Career Advice on How to Become A Meeting and Convention Planner |
General Career Information |
| There is no doubt that the Internet age has made the need to actually see people in person less necessary. It may be true that this means that there is less one-on-one, personal communication. However, it is not necessarily a bad thing. People have become less and less attractive overall in recent years, due to poor diets and a lack of exercise. Cutesy digital avatars of smiling cats and so forth have replaced the often gruesome reality of what many of our far flung business associates, clients and others actually look like in person. Yet, there still exists the tradition of congregating together in large numbers under the pretense of “doing business.” Most of these “meetings” and “conferences” just, as a mere fact of coincidence, occur in places where legalized gambling, prostitution and other forms of vice are not only overlooked, but also are institutionalized and smiled upon. As a meeting and convention planner, you can get in on this action and see all the madness and mayhem firsthand. |
Career Facts: |
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Working as a meeting and convention planner means that you will be making sure that all that is needed to make the meeting or convention a success is on hand… and that the wives never know what happens. Other activities include the logistics that go into making a successful meeting or event happen, such as working with attendees, coordinating that all necessary equipment and signage are in place and making certain that seating, food and transportation requirement are also in place and ready to go. Additionally, meeting and convention planners may have to deal with contracts and other financial matters. |
Career Opportunities and Job Outlook- Average: |
| Because people like to congregate with other “individuals” who have the exact same mindset as they do, you can factor into your career planning that the meeting and convention planner career is expected to see an above average growth in the coming years. Between 2008 and 2010, it is expected that meeting and convention planners can expect a sixteen percent growth. |
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A Day in The Life: |
| Being a meeting and convention planner is not an easy job, and it most certainly requires that one is able to deal effectively with the public. This is an occupation that requires one to juggle a great many different task at one time, due to the fact that people and materials are arriving from different places and for different purposes. Long and irregular hours are also common and, at times, the work can be physically demanding. After all, meeting and convention planners may have no choice but to carry a last minute box or two that has arrived at the eleventh hour. |
Average Salary: |
| The average salary for a meeting and convention planner is about $44,000. |
$44k |
Career Training and Qualifications: |
| So what else do you need to know before commencing the job search? It is common for meeting and convention planners to be college graduates, yet this requirement is not steadfast. Those with experience in the hospitality field, such as in the hotel industry, do often have valuable experience that lends itself well to the occupation. |
