Event Planning Major?

[sk8bug72]

Does anyone know of schools with an event planning major or something similar? I know that Johnson & Whales and University of Central FL have one. Someone told me that there was an article about the best schools for event planning in the Boston Globe last week, but I don't get that newspaper. Did anyone save theirs? Thanks!

 

[ColoradoBuffaloMom]

I've heard that Cal State Fullerton (near Disneyland) has a good program. UNLV (University of Nevada Las Vegas) has a great Hotel Management program so I bet they have info on Event Planning. Look for schools that also have Travel and Tourism majors.

I used to be an Event Planner at the University of Colorado. I loved it but it is a lot of nights and weekends which didn't work for us as a family when my kids got older.

 

[CPM]

I'm an event planner, but didn't go to school for it.
I majored in Marketing and have an AS in Interior Decorating, lol

I know UCF has a great program for it, even with it's own campus for it at Rosen Plaza near Sea World.
I would really think about it. It's all nights and weekends. I get so sick of it and it's so hard when you are raising a family. I'm lucky now that I only work part time and take the summer off. But, it's rare to find a job with that freedom in this business.
You could probably major is business, take some extra classes about event planning and still get hired as an event planner.

 

[barbeml]

I was an association event planner for years. I took the travel certificate courses (and the industry exam) at Community College a few years ago to augment my knowledge, but I did not go to school for event planning.

Major burnout job. I took a break from it for a few years, got back in and then out after three. I just landed a great new job and someone else is the event planner, LOL.

That being said, it was wonderful when I was 20-something and single. I got to do some travel, met some nice people and more than a few celebrities. There were many nice perks, then the industry in NJ changed quite a bit.

At 40-something and married, I don't have the energy for that kind of stress anymore.

 

[sk8bug72]

The nights and weekends thing is a concern of mine, but I love event planning and can't really come up with another career that I would really enjoy. I love doing all kinds of creative stuff and I am very organized. I would love to have Martha Stewart's job. lol. Does anyone have suggestions for other careers that I might like???

I looked into the Rosen college and LOVED it, but I think that it is too far from home. (its close to disney though! )

 

[ducklite]

Too far for you, but NYU also has a great program.

Some jobs in event planning are more 9-5 based, such as working at speaker bureaus.

Anne

 

[CPM]

The nights and weekends thing is a concern of mine, but I love event planning and can't really come up with another career that I would really enjoy. I love doing all kinds of creative stuff and I am very organized. I would love to have Martha Stewart's job. lol. Does anyone have suggestions for other careers that I might like???

I looked into the Rosen college and LOVED it, but I think that it is too far from home. (its close to disney though! )

That's maybe why you might want to major in business. Then you can still do that but be qualified for other jobs. it was a fun job when I was younger and at times it's still fun.
BTW, I work for a Boston company.

 

[Caradana]

The hours are brutal. Please really consider majoring in business, or double-majoring in something like hotel management. Check out George Washington University @ DC - terrific programs in both.

 

[QT Pooh]

I used to be an event planner for a Fortune 50 company. I majored in Marketing and wound up getting a job in the marketing communications department, where the event planning staff resided as well. I was single then, and well, it was fun while it lasted, but that pace could not be maintained once I started a family. If you do not want to work nights and/or weekends, you should not be an event planner. It is (at least it was in my case) a high stress job...but if you have your mind set on it, you can look into being a fundraiser for a college and managing their fundraising events. That would give you a taste for it (although I think it's a temporary position).

 

[barkley]

i did event planning but did not go to college for it. i got a job in the sales department of a high end napa valley resort and ended up planning events, meetings, retreats, weddings... def. not a 9-5 or no weekend job esp. if you work for the venue the event will be held at. the bulk of planners i interacted with at other venues had worked within the hospitality industry in the area and therefore knew the area, vendors, restaurants and offerings. allot had been former hotel concierges, and a good portion teachers (great organizational skills are a must). while i enjoyed it i found it very stressful in that your performance is directly tied to the 'happy factor' of clients who often have unrealistic expectations (sorry, i could'nt change local laws in order to make your dream come true, nor could i magicly increase the seating capacity at a restaurant that has reservations booked solid for the next 2 years to accommodate your party no matter who you were) and outside vendors for whom your one demanding client is not their top priority.

i think our local community and several others in california offer assoicate degree programs in 'hospitality'-they are a combo of bsns. (hotel) managment, supervision and the ins and outs of working with travel agents, vendors, and service industry people.

if you are a 'martha stewart' type i don't think this is nesc. what you would be happy doing-she appears to be hands on with all aspects of an event when in reality a successful event planner is more administrative and leaves the hands on to the individual vendors (except when something wrong happens and you're left to deal with it-like trying to find that one appetizer someone spaced on making, driving all night to an out of area linen supply place because the tablecloths don't 'quite' match the color scheme, doing a search mission for some obscure item a member of the guest's party left at home ).

 

[sk8bug72]

if you are a 'martha stewart' type i don't think this is nesc. what you would be happy doing-she appears to be hands on with all aspects of an event when in reality a successful event planner is more administrative and leaves the hands on to the individual vendors.

Yeah, I know, but I don't really know of any jobs that would allow me to be really creative. Any ideas???

 

[CPM]

I feel bad, we all our trying to talk you out of it. lol
You know, if you just major in hospitality or business, you won't be restricted to one job.
Maybe you can get a job with a large hotel chain and do different jobs with them as your life evolves.

 

[sk8bug72]

Don't worry about talking me out of it, it has been a huge concern of mine all along. Any suggestions, tips, ideas, etc. would be greatly appreciated!

 

[juligrl]

I believe Temple University offers something in event or wedding planning. I just got something in the mail about it last week.

 

[barkley]

this is kind of a stretch and i'm not sure how marketable it is but-a mom whose child attended school with mine several years ago had a job that involved event planning but it was very specialized and lent itself to much more conventional hours. she was creative but she chose to major in buisness and marketing. she made extreemly good money contracting out to independant and corporate bsns. and did all the planning and orchestration for store grand openings and the like. it was realy interesting to hear her talk about how she had to plan foods, music and decor for an event based on the target market that would be attending, the way they wanted the 'traffic' to flow through a store, and what particular product the bsns. was trying to highlight. she had it down to science like 'old navy is pushing such and such product at this opening which is targeted at x age group/sex which is more likely to stay longer and shop if x foods are present, and they like music at x level to facilitate x mood.....'. since most of the events were during regular 9-5 bsns. hours or weekends with a set start/end time she was pretty easily able to have a fairly normal work schedual.

last i heard she was branching out and consulting with other industries (the woman was ahead of her time, she was starting to work with realtors and advising them to look at the market a property or development was trying/likely to attract-and how to set the mood via lighting, mood and decorator touches-this was LONG before the concept of staging a house for sale was in the public mindset).