Some points to consider for a career in event management
Event Management Courses are slowly gaining traction as our country moves towards grander events. Chances are if you’ve organized an event or taken part in organizing an event- you know. There is an unimaginably large number of things that can and most likely will go wrong.
Even if you haven’t organized any events if you’re a social person you’ve probably been to some form of a gathering. That’s right, other than the confines of inside a family, every social gathering is an event. Weddings, Meetings, Corporate Outings, Conferences, Conventions, Ceremonies, Rites, and Functions.
The problem that Event Management courses solve is one that has existed in India for a very long time. The lack of a structure or some kind of a system to be in place. Traditionally personal events were handled by seasoned people in the family, untrained non-professionals.
For obvious reasons, there were a lot of shortcomings in these ways. And when it came to corporate or formal events- the organization without professionals couldn’t even be considered. This gave rise to event management as an industry.
Hundreds of thousands of students flock to these courses all around the world. Why wouldn’t they? the possibilities of employment are endless. Just one look around you will show you by how large a margin can events be improved when organized by a professional.
As one would expect, there are plenty of skills and tools of the trade needed. Most of them can be acquired by going through an Event Management Course.
Education, Eligibility, and Skills
A creative mindset, paying close attention to the detail, and an understanding of the nuances of time management are important skills. As are great communication skills, a curious and learning mind along with strong foundational skills in management, finances, analytics, and customization according to client’s preferences.
Event management courses are postgraduate level and require a 60% aggregate score in 12th standard and a bachelor’s degree to qualify. The bachelors should preferably be from a business management stream or a design/arts field in general. A strong foundation in economics, analytics, and team management is a plus.
Both direct and entrance test based enrollment is possible in these degrees and the course lasts about two years. If a good B-school is to be pursued a national entrance exam such as CAT, XAT, MAT, etc. needs to be cleared with a good result first.
It follows a general semester system and the course fees range between two lakh rupees per year to as high as fifteen lakhs depending on the B-school of choice. A postgraduate diploma in management as an alternative option to an MBA is available.
There are distance learning and MOOC alternatives to a traditional degree. The fee is reduced as well, considerably, but the practical knowledge is lower than the traditional on-campus degree to some extent.
Future Prospects, Job Profiles, and Salaries
The most prominent job profiles available in Event Management Industry are Event Legal Executive, Event (Budgeting & Finance) Executive, Public Relations Officer, Event Production Head, Event Coordinator, etc. There are multitudes of sub-sectors that one can work in.
Cineyug Entertainment, Cox and Kings, DNA Networks Pvt Ltd., E-Factor, Fountainhead, Percept D Mark, Sercon, Sita Conferences, Tafcon Group, TCI Consultancy Services and ‘e’ Events, Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt Ltd and 360 Degrees are some of the major recruiters in this field.
The average salary that is offered to entry-level experienced professionals is about 3 – 4 lakhs per annum. With 5 – 10 years of experience, a mid-career salary is offered at about 5 – 8 lakhs per annum. And late-career salaries are as high as 12 – 15 lakhs per annum or more depending on the place of work.
Another important point to consider is that the event management industry is a powerhouse of entrepreneurs. Yes, let’s say you don’t want to or can’t see yourself working a corporate job. With enough experience and projects under your belt, you can start your own event management firm, in your subdomain of expertise. Of course, the corporate sector provides better prospects and incentives.
But considering the fact that India has a rich academic sector and we’re infamous as big spenders at weddings. There is scope for good projects to tie oneself up within other areas outside the corporate sector as well. Overall this is an excellent career choice for curious and creative individuals that are inclined towards management jobs.
