and Activation (1-2 years)
- Post-Graduate Diploma in Event Management and Public Relations (1 year)
- Post-Graduate Diploma in Event Management
- Post-Graduate Diploma in Advertising, Media, and Event Management
- Post-Graduate Diploma in Advertising and Event Management
Certificate Courses
There are quick 6months, pocket-friendly courses as well to give you some insights into a Career in Event Management. These courses are offered by the Institute of Mass Communication Film & Television Studies (www.imcfts.com):
- Certificate Course in Advertising, Public Relations, and Event Management
- Certificate Course in Marketing, Sales Promotion, and Event Management
COLLEGES
The bachelor’s, master’s degrees and the diploma & post-graduate diploma, given above, are usually offered by the following Institutes:
- The National Academy of Event Management and Development (naemd.com)
- National Institute of Fashion and Events (http://www.nifeworld.com)
- National Institute of Event Management (niemindia.com)
- Apeejay Institute of Mass Communication (apeejay.edu)
SKILLS REQUIRED
The basic qualification to have a career in event management is to be a graduate in any discipline. However, you must have certain traits that would help you to go a long way in this industry.
Skills that would help you:
- Creativity
- Public Relations
- Analytical ability
- Organized
- Passion
- Communication
- Calm under pressure
- Problem-solving
- Decisive
Besides these, you also need to have great energy, skills such as time management and comfort with flexible working hours, which can be very long. Graduates with excellent public relations and networking skills should definitely opt for a career in Event Management.
TOP COMPANIES
Great events happen now and then, & we are eager to attend some of these in person, & witness some on digital platforms such as Television, smart-phones, etc. But there are always Companies with their 100’s and 1000’s of employees that make such event a massive success. Here are some of the top companies with the top events they organize:
- WIZCRAFT (IIFA)
- Percept D Mark (Sunburn- EDM Event in India)
- Tafcon (conferences, exhibitions and trade shows)
- Cineyug (live concerts, arena event, and large scale award functions)
- 70EMG (Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, Goa Fest and the Nokia IndiaFest)
PROFILES
So, if you are already thrilled by the Companies and big events they organize and wish to pursue a career in Event Management, you could have any of the given profiles depending on your interests, qualifications, and hard-work.
- Event Manager
- Marketing Manager
- Business Development Executive
- Event Accounts Manager
- Event Coordinator
- Wedding Planner
Regardless of which sector of the industry you decide to work in, you should also consider the pros and cons beforehand.
PROS OF A CAREER IN EVENT MANAGEMENT
- Variety- Variety is the spice of life for event managers. One day, you may be planning a lavish beach-themed wedding, and the next day, you might come up with ideas for the perfect Christmas party in the 1920s style. Conferences, parties, weddings, fashion shows, fundraisers, shop openings are the kind of events you would be a part of.
- Meeting interesting people- You’ll meet a wide range of people, celebrities, sportspersons, authors, industrialists, and get to dip in their world.
- Experiencing new things every day- Getting to visit places abroad, wine tasting, food tasting, getting to meet important people, things like these would happen daily. It’s a really fun and exciting profession to work in with getting to do exciting days every day.
- No two days are ever the same- Every event you plan will be different, and one thing you can expect from a career in the events industry is that no two days will be the same.
CONS OF A CAREER IN EVENT MANAGEMENT
- Long hours of work/no specific office hours- This career is unpredictable, with no fixed holidays or no holidays at all at times.
- Stressful & Tiring work- A lot needs to be done in the right manner within a fixed time frame and fixed budget. You cannot afford to mess up as a lot is at stake. Also, 15 hours a day of work is very common in this field, most of which is spent doing physical activities running on your feet.
- Travel- Even if that sounds like a good idea, but you can end up not being home for a long time.
- Dealing with difficult people- You’ll be on the front line taking all the stress and dealing with insults. People can be rude and obnoxious at times.
- Crowded Job market- As the industry is growing more and more, competition for jobs is increasing every day.
- Experience required- While you can get away without formal education, training, or certification, you absolutely must have the experience to become an event planner. This often means starting at the bottom and climbing the ranks by doing unpaid word.
FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY
The event management industry is still new, and the need for event managers is to remain high for a long time. You can also start your venture as it’s easy to start your own business in this profession. As an Event Manager, you have the choice of starting your own business, working for an event planning agency, or seeking in-house employment at a company working on its yearly calendar of events.
All in all a career in event management is never boring! Event managers are responsible for the design, organization, and coordination of conventions, festivals, conferences, corporate meetings, exhibitions, weddings, product launches, and any occasion that requires someone in total control to make the event a success. A qualification in event management will allow you to develop your skills and work on exciting large-scale projects where you work with a team to bring together the creative vision.
We hope this is going to be helpful if you are planning to pursue a career in event management. For more guidance, feel free to connect with us and provide your feedback as well, so that we can also improve in the future.
