An event coordinator organizes different kinds of events, handling every idea from conception to the after-party cleanup crew. This involves setting targets, scouting venues, working with vendors, establishing timelines, and managing the event on the day itself.
Do you want to become an event coordinator? Start with these four steps.
Complete a Course in Hospitality
A bachelor’s degree related to event coordination puts a shine on your resume. But if you don’t have a bachelor’s degree related to the hospitality industry, you’ll want to take a professional course. Getting formal training in event coordination from an accredited institution adds credibility to your portfolio, equips you with skills, and teaches you about event coordination trends.
Gain Experience
A job related to event planning is a great way to get a clear picture of what an event coordinator does every day. Your event coordination job will be a lot easier once you’ve seen the challenges an event can throw at you. Besides, every client wants to work with an event coordinator with a significant amount of experience. Working for an event planning agency is a great way to gain the required experience. You may also have to apply for internships at reputable event planning companies to build your event coordination muscles. Undertaking an internship in a relevant agency will give you insight into how different events are coordinated and add to your overall experience.
Embrace Event Coordination Technologies
Technology is an integral part of event management, and embracing innovative event coordination tools can help increase productivity and save you money. Ensure you learn about the digital tools that help event coordinators to complete tasks pertaining to their work. This includes event coordination software, event coordination management software, and mobile event apps.
Acquire the Following Essential Skills
Communication Skills
Communication is central to the job of an event coordinator. Event planning involves constant interaction with a wide variety of people, including clients, suppliers, brand sponsors, and, of course, event attendees. Impeccable communication skills ensure everything runs smoothly. As an event coordinator, you must be equipped with sharp written and oral communication skills to convey information to various parties with clarity. Along with excellent communication, an event coordinator must be a great listener.
Attention to Detail
Pulling off a successful event takes meticulous planning and compilation of a myriad of minute details to create a flawless experience. An event coordinator must pay attention to all the little things.
Unbridled Creativity
Clients look to an event coordinator for creative ideas. Therefore, you must stay abreast with the latest trends in the event planning industry. As the person who’s in charge of elements of design, you should be prepared to brainstorm creative ideas for a flawless experience. The good thing about creativity is that it’s a learnable skill you can hone over time.
Problem-solving Skills
The ability to develop practical and creative solutions is a fundamental part of an event coordinator’s job. As an event coordinator, you must recognize potential problems and think on your feet when unexpected challenges arise. Even amidst complex problems, an event coordinator must stay calm and make quick decisions to solve problems at hand.
Event coordination is a demanding yet rewarding career. Unlike most careers, it has a lower barrier to entry. But don’t let that fool you. Event coordination is not a job for the disorganized and the faint-hearted. It takes resilience, attention to detail, energy, initiative, and unbridled creativity.