If you are an event planner, you know that the industry is constantly evolving and changing. You need to keep up with the latest trends, technologies, best practices, and customer expectations. But how do you grow your event industry skills and network? Here are some tips to help you achieve your professional goals and connect with other event professionals.
One of the best ways to grow your event industry skills and network is to join professional associations that cater to your niche, interests, and goals. Professional associations offer many benefits, such as access to educational resources, certifications, webinars, workshops, conferences, and publications. They also provide opportunities to network with peers, mentors, experts, and potential clients. Some examples of professional associations for event planners are the International Live Events Association (ILEA), the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA), and the Society of Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE).
The events industry is large scale, global but interconnected. People tend to move jobs within it and, at a certain level, it feels as if 'everyone knows everyone.' So it helps to garner a good reputation and getting involved in associations is a great way. Start with their free resources e.g industry reports, webinars etc. Then think about how you can contribute. Could you join a special interest group e.g sustainability, DE&I? Could you mentor someone or do a fundraising activity? The industry is highly collaborative, so once you are involved, talk to everyone, no matter their job title. In the UK, AEO (Event Organisers), ESSA (Event Suppliers) and AEV (Venues) are key ones to consider.
The world of events has so many different corners to it - B2B, B2C, closed-door, public facing, senior focus, footfall focus, summits, expos, the list goes on... Each of these event types requires a different monetization strategy and balance, a different on-site experience and requires different skills to successfully run. Earlier in your career is a time where career mobility is going to be vital to both gaining new skills in teams and companies who have different demands, skills and strategies and also to increasing seniority and wage given the early stages of an events career can often be lower paid (but for the right candidate, this ramps quickly). Move jobs, soak up all you can, then find somewhere to apply it all.
Another way to grow your event industry skills and network is to attend and host events that are relevant to your field, target market, and personal interests. Attending events can help you learn from other event planners, discover new ideas, trends, and technologies, and meet new contacts. Hosting events can help you showcase your skills, creativity, and professionalism, and attract new clients and referrals. You can also use events as a platform to share your expertise, insights, and opinions with your audience and peers.
I often find that people want to engage with people, something we have noticed even more so during the pandemic is the disadvantages of lack of human interaction. Therefore, such networking events presents an opportunity to put a name to a face that’s been on email or LinkedIn page. It also builds confidence, learning to break the ice and start a conversation with a stranger doesn’t come naturally to some, you are effectively stepping out of your comfort zone and building invaluable social-skills that comes in very handy when needing to talk/present to clients and various teams.
A third way to grow your event industry skills and network is to engage in online communities that are related to your niche, industry, and goals. Online communities can help you stay updated, informed, and inspired by the latest news, tips, and discussions in the event industry. They can also help you build relationships, trust, and credibility with other event professionals and potential clients. You can join online communities on social media platforms, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or on specialized forums, blogs, podcasts, and webinars.
A fourth way to grow your event industry skills and network is to seek feedback and mentorship from other event professionals who have more experience, knowledge, and skills than you. Feedback and mentorship can help you improve your performance, learn new skills, overcome challenges, and avoid mistakes. You can seek feedback and mentorship from your colleagues, managers, clients, or mentors. You can also join mentorship programs or initiatives that are offered by professional associations, online communities, or educational institutions.
A fifth way to grow your event industry skills and network is to invest in education and training that can help you advance your career, expand your knowledge, and enhance your skills. Education and training can help you acquire new qualifications, certifications, or credentials that can increase your credibility, marketability, and competitiveness. You can invest in education and training by enrolling in formal courses, programs, or degrees that are offered by accredited institutions, or by taking online courses, webinars, workshops, or tutorials that are offered by reputable sources.
Collaboration is one of the key factors to growing your event network. When considering to host a networking event, look at how you can collaborate with various stakeholders such as tech, catering, decor even venues to jointly put the event together which offers a platform for everyone involved to showcase their offering to the audience. It is cost effective and targets a larger pool.