By Nupur Narula:
The mammoth-scale and elaborate weddings we see these days weren’t churned in a day. It is a product of many months of diligent brainstorming, creative concepts and a lot of sweat and toil. Gone are the days when weddings were simple and every family member chipped in, providing for various arrangements. If getting your children married was an expensive affair then, the thought itself is a nightmare now. Not only weddings, but music launches, concerts, office parties, theme birthday celebrations call for event managers.
Of late, event management has been considered as an exciting career option. In fact, until five to six years ago there were not too many event management companies, and as an industry, the turnover was no more than 18 Crores, in the early 90s. However, things began to change and by the end of the financial year 2007-2008, the industry is expected to be worth no less than 1800 Crores.
Careers in event management seem to be alluring more and more youth. In fact, even homemakers have stepped into the industry, and have started to organize small and private events in their spare time. Also, there are event management companies that take on consultants, who work with them on a freelance basis, as and when the need arises. Thus, there is a lot of scope in the field of event management. And the event manager jobs are ever increasing.
Event management not only includes planning for weddings, but also fashion shows, musical concerts, corporate seminars, exhibitions, wedding celebrations, theme parties, product launches. Like many other career paths, the route to a successful occupation in the event management industry is not based on the foundation of academic laurels and certifications. However, the basic survival toolkit to get into this profession is both wide and subjective.
Your basic task is to plan and present an event in a novel way and that too from scratch. For this, you must possess the quality to think out of the box. Apart from possessing ample amounts of creative juice, you ought to have good planning, marketing, budgeting, negotiation, client management, communication and leadership skills.
Further, you must have immense patience and insight to see right into the smallest details of the entire event management process and always stay focussed on your project goals. Good networking skills, business analytics, time management, ability to take on challenges, problem-solving skills and adjusting to rapidly changing situations are some other qualities essential for this role.
The mantra for success in this cutthroat business is to constantly improve upon your existing skills, stick to your career objectives, avoid complacency and always delight your client. Some of the top companies are DNA Networks, Cox and Kings and Cineyug Entertainment.