“The events sector is worth £42.3 billion to the UK economy,” and provides well over half a million jobs in the UK alone, according to leading live experience platform Eventbrite.
So, if you want to break away from that dull, unfulfilling 9-5, you love working with people and your problem-solving skills are outstanding, you should consider switching to a career in the events industry.
It’s a dynamic, ever-changing industry that offers great job satisfaction, a variety of roles and it can also be great fun.
Here’s a short selection of some of the best career options available to you in this thriving industry.
Event planner or party planner
If you’re naturally an extremely well-organised person, you love to multitask and you don’t mind working unsociable hours, a career as an event planner could be perfect for you.
You get to design, create and arrange every detail of the event or party including food, decor, entertainment and technology and help ensure everything runs smoothly.
You can work on smaller private events all the way up to trade shows, conferences and public events if you choose. As this is a highly competitive industry, it can help to have a niche such as sustainable events planning, vegan events planning or even LGBT events to stand out and improve your career opportunities.
Wedding planner
Wedding planners love weddings! They know everything there is to know about weddings, from wedding dresses to cakes to transport and to venues. They know exactly which tiny details can help magic happen on the happy couple’s day and love nothing better than to watch it all unfold.
Most importantly of all, they can help lift the burden of stress and worry from the happy couple so they can go ahead and enjoy their special day.
“[Wedding planners]… will have a system in place which will help you plan to every little detail, ensuring that nothing is missed,” say to luxury wedding venue Manor by the Lake, “They are experienced, creative and have enjoyed many weddings, so they know what needs to be done.”
Venue manager
A venue manager is a person who is in charge of an event space and knows how to use its key features to create a memorable event. They know how to optimise the acoustics, layout, lighting and even logistics to make it work best for their customers.
This is a very hands-on, active career that is perfect if you love the idea of meeting new people and building relationships, and hate the idea of being chained to a desk all-day
Their job usually involves a wide range of tasks including responding to enquiries, meeting clients to discuss needs, arranging and coordinating specific services and often marketing the space too.
Although most venue managers have achieved at least A-levels or have attended further education, this isn’t essential if you want to enter the field. Hard work, dedication and a great drive to succeed will take you far.
Catering services manager
Love food? Then a career as catering services manager could be ideal for you.
You’ll be working in a variety of locations to create delicious dishes for your clients or guests.
Depending on the type of event and the requirements, this could include dishes such as Filet Mignon with Green Beans for a wedding, mini chocolate Victoria sponges for a christening or even tacos and mini margaritas for a conference. The sky’s the limit!
Again, you won’t need formal qualifications to get started but additional training does go a long way and could help you achieve promotions and better opportunities for career progression.
Event coordinator
An event coordinator is the person who is in charge of everything at an event.
It’s their job to ensure that everything goes smoothly, from the setting up of the event, right until the last moment. It’s another hands-on career for people who thrive in busy, high-pressure environments and don’t mind working unsociable hours.
Many of the positions in this career are volunteer roles, but if you manage to get your foot in the door, you’ll find many well-paid and highly satisfying positions.
Event tech expert
Event tech expert is a newer role in the events industry and one that looks set to explode over the coming decades.
According to events training provider Events Academy, “young people entering the workforce will bring a natural shift to AI, social media, using digital not only in everyday life, but also in creating, promoting and executing live experiences.”
This means that if you’re looking for a career with excellent opportunities for future growth, this could be an ideal job for you.
Dealing with tech equipment that ranges from audio visual equipment to lighting, video and even websites or event apps, the event tech expert supports the event planner to ensure that everything runs smoothly on the day itself.
To thrive in this career, you must be excellent with tech, great at finding solutions under pressure and be willing to learn as technology evolves.
This isn’t an exhaustive list. There are literally hundreds of jobs available in events and you’re guaranteed to find one that is a good fit for you. Use this list as inspiration then go out there and find your dream job.
