Event Planning Conferences

Successful planners attend event planning conferences to keep their skills, knowledge and contacts current, while staying on top of the latest trends
By Carol E. Macdonald, Owner, Macdonald Public Relations & Writing Successful event planners attend event planning conferences to establish another way to gain recognition in their field. Though experience, creative thinking and a plethora of contacts are key attributes of a skilled event planner, knowledge is essential to success. Whether a refresher on the “basics” or a window into the latest trends, you can learn from professionals and tap the wealth of knowledge at conferences for event planners. 

Event planning conferences offer:

1.  General information that is utilized day in, day out, to event plan for clients.

2.  Specialty information via specialized workshops and seminars often segmented by type of event planning function. If you have a particular interest in corporate meetings, rather than weddings, you can become knowledgeable in a specific area at event planner conferences.

3.  Opportunities to interact with and to learn from professionals in the business that could possibly serve as mentors, or future colleagues, on all types of event planning events.   

Contact an event planners association and other learning organizations

Find an event planning conference to help you work smarter.
Try:  Reaching out to national or local associations will help you learn about an upcoming conference planning convention or meeting. The International Special Events Society is an association known as a leader with members across the globe.  You can also visit organizations such as StudyEventPlanning.com and  Fred Pryor Seminars that often list conferences for event planning.

Attend event planner conferences on a regular basis

Keep your knowledge current and stay in contact with peers as much as possible.
Try:  A strong start is The Special Event, which is considered the world's largest event planner convention for professionals. You can also reach out to a leading professional event planning organization such as Meeting Professionals International (MPI)  who annually holds The World Education Congress.

Make the most of the event planning conventions that you attend

Attending an educational conference, convention or trade show gives you the opportunity to learn as well as network with professionals in the business.
Try:  Have business cards in hand at all times, and  be sure to follow up with people you've spoken to, ideally within a week after the conference. Reference something that you spoke about and offer a tip or two on how you may be able to help them in the future. To learn more tips visit Biznik.com or Virgo Publishing, LLC.

• When a phone number is offered as a method of contact for an event planning conference, use it. You may learn how to get the most out of your conference or trade show attendance, such as a workshop that shouldn't be missed or an opening night function that boasts high attendance. Also, if through the call you learn that this conference is not quite right for you, you may be able to find out about other conferences and workshops geared specifically to your industry or located more closely to where you work or do business.
• Listing recent conferences and seminars on your resume or bio tells clients that you are serious about learning as much as you can about the industry. The more you know, the more likely that you can better serve your existing clients as well as new ones.
• Events are important components of a company's marketing plan, vital to a nonprofit's fundraising and can memorialize some of the most important times of our lives, through weddings and birthdays. A successful events planner needs to know how to deliver exactly what the client envisions. Attending event planning conferences can help you do just that by offering opportunities to learn the latest information from the best in the business.