Experience, experience, experience.
Degree or no degree, event planning is an industry where you need experience to get clients, and contacts to make events a success. In reality, the only way to thrive as an event planner is through the trial and error that comes with actual hands-on experience.

Getting out in the field is the first step in the process. For many students, an internship serves as an easy stepping stone into the world of event planning, opening future doors for permanent employment and allowing interns to network within the industry. “I know a few people who have been hired into high-level management positions by the hotels they interned at,” says Amber.

Entry-level planners will have varying experiences in their first positions, depending on the type of company where they find employment. At a large company, as Amber hopes to work with upon graduation, there are corporate benefits and security; for Hollis, owning her own boutique firm is ideal. “There might not be as many perks, but it’s all hands-on. One day you’ll be working on design, another production, another the business aspect. I love the laid back environment…nothing beats wearing jeans to the office as far as I’m concerned.”