Career options: Event management

One of the continuously growing industries, even in times of recession, is event management.

The current recession shows bleak prospects in the job market. However, one of the continuously growing industries is event management.

The job of an event manager can range from a five to 10 persons lunch to large-scale corporate events. The industry also goes hand in hand with several ventures like the hospitality, media and PR firms, amongst others. Therefore, the scope of an event manager's job might range from just one detail to handling the whole event, depending on the client and the requirement.

Career options

With the immensity and diversity of the field, there are numerous career options to choose from.

• Entrepreneur (CEO or owner of one's own event management firm)

• Event management consultancy

• Events manager for a PR or media/ad firm

• Marketing for an event management firm

• Hotel, travel and hospitality industries

• Logistics dept for an event management firm

• Event manager for a media channel

• Event manager in a multi-national company

• Catering

• Decoration

• Choreography of events

• Wedding planner

• NGOs

• Integrated marketing & communications

• Event budgeting & accounting

• Technological side (everything from lighting to screens to sound for concerts)

What is required?

An event manager is the person who plans and executes the whole event. He/she along with the team is responsible for everything. Since all kinds of people, ranging from clients to the technicians need to be dealt, it is important to be equipped with certain key skills in order to perform well.

Essential skills

• PR skills

• Time management skills

• Team player

• Innovative

• Well aware of changing trends and up to date

• Business know-how

• Ability to perform under pressure

• Aesthetic sense

• Versatility

• Patience

• Reliability

Where to go?

Even though we lack proper training institutes for specialisation in the field, there are a few options available.

An undergrad or graduate degree from any good university in HR, marketing or hospitality is a good basis for entry into the field. Apart from the Pakistan Institute of Management, there are numerous institutions that offer short courses of event management.

• Indus Valley School of Art & Architecture (IVSAA)

• Pakistan Institute of Tourism & Hotel Management (PITHM)

Published in The Express Tribune, December 19^th, 2010.