OCCUPATIONAL PROFILE

Event organiser
Job Description
Event organisers are responsible for the production of events from conception through to completion. Events can include:

exhibitions and fairs; festivals; conferences; promotions and product launches; fundraising and social events.

They work in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors and can work for event management companies, in-house for an organisation or freelance. The role of event organiser is hands-on and often involves working as part of a team. Event organisers must be able to complete a wide range of activities requiring clear communication, excellent organisational skills and attention to detail. They must work well under pressure, ensuring the smooth and efficient running of an event.

Typical Work Activities

The role of event organiser varies depending on the organisation and type of event involved. Typical activities include:

researching markets to identify opportunities for events; liaising with clients to ascertain their precise event requirements; producing detailed proposals for events (e.g. timelines, venues, suppliers, legal obligations, staffing and budgets); agreeing to and managing a budget; securing and booking a suitable venue or location; ensuring insurance, legal, health and safety obligations are adhered to; coordinating venue management, caterers, stand designers, contractors and equipment hire; organising facilities for car parking, traffic control, security, first aid, hospitality and the media; identifying and securing speakers or special guests; planning room layouts and the entertainment programme, scheduling workshops and demonstrations; coordinating staffing requirements and staff briefings; selling sponsorship/stand/exhibition space to potential exhibitors/partners; preparing delegate packs and papers; liaising with marketing and PR colleagues to promote the event; liaising with clients and designers to create a brand for the event and organising the production of tickets, posters, catalogues and sales brochures; coordinating suppliers, handling client queries and troubleshooting on the day of the event to ensure that all runs smoothly; overseeing the dismantling and removal of the event and clearing the venue efficiently; post-event evaluation (including data entry and analysis and producing reports for event stakeholders).

Work Conditions

Range of typical starting salaries: 18,000 - 25,000 (salary data collected Sep 08). Range of typical mid-level salaries: 25,000 - 40,000 (salary data collected Sep 08). Range of typical salaries at senior level/with experience (e.g. after 10 - 15 years in the role): 50,000 - 70,000 (salary data collected Sep 08). Salaries vary according to employer, sector and geographical location. Performance-related pay/commission/bonuses are typical and can increase earnings. Working hours can be fairly regular between events but may involve additional and unsocial working hours depending on the nature of the event. Event organisers are mainly office based but will travel to visit clients, partners/sponsors, venues and other suppliers. They may work indoors or outdoors, in all weather conditions, to plan and deliver events. Self-employment/freelance work is possible for those who have experience and an established network of contacts in the industry. Part-time work and career breaks are possible but not especially common in this fast-paced business. Jobs are available throughout the UK, although they tend to be more closely associated with larger towns/cities or locations with large conference/event venues. Travel within a working day, absence from home at night and overseas work or travel will vary according to your area of specialism and the nature of the events you are working on.

This Occupational Profile forms part of Prospects Planner

www.prospects.ac.uk/links/occupations Page 1 of 4

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Entry Requirements
Although this area of work is open to all graduates and Diplomates, the following degree/HND subjects may increase your chances:

event management/coordination; hotel or catering management; leisure and tourism; business; marketing.

There is no typical route to becoming an event organiser, and you are unlikely to find a graduate training scheme in events management or direct-entry jobs advertised on a regular basis. However, the industry is expanding, and graduate-level positions do exist. Most organisations will recruit as vacancies arise, and jobs are generally open to all graduates who demonstrate the right skills and qualities. Speculative approaches are more likely to be successful when made to larger organisations. Entry without a degree or HND is sometimes possible with relevant work experience. A pre-entry postgraduate qualification in events management is not required but a relevant course could be advantageous if your first degree/HND is not related. The Communication Advertising and Marketing Education Foundation (CAM) (www.camfoundation.com) and the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) (www.cim.co.uk) run courses which are relevant to the events industry. Work experience is essential as organisations like to see applicants with experience and knowledge of the industry. Paid or voluntary experience gained from organising or helping with events; work in the hotel or travel industry; sales; marketing; or customer service are advantageous. This also provides an opportunity to develop contacts in the industry. Candidates need to show evidence of the following:

excellent organisational skills and attention to detail; project management experience; time-management skills and the ability to work under pressure; problem-solving skills and diplomacy; strong communication, teamwork, and negotiation skills; sales and/or marketing skills; the ability to manage budgets; a flexible and adaptable approach.

It is illegal for employers to discriminate against candidates on the grounds of age, gender, race, disability, sexual orientation or religious faith. For more information see Handling Discrimination (www.prospects.ac.uk/links/discrimination).

Training
Training opportunities vary depending on the size of the organisation you work for. Training is typically offered via short courses, run either in-house or externally. Sessions covered typically include:

conference and event planning; sales and sponsorship; project management; event marketing; customer care; finance; health and safety; IT.

New event organisers will also develop their skills and knowledge by working alongside experienced colleagues. External training providers also offer a range of training courses. The following organisations offer part-time and distance learning courses relevant to the events industry:

Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) (www.cim.co.uk); Association for Conferences and Events (ACE) (www.martex.co.uk/ace/); Society of Event Organisers (SEO) (www.seoevent.co.uk/); Association of Event Organisers (AEO) (www.aeo.org.uk); Association of British Professional Conference Organisers (ABPCO) (www.abpco.org/index.html); British Association of Conference Destinations (BACD) (www.bacd.biz/); Meetings Industry Association (MIA) (www.mia-uk.org/); Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) (www.iosh.co.uk); National Examination Board for Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH) (www.nebosh.org.uk); Emergency Planning College (www.epcollege.gov.uk/).

Courses offered by these professional bodies cover a range of topics related to events management including how to plan effective marketing events, sponsorship selling techniques, health and safety, and risk assessment. Some of the organisations listed above also provide student membership and run seminars relevant to people working within the events industry. Check their websites for further details.
Page 2 of 4 See also AGCAS Sector Briefings for an overview of job sectors - www.prospects.ac.uk/links/sectorbs

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Career Development
Event management is a competitive business, and promotion will depend on a range of factors including the organisation you work for; how successful you have been in post; and your ability to demonstrate key skills and qualities in practice. There is no clearly defined career path, and routes up the career ladder will vary from one organisation to another. Promotion may involve a move from an assistant post to team leader, which may include managing a small team, or to a different management role. With experience, an event organiser is likely to take on responsibility for larger scale events, which are more complex to manage, involve higher profile clients and include bigger budgets. Career progression is likely to involve changing jobs, moving to a larger company or, alternatively, setting up as a freelance event management consultant. Building a strong network of contacts in the industry is valuable for any of these routes.

Typical Employers
The events industry has seen significant growth in recent years, and organisations involved in event management span both the public and private sectors, varying in size from small consultants to larger, multinational organisations. Organisations where event management teams may be found include:

specialist event management consultancies; conference and exhibition centres; events venues; large commercial organisations; charities; hotels; public attractions; universities; local authorities; public relations (PR) agencies.

You are likely to find that larger organisations will handle all aspects of event management in-house, or in some cases, outsource the more specialist activity to relevant suppliers/organisations. In smaller consultancies, the consultant tends to take on a coordinating role and will subcontract different parts of the planning process to a variety of specialists.

Sources of Vacancies

The Guardian (www.guardian.co.uk) (Mondays); Event (www.eventmagazine.co.uk/home/index.cfm); TSNN (www.tsnn.co.uk); Brand Republic Jobs (jobs.brandrepublic.com); Total Jobs (www.totaljobs.com/); Caterer (www.caterer.com); Mad (www.mad.co.uk); Marketing Job Site (www.marketingjobsite.co.uk/); Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) (www.cim.co.uk) - see the jobs vacancy database (professional body/members only); Association of Event Organisers (AEO) (www.aeo.org.uk); Jobs.ac.uk (www.jobs.ac.uk); local press; university careers libraries.

A number of recruitment agencies also specialise in events. These include:

Albany Appointments (www.albany-appointments.co.uk); PFJ (www.pfj.co.uk); ESP Recruitment (www.esprecruitment.co.uk); Dragonfly Recruitment (www.dragonflyrecruitment.co.uk); Blue Skies (www.blueskiescareers.co.uk); Live Recruitment (www.live-recruitment.co.uk); Major Players (www.majorplayers.co.uk).

Related Occupations

Catering manager Conference centre manager Hotel manager Marketing executive Public relations account executive Public relations officer Retail manager Sales executive Tourism officer

Find comprehensive careers information on www.prospects.ac.uk and in your HE careers service

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Information Sources
Bibliography
AGCAS and Graduate Prospects products are available from higher education careers services.

AGCAS Publications
Handling Discrimination, AGCAS Information Booklet Hospitality Sector, AGCAS Sector Briefing Options with Hospitality Management/Hotel and Catering, AGCAS Options Series

Other Publications
Access All Areas, Ocean Media Group, 10 times/year Conference Handbook, Mash Media, 2007 Event, Haymarket Media Group, Monthly Exhibition News, Mash Media, Monthly The Guardian, Guardian Newspapers Ltd, Daily The White Book, Ocean Media Group, Annual

Websites
Albany Appointments, www.albany-appointments.co.uk Blue Skies, www.blueskiescareers.co.uk Brand Republic Jobs, jobs.brandrepublic.com British Association of Conference Destinations (BACD), www.bacd.biz/ Caterer, www.caterer.com Dragonfly Recruitment, www.dragonflyrecruitment.co.uk Emergency Planning College, www.epcollege.gov.uk/ ESP Recruitment, www.esprecruitment.co.uk Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), www.iosh.co.uk Jobs.ac.uk, www.jobs.ac.uk Live Recruitment, www.live-recruitment.co.uk Mad, www.mad.co.uk Major Players, www.majorplayers.co.uk Marketing Job Site, www.marketingjobsite.co.uk/ Meetings Industry Association (MIA), www.mia-uk.org/ National Examination Board for Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH), www.nebosh.org.uk PFJ, www.pfj.co.uk Total Jobs, www.totaljobs.com/ TSNN, www.tsnn.co.uk

Addresses
Association of British Professional Conference Organisers (ABPCO), Association House, South Park Road, Macclesfield, Cheshire SK11 6SH Tel: 01625 267 883 URL: www.abpco.org/index.html Association for Conferences and Events (ACE), Riverside House, High Street, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE18 6SG Tel: 01480 457595 URL: www.martex.co.uk/ace/ Association of Event Organisers (AEO), 119 High Street, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire HP4 2DJ Tel: 01442 285810 URL: www.aeo.org.uk Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), Moor Hall, Cookham, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 9QH Tel: 01628 427500 URL: www.cim.co.uk The Communication Advertising and Marketing Education Foundation (CAM), Moor Hall, Cookham, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 9QH Tel: 01628 427120 URL: www.camfoundation.com Eventia, 6th Floor, Charles House, 148-149 Great Charles Street, Birmingham B3 3HT Tel: 0121 212 1400 URL: www.eventia.org.uk Public Relations Consultants Association (PRCA), Willow House, Willow Place, London SW1P 1JH Tel: 020 7233 6026 URL: www.prca.org.uk Society of Event Organisers (SEO), 29a Market Square, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire SG18 8AQ Tel: 01767 316255 URL: www.seoevent.co.uk/

Content copyright of or licensed to AGCAS (www.agcas.org.uk) Written by Katie Williams, University of Southampton, 15/10/2008 The work of writers, editors and other contributors is gratefully acknowledged - full details on www.prospects.ac.uk/links/occupations To view the terms and conditions for the material provided in this publication, please see www.prospects.ac.uk/links/disclaimer Page 4 of 4 Visit www.prospects.ac.uk/links/occupations to see case studies of graduates in this role