What do you do if you want to become a successful event consultant?

If you want to make it as an event consultant, there's nothing like getting your hands dirty with some real experience. Starting? Jump into volunteering for event coordination. Already in the game? Grab every chance to handle on-ground tasks—trust me, that's where you learn the most. Also, be ready for things not always to go as planned. I've hardly worked an event that didn't throw me a curveball! The key is to do, learn, and do better next time. Fix your mistakes and keep making room for new lessons. Show off the results you get, both the apparent wins and the less visible ones. And remember the power of having great relationships with your vendors. Those connections can save the day when crunch time comes.

Start by gaining practical experience in event planning and management. Consider working in roles such as event coordinator, assistant event planner, or intern at event management companies, hotels, or corporate event departments.

Immerse yourself in the event industry by volunteering or working at different events to gain hands-on experience in logistical planning, vendor coordination, and client relations. Pay attention to detail, develop problem-solving skills, and build a portfolio to showcase your expertise to potential clients.

A meu ver nada é mais importante do que experiência e conhecimento que se possa comprovar pelo exercício da prática e n?o só por redes de indica??o ou por protocolos teóricos. Teoria sem prática é inócuo. Portanto para se tornar uma autoridade ou consultar-se com uma, busque pela experiência, n?o pela facilidade ou por abordagens emocionadas antes de consultar o conhecimento prático.

Define the areas in the event industry in which you want to be recognizable and start focusing. For the last few years, my focus has been cultural and art events, luxury and vip parties, so I have been very successful in acquiring important references such as big brands (Omega, Raymond Weil, etc.). The credibility you carry through your work will make you stand out in the sea of competition.

Always try to make some back up career. Not so long ago, the event industry passed the covid on the brink of existence. ask yourself what you did for yourself then. Personally, I could not wait for the pandemic to pass and I enrolled in a master's degree in experimental documentaries because I saw that video content is a very important industry and that it does not depend on various influences such as the pandemic. Always work on yourself, go to conferences, and listen to other powerful event producers, you will learn a lot and you will not fall out of the game.

1) Be genuine. This makes such a difference…people can smell when you’re being fake 2) LinkedIn is such a great platform to connect- build your network! Join groups, take a class, connect one on one, ask for recommendations 3)talk to EVERYONE -you never know where your next opportunity may appear- and I mean everyone, even at the grocery store, the museum, your kids swim practice. Business shows up in a lot of other places than a business meeting 4) Show up. Whether you paid for a membership or not, show up to networking events, gatherings, etc. If people don’t know who are, they can’t/won’t recommend you, refer you business, invite you to other events, tell you about amazing opportunities. Don’t be the “silent partner”

Here's the honest truth: perhaps the most valuable tool that any event professional has at their disposal is rapport building. That's not to say that education and experience and a developed professional intuition don't all factor into success as well, but none of that will get you as far as your ability to genuinely connect with teams, vendors, clients, venues staff, etc. in an authentic way. You don't need to become best friends with everyone you meet, but it's also not difficult to be kind, considerate, and present in your interactions. You have no idea who will be a part of your future one day or who you may need immediate support from, and it's far easier to be good at your job when those around you are also invested in your success.

Can't stress this enough-- work on your interpersonal and social skills artists and have confidence in yourself. Its one of the most important pieces to your skillset. Ask everyone you meet in the industry for their LinkedIn; I've never heard anyone refuse to connect on LinkedIn in my time in the industry so far!

Maintaining international contacts with colleagues from event production, and activity on social platforms dedicated to the theme of the event will strengthen the business. Visiting the big epicenters of the industry like London and Berlin will increase every producer's chance to become a highflier.

Start building a brand that aligns with the values you want to put out in the world. For example my branding relies heavily on being yourself and educating others. People want to hear a story and every little part of your art can express that!

To attract and keep clients, it's crucial to nail your marketing game. Start with a solid brand identity that really shows off what makes you special and what you're great at. Have a slick website in place and get active on social media. Show off your past events and share stories from happy clients to give people a taste of what you can do. Also, think about getting into content marketing, like writing helpful articles or making videos about event planning. This kind of content not only showcases your expertise but also helps earn potential clients' trust by giving them useful information.

It is important to highlight the presentation of strong and unique values, the aesthetics applied in the work, on social networks. In your free time, it is useful to maintain and have a blog on the topic of the event industry, in addition to a website.

Marketing is Crucial but what most people forget to talk about is what all that entails! It’s not just social media, I mean that’s huge, but it’s so much more. I teach people the 8 steps of vetting and I feel it is the most important thing you can do. Yes, curate a compelling brand but make sure it is reflective of YOU, not what you think you should be or worse, a brand mimicking someone else that’s successful. There is only one YOU, own it. If you’re loud, be loud so the world will hear you! If your bitchy turn that into someone that takes no sh&t, if you EXTRA be extra and remind people that everything else is less. When you cultivate a following based on YOU, and live it, it’s the best marketing ever. And never take less!

AI is an exciting new opportunity in the industry and many of the people around me are currently doing research in the field. Don't be afraid of AI or weaponize it-- I've seen firsthand how useful it can be in targeted music playlisting such as the models that Spotify currently uses.

As someone who has been in the event industry for over 20 years, agility is one of the essentials. Adapting to trends requires visiting popular fairs, and conferences where you can see first-hand new trends and the latest technology. Also, having your recognizable style, using new techniques, scenographic materials, and other things will keep you on top. Also, good condition in terms of physical and mental state, along with a healthy lifestyle, will accompany you in business success in the event industry. Sports and a healthy diet are equally important for successful producers, for better to overcome stress.