It stands to reason that Events Coordinator positions, otherwise known as Event Planners and Event Organisers generally suit someone who likes organising and running – yep, you got it – events.

However, make no mistake, this is a hard job, where lots of pressure and long hours can become the norm.

Event coordinators generally work as part of a large events management team or in-house for an organisation, or depending on experience perhaps even work as freelancers (for themselves!).  Events may vary from festivals and conferences, company training, charity events, exhibitions, fairs through to promotional events to launch a company product or service. With such a varied work environment the role itself can differ somewhat depending on the type of company you may work for, however some things remain the same. Event organisers / planners have the primary duty of making sure that an event runs smoothly – from first conception, and planning through to the event itself. Managing all parts of this process from budgets, staffing, venues, legals, health and safety, marketing, food, and any service issues on the day can become an event coordinator’s responsibility depending on the size of company you work for.

Qualifications

Like any job these days , a degree or HND level qualification may well help any job application you make, but it is not the only valuable criteria that will make you employable (more on that in a bit). However, that said, specific qualifications in Event Planning, Event Management, Hospitality Management, Marketing, Tourism or Business Management would be an advantage. There are also further industry specific qualifications and courses that you can gain once you have some work experience in the events sector.

Experience

Degrees matter, but experience will make the difference and make you more employable. Therefore it is important that you can demonstrate on your CV or application, practical experience in organising events. It can be tough for a young job seeker (or older one for that matter) to consider how to do this – but if you are keen to build a career in this industry, you need to show that you have the gumption to gain the valuable experience to start your career.

Practical experience in helping to organise events could be gained from becoming an active member of your student union, becoming part of your workplace ‘social’ team, working in hotel banqueting, organising band nights and music events, or even perhaps as part of a more generic job role (marketing, PR, office admin etc.) by assisting with any projects where planning and organisation is involved.

Taking an intern role, or a work placement for an events company would also be advantageous and whilst a low to no paid role may seem frustrating, the work experience you can gain can be invaluable.

Also – consider how in your own personal life you can arrange events for your family and friends to enjoy!

Type of Person

Like most roles, there are certain key skills that may mean that you are more suited to a particular type of position. A role in Events in no different, so check the below to see if you fit the key skills required:

– The ability to multitask

– Excellent organisational and planning skills

– Strong communication and written skills – and the ability to work with and manageother people

– Good attention to detail and the ability to spot issues and problems

– Excellent ability to problem solve and deal professionally with tasking situations

– Good presentation and customer facing skills

Still fancy a career as an Event Coordinator? Good luck!! We hope that these basic tips help you along the way…

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