How to Become an Event Planner in Nigeria brings to your perusal the necessary information on How to Become an Event Planner in Nigeria.
How to Get Started as an Event Planner
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Every day around us people host one event or the other, from weddings to dinner parties. Most of these hosts do not have the time to sit and plan out their occasions by themselves; they need professionals to handle that for them. This is where event planning comes in.
Event planning is the art of planning and organizing an occasion like a fundraiser, a wedding, a funeral, a birthday, etc. Event planning will cover such areas as cost, venue, accommodation, invitations, entertainment, and other logistics.
Event planning is one of the fastest-growing industries in Nigeria and the world over. It is a very lucrative business. It will continue to grow as long as folks keep getting promotions, giving birth, losing loved ones, and starting new organizations. This means more jobs and opportunities.
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The following are the steps on How to Become an Event Planner in Nigeria:
1. Understand The Duties Of An Event Planner
Before you venture into event planning, you have to ask yourself or an expert in the field a very important question: What are the duties of an event planner?
You should understand that modern-day event planning is way beyond just planning where a birthday party would hold or how many guests are expected.
You should understand that it is the duty of the planner to get the best vendors at the best rates on behalf of the event owners and save them some stress.
An event planner must have a broad knowledge of the nitty-gritty of the business. Such knowledge could be gained by associating with expert and experienced event planners and volunteering for them at events.
2. Get Trained on How to Become an Event Planner in Nigeria
It is not enough to jump into event planning because you have a passion for it. Assess your organizational skills and point out the areas where you need to brush up.
Enroll in event planning courses and obtain professional certifications such as Certified Meeting Planner (CMP) or Certified Special Events Professional (CSEP).
You can also check online resources that could educate you on global best practices in event planning and management.
From these sources you can learn how to execute each stage of event planning and management such as choosing a date, deciding on the guest list, budgeting, and so on.
Even with your natural talent, getting formally or professionally trained helps you refine your creativity.
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3. Acquire Event Planning Experience
Beyond getting ‘book knowledge on how to plan and manage events, you should also strive to get hands-on experience.
One way of getting this is by volunteering to help renowned event planners when they have planning and management engagements.
The more you keep doing this, the better you become at it. Besides, there are things that theoretical training won’t teach you, but getting to be around the experts makes your learning process easier and faster. Your business skills will also be honed in the process.
4. Build a Network
One of the advantages of volunteering for established event planners is the fact that you get to meet individuals that would turn into potential clients or potential suppliers when you launch your own event planning brand.
With this kind of exposure, you get to interact with people from all walks of life and create mutually beneficial relationships with them.
When you meet potential clients or suppliers, get their contact details, and connect with them. Meet with trustworthy vendors that you can work with when you establish your own enterprise.
5. Be Creative
Creativity is one quality you must bring to bear as an event planner, especially for a starter. With many people in the business, you cannot afford to not be creative.
You should be able to create new ideas about how an event should be organized, or remodel old ideas and make them attractive and unique.
Developing a taste for fashionable dishes, exquisite decorations, etc should enhance your creativity.
If you are naturally not very creative, or you do not feel satisfied with your level of creativity, you can hire a creative director to assist you.
Putting out creative event packaging boosts your popularity and makes you more visible and well sought after. In this business, your work speaks for you.
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6. Create a Portfolio
While still training and gathering experience, you will need to capture your work. With a good smartphone, you should be able to take neat pictures of elegant decorations, mouthwatering dishes, excellent transportation, and exquisite accommodation arrangements you have made.
You should also keep a record of positive reviews and recommendation statements from satisfied clients. With this collection, your portfolio is ready. Always keep it handy and always be ready to show the world what you are capable of.
7. Launch Out Your Own Event Planning Business
With zero Naira, you can start an event planning business in Nigeria given the right connections. Before you launch, you might want to consider what aspect(s) of event management you are going to specialize in, or what categories of events you want to focus on.
Give your business a suitable name. It should be easy to remember, and creative, and if possible, it should reflect the type of services you offer. Create a working team before you start out. Start your event planning business and get hired.
8. Become Visible
With so many individuals and companies in the business, you will need to become visible by all means. Creating a website is one way of gaining visibility.
With a website, you can display your business name, pictures of events you have planned and managed, as well as positive feedback from happy customers.
Be sure to update your portfolio from time to time. Another way of maintaining visibility is to print well-designed business cards that you can easily give out to potential clients when you go to events.
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With the listed steps on How to Become an Event Planner in Nigeria, you should be able to become a well-known event planner and even expand beyond the borders of Nigeria.
Good luck to you!
