What an event planner really does
You turn a client's vague idea into a schedule, a budget and a hundred vendor details, then fix whatever breaks on the day.
FieldBusiness
Preparation (O*NET Job Zone)Considerable preparation needed
What the work involves
What fills a typical week for event planners, built from O*NET occupation data.
- Meeting clients to pin down goals, guest counts, budgets and must haves for upcoming events
- Comparing and negotiating with hotels, venues, caterers, AV companies and transportation vendors
- Building agendas, room layouts, timelines and budgets and keeping them updated as plans change
- Checking vendor invoices against contracts before approving payment
- Calling and walking through venues with site staff to confirm every detail
- Running events on site, solving problems as they come up and keeping attendees happy
- Writing post event reports on what worked and what to change
What the days are like
What people in the job know
- Deadlines are daily, not just on event day. Something is always due to a vendor or client. Time pressure: 74% every day, 15% once a week or more (O*NET Work Context)
- A big share of the job is checking bills and keeping records, not just the creative side. Task 2 (Core, importance 89): Review event bills for accuracy and approve payment; Task 7 (Core, importance 82): Maintain records of event aspects, including financial details (O*NET)
- You lead people who do not report to you: venue staff, vendors and volunteers. Coordinate or lead others: 76% extremely important (O*NET Work Context)
- Conflict is regular, usually about money, changes and things vendors got wrong. Conflict situations: 41% once a week or more (O*NET Work Context)
- You get a lot of say in how you run your work, which is part of the appeal. Determine tasks, priorities and goals: 80% a lot of freedom (O*NET Work Context)
How people get into it
O*NET places this job in Job Zone 4, where most roles call for a bachelor's degree, though only 41% of surveyed respondents said one is required for new hires. Common majors are hospitality, communications and business. Many planners start as coordinators or assistants at hotels, agencies or associations and build experience over several years; industry certifications are common later on.
The Firstday trial, easy to hard
Three simulated tasks at Lanterna Events, a fictional company, with AI coworkers who message you, react to your work and coach with questions. Nobody scores you.
What the trial can't show: The trial cannot show the physical side of the job: long days on your feet, walking venues, carrying supplies, setting up rooms, early load ins and late teardowns, and working outdoors in bad weather. It also cannot show site visits in person, real contract law, or months long planning timelines. All clients, venues and vendors are fictional.
Reading about it is one thing.
Find out how the work feels to you before you spend on a degree, course or job change. Your first trial is free.
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Job details on this page are built from O*NET OnLine, 13-1121.00. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.