Meeting planners should seek chances to boost their soft skills as well as their hard skills. Courtesy of Tracy Judge

Let’s say that after several years of working in your dream job as a corporate meeting and event planner for a Fortune 500 company, you’ve started to recognize your desire to enhance your current role, or perhaps explore career opportunities in a new company. But because you’ve been working diligently in your current role, you feel the need for some career development to make sure you stand out from the proverbial crowd and achieve your goals.

Today’s time-pressed movers and shakers in the meetings and events arena have many goals in mind, but the problem professional corporate meeting planners face — besides a tough job market — is knowing where to begin in their career development and how to stay on track.

Meeting planner Tracy Judge, MS, CMP, founder & CEO of Soundings Connect, a company created by meetings and events professionals for industry pros and companies that seek their services, points out that the future of the meetings and events industry is fluid.

“To stay relevant in today’s workforce, meeting industry professionals need to be intentional about their career development and take a more integrated approach to professional development,” Judge says. “As we have seen over the last few years, the hard skills needed to do a job can change very quickly. Soft skills like problem-solving, creativity, communication, adaptability and empathy help us manage change and are transferable to any job.”

At Soundings Connect, they weigh soft skills and strengths the same as technical competency when looking to place meeting and event talent in freelance roles with customers. For instance, a person can have expert knowledge of an event technology platform, but if they cannot collaborate with a team or communicate effectively, their likelihood for success is low.

Judge advises meeting and event planners to take a customized approach to their career development, keeping in mind that the career journey is no longer linear. Judge recommends meeting planners start by asking themselves the following questions: What am I passionate about? What are my strengths/soft skills? What experience/hard skills do I have? What problems need to be solved today and in the future?

“By answering these questions, planners can ideate and imagine where they see themselves in the future, and develop a customized career-development plan by incorporating experience, education, development of soft skills, mentorship and networking,” Judge says.

Marissa Long, director, talent development for The Opus Group, a provider of global event experiences, says professional development is important for everyone, but is especially important for meeting and event planners, as it’s such a unique role that requires various skills and knowledge.

“As planners, we often create an environment that facilitates learning and development opportunities for our attendees, and it’s easy to forget to carve out that same time for our own growth,” Long says. “Yet, we work in an industry that demands that we are ahead of the curve with trends, technology and health and safety needs. This is incredibly hard to do if we do not focus on our own development.”

Long further points out that planners work in an industry that is always changing, and planners are striving to create something even better than the last experience they created. In addition, they feel the direct impact of all world events.

“This means we are asking our teams to perfect their craft in an ever-changing environment. Meeting and event planners must be flexible, resilient and able to problem solve in-the-moment, all while striving to exceed the expectations of their clients and attendees,” Long says. “To do all of this in an ever-changing environment, we must create a culture of learning and growth to succeed.”

It’s no secret: The No. 1 way to boost your career is networking to create relationships. Courtesy of Elizabeth Sherry

Techniques To Use

Mark Herschberg, author of “The Career Toolkit: Essential Skills for Success That No One Taught You,” agrees. “Suppose you have a really big event in six months, critical to the client’s success. Would you just wing it? Of course not. The best way to ensure success is to create and execute a plan. The same is true for our careers. If you don’t think you can successfully run an event in six months without a plan, how can you be successful in your career in six years without one?” Herschberg says. “Just as with event planning, the event itself will never go off exactly as planned, so, too will your career plan never quite work out as planned on paper — and that’s OK. As with events, planning alone may not guarantee success, but lack of a plan invites failure.”

According to Herschberg, career development for meeting and event planners begins with understanding your goals. Is there a role you want in the future? It doesn’t have to be a specific title, but could be a set of responsibilities or type of work. If you’re not yet sure, start by asking yourself a series of questions about your career plans.

“Once you know the desired goal, compare your current skills and experience to what is needed to qualify for that role,” Herschberg says. “You can then plan intermediate steps to build up your qualifications. This could be tasks and experiences in your current role, or intermediary roles to get you to your dream job.”

Herschberg further points out that, just like your event’s project plan isn’t written once, but is adjusted as you go, so too do you need to review and revise your career plan. “Right now, you can create a calendar event in your phone labeled ‘Update Career Plan’ and set it as recurring every three or six months. Now, you have a regular reminder to spend 30 minutes a few times a year to be intentional about your career plan.”

As with any role in the business arena, it pays to stay connected to others in the industry by attending networking events or connecting with constituents on LinkedIn, and industry groups and associations. As Judge explains, industry involvement has been critical to her career growth from both an education and networking standpoint. “Interacting with your peers in person and through online channels will give you more clarity on which way you should grow and enhance your ability to elevate your career,” Judge says.

So, what are some key career-development tools meeting industry experts would recommend planners consider? “The online assessment tool CliftonStrengths is based on the theory that we will be happier and more productive if we leverage our top five strengths in the workplace,” Judge says. “Planners wear many hats, and will strive to accomplish whatever needs to be done. Just because we are good at something, does not mean we are contributing at our highest value. By focusing on your strengths first, you can uncover strengths you may not be currently leveraging in the workplace and start designing a career path that brings you more fulfillment and success.”

Herschberg also advises corporate event planners to create a diverse network. Certainly, get to know meeting planners and others in your industry, but don’t just limit yourself to people in your own field. “Meeting planners have a great advantage in that you can meet lots of diverse people at your events. Simply walk up and introduce yourself as one of the organizers and talk to them,” Herschberg says. “You can ask what brought them to the event, what they like or don’t like, or things they’d like to see in the future. That’s the ice breaker, and from there, you can then get to know them and build a relationship. And remember that LinkedIn is no more networking than an old school address book is. Networking is about building relationships. The address book, and modern versions like social media, makes it easier to keep in touch, but it’s the keeping in touch and relationship building that is the essence of networking.”

Of course, one of the best things you can do is talk to other people about their careers. Ask them what do they like about it, or not like about it? Or ask what do they wish they knew earlier? “What advice would they give someone getting into the field? The more points of view you get, the more information you have to think through your own career,” Herschberg says.

Joining Groups is Great

According to Elizabeth Sherry, director of development and strategic partnerships at the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, it’s easy to forget to be involved and enhance your career when the grind has been immense for everyone over the last 30 months. “Thankfully, the meeting and event industry has a well-connected network. Planners are so fortunate to have access to associations like Meeting Professionals International (MPI), National Association for Catering and Events (NACE), International Live Events Association (ILEA), Twin Cities Wedding & Event Professionals (TCWEP), all which offer developed education and certifications or the opportunity to continue to build your network.”

She continues, “Professional development through accreditation and volunteering is not only easy to access, but expected. And as much as we are all friends in the industry, enhancing your professional and career development is a key way to have a leg up on your competition for coveted positions. I think it is essential that a planner keeps their finger on the pulse of the industry. It is easy to get preoccupied with the grind,” she says. “But to elevate your meetings and events career is to know folks in your network and the temperature of the industry. This is found at industry events, whether they have an educational topic or is just a networking function. All are playgrounds for collaboration and opportunities to gain knowledge.”

Sherry points to a couple of different avenues that can be explored to enhance your career and professional development. You have the option to add the alphabet soup behind your name such as CMP, CMM, CSEP, etc. by going through courses to add to your industry know-how and add validity to your name and experience. “You can volunteer and be on a board of directors. Or you can participate in leadership or mentorship programs to become a part of a cohort of like-minded individuals,” Sherry says.

But, overall, Sherry thinks the best industry tool meeting and event planners have access to is a simple handshake. Being able to meet people in person, learn from each other, collaborate with competitors on what works and what doesn’t, is the best tool in a planner’s tool box. “During the pandemic, like so many things were, this was disrupted and not easy to replace. But ‘just’ meeting folks in person is not enough, there needs to be the follow-up,” Sherry says. “And those great follow-up tools are LinkedIn, other relevant social media pages, being on top of email and using calendar tools like doodle or Calendly to schedule follow-up meetings.”

Long also stresses that it’s important for career development to have a multifaceted approach. Development plans should include opportunities to take courses that expand knowledge, time to connect with other professionals in the field and learn from their experiences, and opportunities to receive performance coaching. Career development plans should be future-focused tools to reach professional goals.

At Opus, they offer a variety of courses in leadership and relationship skills. They want to empower teams with the ability to navigate any situation, and collaborate both internally with teams and externally with clients and vendor partners.

“We also offer internal opportunities for our team to grow in their understanding of equity, diversity and inclusion, not only for our own culture, but to enhance the work that we produce,” Long says. “We are creating experiences that need to both represent our client’s culture and create a sense of inclusion and belonging for their communities. We also offer wellness workshops to help our team learn strategies to create a work-life blend that works for them, which is always a challenge in an industry like ours that often requires non-traditional working hours.”

Continuous Improvement

The biggest mistakes Judge sees planners make are underestimating their abilities, devaluing their experience and looking at their career path as linear.

“Do not get boxed in on what jobs are available or what the next career step should be,” Judge says. “Be creative and pitch the role you want and take the path you choose.”

Another mistake Herschberg points to is meeting planners just focusing on building a network of people only in their field.

“You might think, ‘Why would I need to network with a doctor?’ That doctor may join a hospital or medical practice that down the road will run events. She’s going to know lots of other doctors from her work, but how many event planners do you think she knows?”

Another common mistake is thinking that a career plan must be well defined or set in stone. “If you have a major conference in a year, you don’t know what exactly you’ll be doing on day 273 — and that’s OK,” Herschberg says. “You should be clear on what you need to be doing the next few weeks, and have some placeholders in the plan for months further out. Those future months will get clearer as you get closer to them and can be filled in with more details. The same is true for your career plan. Don’t worry about not having enough details or that it may change. The only mistake is to not plan in the first place.”

Looking ahead, Judge expects individuals within the meetings and events industry to take more responsibility for their own career development as opposed to relying on their employers. Communities will become the foundation for career development, offering members access to relevant education, industry relationships and mentorship. Modular learning will become a necessity to manage the pace of change, replacing traditional certification programs and courses.

Sherry thinks career development tools will evolve in a way where it is easier to stay connected. However, the more technology enhances, the easier it is to think that meeting virtually, or following someone’s updates, is the same as what an in-person connection creates. “There is nothing that replaces a good old-fashioned handshake and sitting down with someone to collaborate,” Sherry says.

And because many planners may only work on a select number of events in a year, any opportunity for them to experience an event they aren’t in charge of is a really good use of time. “We all need time to foster our creativity and keep up with industry trends. Our work provides connection opportunities for our clients, and it’s important for our development to make sure we also create space for our own growth,” Long says. “Getting involved with industry events and professional associations, attending networking events, or even subscribing to newsletters or podcasts that offer insights from a variety of business leaders can contribute to personal growth.” C&IT