Career: Meeting and Convention Planners
Travel far and wide. Meet fascinating people from all over. As a meeting and convention planner, you might lead an exciting life, but there is a price to pay. You'll shoulder a lot of responsibility and work under extreme pressure.
Some of that pressure comes from juggling the countless details involved in planning an event: Have enough hotel rooms been reserved? Did the brochure make it to the printer on time? Are vegetarian lunch options included? But it's also about the big picture: What does your organization want to accomplish at the event? Will the speakers and activities you've lined up help you meet those goals?
Meeting and convention planners organize events for businesses and other organizations, making sure they run smoothly and meet goals.
Did You Know?
- A bachelor's degree in hospitality administration and management could translate into a first job with more responsibility.
Are You Ready To...?
- Work independently
- Coordinate the activities of a wide range of people
- Meet strict deadlines and keep your cool under pressure
- Travel
- Make a budget and stick to it
- Find meeting sites
- Negotiate contracts
- Convince people to attend your event
- Arrange for food, audiovisual equipment, and Internet access
- Survey attendees to measure the success of your events
It Helps to Be...
A personable, organized communicator who pays close attention to detail, thrives under pressure, and loves working at a fast pace.
Make High School Count
- Help plan events like career day, school dances, club fundraisers, and class trips.
- Build oral and written communication skills in debate, drama, and speech and English classes.
- Sign up for accounting to learn about budgets.
- Sharpen your math skills.
- Learn a second language so you'll be ready to take on jobs with an international scope.
- Make the most of research assignments so you'll know how to teach yourself about new industries: planners often work in a number of different industries during their career.
Did You Know?
- Planners often put in extremely long hours before and during events.
Outlook
Jobs for meeting and convention planners should grow faster than the average for all careers through 2016, according to government economists. As businesses and other organizations become more global, meetings and conventions become more important because they give members a chance to meet in person.
Job growth will vary by industry. For example, growth in the medical and pharmaceutical industries should be high. And keep in mind that the job market for planners is sensitive to swings in the economy.
Compensation
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, meeting and convention planners earned an average yearly salary of $47,500 in 2008.
