How To Start A Party And Event Planning Business
Our experts
As the nation emerges from lockdown, desperate to reconnect in person, party and events planning is potentially a multi-billion-pound industry with plenty of demand across the UK.
However, for the moment, there are a few issues to contend with. New businesses need to tread carefully in an industry that’s dealing with uncertainty about future lockdowns, still navigating health and safety concerns, and always brimming with competition.
Luckily, with a clear concept, effective marketing and a few key transferable skills, youll maximise your chances of beating out the competition and finding success.
But don’t worry if you’ve not got all of the above just yet that’s where our experts are here to help.
We have been helping businesses to set up across tons of sectors, and we understand the challenges and opportunities that are ahead in the events industry. So put the champagne on ice for now, and read on to learn more about the costs, considerations and benefits involved in becoming an event or party planner.
At Startups.co.uk, we’re here to help small UK businesses to get started, grow and succeed. We have helpful resources for helping new businesses get off the ground you can use the tool below to get started today.
The national and regional coronavirus lockdowns illegalised hosting large social gatherings or parties, which understandably hit the events industry hard.
What does the future of the industry look like?
Want To Know How To Become An Event Planner
Success as an event planner means having a confident, outgoing and ambitious personality. Its a role that demands supreme attention to detail, plenty of creative vision and the drive to realise the impossible on a daily basis. If youre meticulously-minded and enjoy social gatherings, you could be right at home as an event planner.
Flex Your Other Experience:
Sure, you may not have any event planning experience, but surely you have experience handling at least ONE of those core responsibilities we mentioned above, right?
Use that!
Did you order produce at your fast food job?
Great! You have some experience handling vendor relationships!
Customer service is important in every job, so flaunt your skills and show examples of how youâve handled distraught customers by providing excellent customer service. It’s that easy!
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Do A Styled Photo Shoot
Even if you are just starting out as a planner, you can work with other event professionals to do a styled photo shoot. In a styled photo shoot, you will work with event vendors to design a wedding table complete with linens, china, glassware, flowers, stationery, favors, and other details.
Many photo shoots are very complex with models, cakes, and decor but you can start out simple with just a table design until you feel more comfortable and your creativity muscle and confidence get stronger.
What Will I Learn
Within the office roles you will be working with our CRM system, replying to customer emails/messages, creating quote/invoices for clients and dealing with phone enquiries. There will be part of the week assigned to helping the team prepare for the coming weeks events which will involve stock management and cleaning/preparation of hire items.
This admin work will be alongside arranging wedding items to be perfectly presented on site at venues. As well as hands-on decorating of the weddings for the clients you will also be documenting them with photos for use on social media too. A real mix of responsibilities!
This role can involve working off site independently and will involve some self management with office tasks/off site tasks, but will mainly be alongside other colleagues. You will be given on the job training with a good network of support around you at all times from the two directors of the business who are hands-on with all areas of the company.
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Will You Be A Good Decorator
If you think you have some design sense, but little experience, you might be wondering if there’s a way to tell if you’ll be a good interior decorator. The great news is that there is! Just ask yourself a few questions:
- When you walk into a home or a business, do you visualize or imagine what would make the space better?
- Do you have a good eye for color and/or a strong color memory?
- Do you like working with people?
- Have you decorated your own home extensively or had other hands-on experience? Did you enjoy it?
Make Sure You Have The Right Skills And Experience
There are no formal entry requirements to become an events organiser. However, degrees and qualifications can be really practical, potentially making you more appealing to clients.
You could also get on-the-job experience, particularly by working for a period for an existing events company. If youre new to the industry this can help you gain the skills you need, and may help you expand your network.
Beyond that, you’ll need some key transferable skills as an events organiser. The biggest one is excellent organisation abilities, and strong attention to detail. Youll also need to be creative, while simultaneously quickly understanding clients needs and how to turn them into a reality.
Being good with numbers is vital, as youll be working with budgets very frequently. You should also be a skilled negotiator, comfortable dealing with both clients and suppliers.
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Conferences And Corporate Events
Whether youre hosting a TED Talk or throwing your annual holiday party, STORI Events will deliver an immersive experience that has been carefully designed to showcase the spirit of your company. As an extension of your company, the STORI team guarantees a successful corporate event by providing end-to-end planning services.
How To Become An Interior Decorator
This article was co-authored by Suzanne Lasky, ASID. Suzanne Lasky is an Interior Designer and the Founder of S Interior Design, a design consulting company based in Scottsdale, Arizona specializing in new home builds, home remodels, and all related design options for residential and small business clients. Suzanne has over 19 years of interior design and consulting experience. She is an Allied Member of the ASID . She earned a Master of Business Administration from Indiana University and an AAS in Interior Design from Scottsdale Community College.There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 17 testimonials and 94% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 414,790 times.
If you have a love of decorating and a knack for arranging furniture and choosing décor and color, a career as an interior decorator may be perfect for you. To become a “decorator” you don’t need an extensive education or a fancy degree, just a good eye and a passion for the job. However, if you are interested in interior design, you will need to take specialized courses and gain the proper licensing from the state, depending on which state you are in.
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What Is Different About The Hiring Process In Your Field Than In Other Fields
One of the advantages to this field is that you have ownership over getting experience. In most other careers, youre at the mercy of a firm to hire you to help you get experience or at the mercy of getting a graduate degree or passing a certain test. But if you can walk into an interview with 10 events under your belteven if you were an unpaid volunteer at each oneyoure steps ahead of your competitors.
Now Id Love To Hear From You
Whats one step you can take right away to get started and become an event planner?
Thank you so much for joining me and adding your comments below. I truly love hearing from our event planning community.
The only way to tackle your fear is to take action. If you dont want to spend another day stuck doing something you dont love, or waiting until everything is perfect, get started before youre ready.
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Reach Out To Other Decorators
This is a competitive field, but it’s rare to meet a designer who isn’t willing to share information, advice, and tools of the trade. Overall, it’s a friendly bunch and people want to help others in the field as much as possible. Of course, always be willing to pay forward or back any kindness shown to you.
How To Become An Event Planner
Event planners help individuals and organizations arrange details for large events like meetings and conferences. They consult with their clients to determine what they need and locate and contract with vendors like venues and caterers. Event planners must work within a budget and make sure that everything goes according to plan on the day of the event.
Large events like conferences and conventions can attract tens of thousands of attendees and event planners must work out logistical details like registration, check-in, lodging, transportation, and event schedules so that all attendees are satisfied.
What kind of training is required to become an event planner?
While much of the training that event planners receive comes on the job, many planners have degrees or certificates in hospitality management, business, communication, or event planning.
College programs in event planning typically lead only to certificates. Certificate programs focus narrowly on the topic of study and do not include general education courses. Event planning students learn about contract negotiation, site selection, food and beverage planning, event marketing and promotion, social media marketing, and the financial management of meetings and events.
A degree in business can prepare students for certain aspects of the event planning industry, including accounting and marketing. Students in business programs also learn about finance, economics, business operations, and organizational behavior.
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What Was Your First Job In This Field And How Did You Land It
My first real job out of college was at MGM Studios as an assistant in the Consumer Products and Marketing Department. I considered myself very lucky to land a job at a studio so early in my professional career.
I got in by applying to be in the studios temp pool. Though it wasnt always consistent full-time work, it allowed me to meet people within the company, work in various departments throughout the studio, and discover the areas I enjoyed the most. After two months of numerous different assignments, I was placed into the assistant position as a temp and hired on full-time about a month later.
Though event and meeting planning was just a small part of my job, I was exposed to trade show preparation and planning as well. My desire to become an event planner grew from there and I knew that was the direction I wanted to take my career. Working at MGM Studios was a great experience, and after two years there I was hired by Pepperdine University as an Event Coordinator.
How To Become An Event Planner: A Step
Event planning has become one of the most promising career paths in the current labor marketplace.
This is not only because of the sheer number of clients whore always on the lookout for creative event planners but also because the ever-evolving technology is fueling the industry much further.
Event planning, however, is an overarching term that consists of a number of professions within. Its a diverse field and one that requires the individual to be energetic, creative and skillful at handling change and unforeseen circumstances.
One of the pathways to enter this industry is to become an event planner. Becoming a professional event planner requires, among other things, a good amount of experience and quite obviously, formal training.
So, let us see what are the things that you need to do in order to become an event planner who is ever readier to take on new challenges and woo his/her clients.
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Even Gravity Doesnt Exist In My Design Process Just As A Child Will Say He Can Fly Like Superman
Another amazing Celebrity Event Planner, David Tutera, started out designing balloons for parties and was asked by someone who saw one of his balloon designs if he could plan a bat mitzvah. At the time, he didnt even know what it was, but said yes to get the job and learned as he went along by listening to his clients vision to make it a success. Now he is one of the most famous celebrity event planners on television. David explained that when he designs he likes to spend time with his clients to get to know their style and vision. He has learned over the last 30 years, the best way to design for his clients is to understand their goals but to exceed expectations. Great advice for anyone in business. As well as a full-proof way to open doors to new referrals and a successful business in event design and decor.
LWPI recently had a chance to sit down with Kevin Lee, one of the most sought after event designers in Hollywood, with a Celebrity A-List of clients such as J-Lo, Mariah Carey, Brad Pitt, Oprah Winfrey including Hollywoods event of the yearthe Governors Ball after the Oscars. Kevin was gracious enough to share his story with us and his philosophy for planning events for some of the most wealthiest people in the world. Kevin says:
How To Become A Professional Wedding Decorator
As a wedding decorator, you will be responsible for decorating entire wedding events. Creativity is essential to wedding decorating since you must turn a client’s vision into reality. You need to be capable of seeing the potential in a particular venue and helping your client see it, too. The venue is the canvas and you are responsible for designing and styling it to suit the client’s desires. Professional wedding decorators have some flexibility in deciding how to establish themselves. Since you are offering a service, you will need to promote yourself and your services.
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Build A Strong Foundation Of Industry Knowledge
Education is a great way to gain foundational knowledge of the events industry and the overall hospitality industry. Differentiate yourself from other job seekers with an industry-specific educational foundation. Youll stand out because you made the investment in specialized training. This education is as helpful for starting your own event planning business as it is for getting hired. Its also a great way to learn the variety of planning jobs in the industry.
Are event planners in high demand?
The events industry is growingand demand for event planners is expected to grow at a faster-than-average rate of seven percent through 2028.
What kind of degree or certification do you need to be an event planner?
You dont need a degree to become an event planner, but certain qualifications and certificates can help you get noticedand hired.
There are dozens of colleges and universities that offer degrees in related fields, stand-alone event courses, meetings designations, and certificate programs. These courses are taught by industry professionals who know the business from the inside out. Whether you pursue a degree in hospitality or take a few certificate programs, take advantage of every networking opportunity they offer.
What skills do event planners need?
An event planner should be:
- Organized
Successful Events Require An Experienced Planner And Manager
Many event professionals can probably look at their schedule over the last 12 months and realize that many times, responsibilities arent so black and white. Depending on the type of event, and how busy your team is, a planner or manager may find themselves with a longer-than-usual list of responsibilities.
The key is communication. The constant ebbing and flowing of any event on your calendar will require an event professional to be communicative, quick on their feet, and most importantly, willing to work as a team.
So while event management and event planning are often used interchangeably, in fact there are differences you should be aware of as you interface with other event teams!
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Define Your Event Planning Business Idea
When it comes to starting an events company, youll first need to decide on the type of events services you want to offer.
Would you like to offer the full event planning service, organising every aspect of an event from inception to execution? Or would you rather focus on one or two particular skill sets? For example:
- Event decorating
- Catering
Its also key that you decide on the type of events you want to work on. In your early days, youll find it easier to market yourself clearly, attract customers and build the right skills and experience if you have a niche.
Events can be classified into four broad categories based on their purposes and objectives:
- Personal events, such as weddings, birthday parties and family celebrations
- Organisational events, such as commercial, political and charitable events, conferences and product launches
- Leisure events, such as sports events and concerts
- Cultural events, such as ceremonial, religious, art or heritage events
Its advisable to pick a niche that youre familiar with and already have a little experience in. If you come from a corporate background, for example, you may have a clearer understanding of what a successful conference looks like than a successful art festival. Remember, you can always take on more specialties as your business grows in size.
NB: If youd like to become a wedding planner, be sure to also check out our guide to starting a wedding planning business.
Become An Event Planner In 10 Steps
Step 1 Volunteer for caterers, florists, at nonprofits, or work for an established event planner.
Your long-term success in event planning will be based on the experience that you bring to your clients. That means if youre thinking about getting started as an event planner, you should understand what an event planner does and what skills are needed.
Step 2 Take on more responsibility. Become the catering manager or a fundraising chair for a nonprofit. Or, take on a lead-planning role at an event planning company.
Decide your niche market and focus on getting event experience in those areas . Determining your niche helps you focus on the right type of vendors to work with, clients to establish relationships with, and events to plan.
Here are questions to ask yourself to help determine your niche:
- What event services will you offer?
- Who do you like working with?
- What type of budgets do you want to work with?
- Will you offer full service planning or day of management?
Step 3 Its not what you know, but who you know. In event planning, networking is key!
So, go to networking events, hand out business cards and let everyone know youre an event planner!
Wherever you go, hand out business cards and collect contact information for the people you meet.
After every meeting or introduction, I follow up with a nice to meet you email below my signature is a description describing my event planning services.
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