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How to Become an Event Manager: A Rewarding Career For Communicative People

Event managers organise and run events for brands. If you’re a bubbly person who’s the life of the party, you may already have what it takes to become a successful event manager.

Qualifications in event management, public relations, and marketing will be useful on your journey towards becoming an event manager. Specific qualifications to consider include Diploma of Event Management (SIT50316), Advanced Diploma of Event Management (SIT60216), or Bachelor of Business (Event Management).

  • Overview
  • Job Satisfaction
  • Skills
  • How to Become
  • Start Learning

Event manager job description
info Where we source our data

Let’s get real. Job information online can often be overly optimistic — conveniently glossing over the raw bits. But when you’re making decisions about your future, you need all the facts.

That’s why we anonymously surveyed event managers about their job, with hopes of getting an honest insight into what it’s really like.

While we did our best to ensure respondents were Australians and verified their job titles with proof of employment, we can’t guarantee complete accuracy — or that your experiences in the field will reflect theirs. So, we suggest that you take these insights as a guide only and try to talk to people in the field before making an important decision.

Event managers organise, run, and promote a range of events. Events could include conferences, seminars, trade shows, corporate events, festivals, launches, social events, or functions like birthdays or weddings. Event professionals can specialise in types of events (like wedding planner), or can work across a range of events. You may work for an events company, in-house in an organisation that regularly runs events, or you could start your own business as a freelance event manager.
Organising

Organising
info
Based on our career survey data, these are the words that workers would use to describe their jobs.

Social

Social
info
Based on our career survey data, these are the words that workers would use to describe their jobs.

Cooperative

Cooperative
info
Based on our career survey data, these are the words that workers would use to describe their jobs.

Tasks and responsibilities for an event manager

What do event organisers do? Some typical tasks and responsibilities include:

  • Liaising with clients, stakeholders, or other members of your team to figure out event requirements and client needs.
  • Producing proposals for events including draft runsheets, budgets, suggestions for venues, sponsorship deals, suppliers, and staff.
  • Managing and negotiating the contracts associated with an event. For example, contracting catering companies, venues, and people involved in entertainment like live bands or DJs.
  • Booking travel and accommodation for attendees where required.
  • Making plans to promote the event alongside colleagues involved with public relations, event marketing, social media, and communications.
  • Ensuring the event runs smoothly throughout. This will likely require some quick problem-solving, multitasking, troubleshooting, and hospitality management.
  • Managing staff at the event like caterers, helpers, entertainers, and speakers.
  • Cleaning up after the event to ensure that the venue is in the same condition as it was before the event.
  • Evaluating how events went using feedback from clients and attendees. Using this information to improve upon events in the future.
  • Ensuring that every event is safe. This will involve making arrangements for first aid, and making sure events are fire safe and COVID safe.

Reasons to choose this job
info
Based on our career survey data, these are the factors that workers said were most important to them when choosing this job.

Enjoyable

Enjoyable

Being an event planner means that your working life will involve one great party or inspiring conference after another. It’s particularly enjoyable for people who are outgoing and love meeting new people.

Read More
Learning opportunities

Learning opportunities

Event planners will build an encyclopaedic knowledge of what to do if your tech suddenly isn’t working on the night of a big launch, or who the best catering company in town is. A career in event planning brings you constant opportunities to build up your expertise.

Read More
High paying

High paying

Event planners often earn high average salaries. This is because an experienced event planner brings such valuable knowledge to any team or project. You also tend to work outside of the regular 9-5, with plenty of evening and weekend work, which can mean higher penalty rates.

Read More

Job satisfaction

Overall job satisfaction
info
This overall score combines the critical factors in job satisfaction. It includes fulfilment, stress levels, and opportunities for advancement, based on our career survey data.

Stress level
info
How stressful workers feel their job is, based on our career survey data.

high

Fulfilment
info
How personally rewarding workers feel their job is, based on our career survey data.

high

Skill level
info
The skill level required to do this job is based on both our career survey data and official data from the Labour Market Information Portal.

high

Job market trends for an event manager

The COVID-19 pandemic saw quite a hit to the events industry which will impact the short-term job outlook. Even as restrictions are being removed, there’s a lot more uncertainty around in-person events because of potential staff shortages due to illness. That said, AMEX global business travel predicts that in-person events will likely return to their pre-pandemic level within the next year or two. We should see event management job opportunities increase very soon.

As well, despite limitations in in-person events, event managers will find themselves increasingly involved in planning online and hybrid events. Online and hybrid formats bring great opportunities to make events accessible, increasing your potential audience. Event managers will need to be tech savvy now and into the future as the delivery of events changes.

$62,816 Per Year

Median salary
info Where this data comes from

Median salary

We use the median salary over the average because it’s more realistic — unusually high or low salaries don’t skew the median. It shows the true middle point, which is what your typical worker in this job earns.

This figure is from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. It’s the official median full-time adult salary for non-managers, before tax. (Includes salary sacrifice.)

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (cat. no. 6306.0), Customised Report

Projected job growth

Job growth projections, using data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. These calculations were made before COVID-19 and may not accurately reflect the labour market. Use these numbers as a general guide only.

Projected job growth
info Where this data comes from

Median salary

We use the median salary over the average because it’s more realistic — unusually high or low salaries don’t skew the median. It shows the true middle point, which is what your typical worker in this job earns.

This figure is from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. It’s the official median full-time adult salary for non-managers, before tax. (Includes salary sacrifice.)

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (cat. no. 6306.0), Customised Report

Projected job growth

Job growth projections, using data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. These calculations were made before COVID-19 and may not accurately reflect the labour market. Use these numbers as a general guide only.

Pathway options
info
Job pathways are drawn from the Australian Apprenticeships Pathways site.

Junior

  • Conference coordinator

    Most common qualification: Diploma of Event Management (SIT50316)

  • Event coordinator

    Most common qualification: Diploma of Event Management (SIT50316)

  • Events assistant

    Most common qualification: Diploma of Event Management (SIT50316)

  • Function coordinator

    Most common qualification: Diploma of Event Management (SIT50316)

Mid

  • Event manager

    Most common qualification: Advanced Diploma of Event Management (SIT60216)

  • Event planner

    Most common qualification: Diploma of Event Management (SIT50316)

Senior

  • Conference manager

    Most common qualification: Bachelor of Business (Event Management)

  • Event director

    Most common qualification: Bachelor of Business (Event Management)

  • Exhibition manager

    Most common qualification: Bachelor of Business (Event Management)

Skills you might already have
info
Based on our career survey data, the soft skills that workers said were most needed to do their job well.

People interested in event management jobs are already likely to be outgoing and organised. Soft skills that you could already have (or can develop naturally from exploring your interests) include:

Detail-oriented

You’re the kind of person who thinks of everything: you’re never short of candles for a birthday cake, and you’re quick to remember to ask your guests if they have any dietary requirements. This quality is valuable in event managers in making sure each event is comfortable for everyone and that extra bit special.

Read More

Organised and great time management skills

Booking travel and accommodation, comparing quotes, and sorting out a runsheet requires an organised mind. If you’re always on time to appointments and organise your receipts for tax time, you likely already have this skill.

Read More

Good communication skills

Event managers talk to stakeholders, team members, contracted staff, and guests. If you love chatting to people and can word your thoughts clearly, you have a valuable skill when it comes to event management.

Read More

Creativity

Making an event memorable involves coming up with and executing good, unique ideas. If you enjoy creative pursuits like writing, art, or music, you may already be honing this skill.

Read More

Adaptability

Sometimes on the day of an event, things don’t go right. If you’re someone who always has a plan B, a phone charger, or a quick fix for a tech issue, your adaptability will come in handy as an events manager.

Read More

Hard skills
info
The job-specific skills that workers said were most important, supplemented with data from JobOutlook and online job advertisements.

When looking to become an event manager, your training will help you to develop these necessary technical skills:

Budget management

You’ll need to know how to work within a budget, what to sacrifice in order to make sure your costs don’t blow out, and how to allocate funds to different aspects of an event.

Read More

Stakeholder management

Often different people you’re working with will want different things. Funders may want costs to be as low as possible, while your guests may want to attend something lavish. Stakeholder management involves listening to these different priorities and coming up with a workable compromise that suits everyone.

Read More

Negotiation skills

A great way of reducing event costs is by building relationships with vendors and suppliers, and finding ways you can get the same services for less money.

Read More

Technology literacy

Most events will involve some degree of technology, like sound systems or presentations. You’ll need to be able to troubleshoot any problems that could arise. Increasingly, events are moving online, meaning you’ll need to know the ins and outs of Zoom and other computer programs.

Read More

How to become an event manager

  1. Study

    No specific formal qualification is required to be an event manager. It is common for people in the field to hold formal qualifications, usually in event management or a related area. Your studies will give you opportunities to get hands on work experience through internships or other programs.

  2. Get experience

    Think of ways you can run an event so you gain a greater understanding of the complexities involved. Volunteer to organise the wedding of a family member or friend, or get involved in running a fundraising event for a local community group or charity.

Explore related qualifications

Event management courses are available throughout Australia. Most require three or four years of study (or part-time equivalent). Delivery can be on-campus or online, or a mix of both. Courses cost different amounts depending on the area of study and whether you are eligible for Commonwealth government support.

Diploma of Event Management (SIT50316)

Study method Online

In this course, you’ll learn the fundamentals of event management. Topics of study may include: 

  • managing computer reservation systems, 
  • customer service and customer experience
  • facility and amenity provision
  • e-commerce
  • legal and risk management 
  • budgeting 
  • bump in and bump out
  • people management

 

This course typically takes 12 months of full-time study (or part-time equivalent) to complete.

Read More

2 providers offer this course

Careerhouse
The Career Academy

Advanced Diploma of Event Management (SIT60216)

The Advanced Diploma is similar to the Diploma qualification but deepens and broadens your study. This course typically takes 18 months of full-time study (or part-time equivalent) to complete. You can complete this qualification after the Diploma course and get credit for subjects already undertaken (so it may only take 6 months to upgrade).

Read More

Bachelor of Business (Event Management)

In a bachelor’s degree focusing on event management, you’ll learn all about the theory and practice of event management in great depth. You’ll also learn about: 

  • business management, 
  • marketing
  • economics
  • business law 
  • accounting 
  • finance
  • sustainability in events management. 

 

This course typically takes 3 years of full-time study (or part-time equivalent) to complete.

Read More

Related subjects

If you’re interested in event management, you may also be interested in:

Celebrancy
Celebrancy
Event Management
Event Management
Marketing
Marketing
Small Business
Small Business

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The Coordinator Take the Career Quiz

Job cluster: The Coordinator
info What are job clusters?

The seven job clusters are sets of closely related jobs that share skills, making it easy to apply skills learned in one career to another.

The idea of the seven job clusters first appeared in a 2016 research report by the Foundation for Young Australians, titled “The New Work Mindset”. Researchers analysed thousands of online job advertisements and found that jobs are more similar than commonly thought — and the skills you gain in one position are easy to bring to another. In fact, they can help you get 13 other closely related jobs.

This model is a great way to think about 21st-century careers, where the average person changes career five times. We’ve used this framework (along with the much-loved Holland Codes model) to build a career quiz.

Why not take it and find out which job cluster feels like home?

Email marketing manager jobs are suited to the career personality of The Coordinator.

Do you have a system for organising the dishwasher? Are you the person in your friendship group who organises all your get-togethers? Are your important documents collated in a well-organised folder? Chances are, you’re a Coordinator. People rely on you for your efficiency, organisational skills, and logical thinking.

Take the Career Quiz to discover what jobs are a great fit for you.

Learn More

Frequently asked questions

How do you get into event management?

Get into event management through a mix of formal study and hands-on experience. You can earn a qualification in events management such as the Diploma of Event Management (SIT50316), Advanced Diploma of Event Management (SIT60216), or Bachelor of Business (Event Management). These will give you the fundamental skills for starting a career. You can also hit the ground running whenever you like by organising some events. Volunteer for a local community group or charity, or offer to run events for your friends and family members.

What is the definition of event management?

Event management is where you plan events and run them. It may sound simple, but this can be complex involving project management, liaising with stakeholders, negotiating contracts, managing staff, organising accommodation and travel, and troubleshooting any unexpected problems that may crop up.

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