A Complete Guide to an Event Management Career (With Jobs)

Updated 1 March 2023

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Event management careers are jobs that involve a range of functions for executing events and ensuring that visitors and clients leave satisfied with the experience. There are many fields in event management to consider as you research and determine which roles align with your goals. Learning about event management can help you make a more informed decision about whether this is the right career path for you to pursue. In this article, we discuss what an event management career is, review its benefits and explore other important details like event management jobs and frequently asked questions about the field.

What is an event management career?

Event management careers are professions that focus on handling all the aspects and details of an event, like a wedding, conference, festival or any other organised gathering. Overseeing and managing an event from start to finish often requires the coordinated efforts of many professionals, each with their own distinctive responsibilities for ensuring that an event is successful. All types of institutions from corporations, schools, nonprofits and government organisations use event management services to help plan, coordinate and execute their events.

Benefits of choosing a career in event management

There are several benefits to choosing a career in event management, including:

Human interaction: In event management, you get to meet a lot of new people. This could include visitors attending the event, the staff, or any special guests.
Event diversity: You can potentially plan a variety of different events, like parties, business meetings and fundraisers. There is no lack of diversity in the types of events you can plan and execute. This often means that you can expect a new experience every time you host an event.
Travel opportunities: Working in event management often provides you with the opportunity to travel to new locations since you often have to work on-site while the event is in progress.
Job Diversity: Event management is a career that has a wide range of jobs to consider if this is a field that interests you. You have the option to determine which jobs suit your career preferences.
Low start-up cost: Event management careers benefit from having low start-up costs and minimal qualifications requirements. This means you can explore the path of starting your own business in this field at a fairly low expense.

3 steps on how to get a career in event management

Follow these three steps to help you start a career in event management:

1. Choose your specialisation

The first step is to decide on what kind of job or specialisation you want in event management. This is a career path with a wide range of job opportunities to pursue, so identifying the job roles that most closely align with your career goals can help you make informed decisions about how to achieve them.

2. Obtain your qualifications

While there are no explicit qualification requirements to work in event management, getting a university degree, certification or diploma can increase your chances of securing a job. For instance, you can pursue a bachelor's degree in marketing or business administration. Pursuing an internship or volunteership while obtaining your qualifications can provide you with the opportunity to gain valuable working experience. Consider focusing on qualifications related to event planning, hospitality management or marketing.

3. Prepare and apply for entry-level positions

To prepare for entry-level event management positions, create a resume that aligns with the company's job description. Look through various online job boards and platforms to help you find and apply for these positions. You might also consult your professional connections, as they might know about potential job opportunities as well.

5 Jobs in event management

Here are five jobs to consider in the event and management industry:

1. Event coordinator

National average salary: ₹2,29,206 per year

Primary duties: event coordinators do not design an event, but instead, focus on coordinating all of the individual elements that make up a successful event. This could involve contacting vendors, determining the delivery date for event items and handling any other logistics work. While the planner designs the event, the coordinator helps them to execute it.

2. Event organiser

National average salary: ₹2,66,597 per year

Primary duties: an event organiser is a professional who focuses on a range of duties when organising an event, though their primary purpose is to make certain that an event is cost effective and efficient. They may search for the target audience and determine when the best time is to organise an event. These professionals also communicate extensively with their clients to determine their specific wants and needs so that they can organise and deliver an event that meets their expectations.

3. Event planner

National average salary: ₹3,41,327 per year

Primary duties: the event planner is the person who designs the event. They use the suggestions, ideas and thoughts from their clients to plan out how the overall event looks and functions. Event planners need creativity skills so they can envision how an event should operate and then they work with all the other staff members to ensure that it goes according to their plan and design.

4. Event specialist

National average salary: ₹3,45,426 per year

Primary duties: an event specialist focuses on the marketing aspects of an event by interacting with customers, marketing the benefits of an event and helping to create promotional material. These professionals help a business to organise and operate their marketing efforts from planning stage to the execution stage. Their purpose is to generate public interest, brand awareness and to increase sales figures by hosting events at opportune locations.

5. Event producer

National average salary: ₹4,21,340 per year

Primary duties: an event producer supervises every aspect of an event and often supervises all the event staff as well. They help to develop innovate event concepts and ideas and they oversee event operations. Their job duties are quite broad since they manage every part of the event management process. Managing the event budget, securing necessary equipment and performing venue inspections are just some of their responsibilities.

Important skills to work in event management

Here are some essential skills to work as an event management professional:

Organisational skills

Event management professionals need organisational skills because it helps them to manage and measure the progress of an ongoing event. As there are multiple variables involved in a successful event, these professionals need to be able to prioritise what is most important and focus their work efforts on getting those essential aspects done in a timely manner.

Communication skills

Event management professionals need communication skills because they frequently engage with other event staff and visitors. They have to be able to listen to their clients to assemble an event that meets their needs. These professionals must also coordinate with other people involved as well, such as venue owners and food suppliers.

Technical skills

Event management professionals need technical skills because it allows them to perform several duties that require expertise and learned knowledge. Project management is a technical skill that event management professionals should be skilled at using. Knowing how to use computers and job-related software is also a necessary technical skill to have. Data analytics is a technical skill that helps these professionals to measure the important details about an event like the guest list, customer satisfaction ratings and demographic statistics.

FAQs about event management

Here are some frequently asked questions and answers about event management:

Is event management good as a second career?

Working in event management as a second career can be a good choice depending on factors like your career interest, work experience and available job opportunities. Event management is an industry that focuses on elements like mass communication and customer service, so if that interest you then it is a viable choice. It could be a good second career if you are someone that enjoys the process involved with setting up an event and executing it successfully. Many event management jobs do not require extensive formal qualifications, so you may have an easier time getting a job in this field as well.

What is the average salary for an event manager?

The average salary for an event manager can vary based on several reasons, like your geographical location, work experience and educational achievements. The national average salary for an event manager is ₹2,61,645 per year. As you gain more practical experience, you may be able to use your expertise to negotiate for a higher wage or salary.

What is the work environment for professionals working in event management?

Event management professionals have a diverse range of industries and work environments they can perform their duties in. Many work for professional organisations, accommodation services, food services, entertainment and recreation industries. Professionals in this link of work spend part of their time on their computers in an office, preparing all the arrangements, contacting clients, facilitating the creation of promotional materials and other computer work. The other portion of their time they spend at the event location, such as venues, convention centres and hotels. They travel to these locations frequently to organise and ensure that all the details are correct.

Salary figures reflect data listed on Indeed Salaries at time of writing. Salaries may vary depending on the hiring organisation and a candidate's experience, academic background and location.