If you are a people’s person, love to take up new challenges, possess good communication and leadership skills then a career in event management is the right choice for you. The fact that there are plenty of opportunities makes it a lucrative option, says Shubhra Bhardwaj
Today, the Indian Gen-X has the option of many exciting, off beat and well-paying jobs. One of them is a career in event management. The industry has gained momentum in the last few years due to the change in marketing and advertising plans. The increase in demand of professional socialising has acted as a boost for this field. Most events today are professionally organised by an event management company, with experts taking care of the minutest details.
Event management gives you ample opportunities for unleashing one’s creative potential. It involves visualisation, creativity, meticulous planning and intense coordination. An extremely demanding career, event management is for the people who have an appetite for challenge and would love to work in a dynamic, fast-paced environment where no two projects are the same.
The excitement of being a part of this industry is the people, the travel, the movement and the exposure. There is a huge amount of pressure when one is working in this field, as these are events that are live and normally a brand, State or national pride is at stake for efficient and flawless delivery. One needs to be a thorough professional to withstand the immense pressure and demands.
If one wishes to excel in this field, good communication and leadership skills are a must. Marketing and business acumen clubbed with risk and crisis management abilities come next. One should be able to withstand high-pressure situations and deliver results nonetheless.
The industry is an extremely demanding one and to be able to multi-task and be proactive will prove to be a boon for you. last but not the least, one needs to be client-focused and committed to meeting the needs of your customers.
There is no particular academic qualification that is required for working in the field of event management. A lot of specialised institutes like EMDI and NIEM and other mass communication schools prepare one for a career in this field. The industry is currently seeing a huge growth spurt and 2015 will only see it getting even better.
The future of the industry is in its intellectual properties (IPs). Companies are trying to find new avenues for increased revenue and talent presentation. There is a tremendous amount of growth in niche festivals and unusual entertainment offerings in the market. Every company aims to own a successful IP today. While Wizcraft created IIFA, Sunburn is Percept’s property. Ferriswheel owns a number of IPs as well — Worldfest being one of them which is the company’s annual international performing arts festival.
There is also maturity in the audience’s choice in terms of spending their money and free time now. Instead of the movies and clubs, people are looking for newer and more interesting ways of live entertainment. The success of EDMs, the public outreach festivals, comedy stores and large-scale live public festivals is a clear indication of this shift. We are now on an infrastructural upswing as far as venues are concerned. There are better quality stadiums and venues available. Even high quality technical equipment is available within the country now. There are new revenue models emerging and more job opportunities being created.
The event industry offers specialised career options like MICE, corporate, sports, talent management, production, creative, operations, sports events, wedding planners to name a few. So, even within the industry there are innumerable options to choose from.
(The writer is founder & creative director, Ferriswheel Entertainment Pvt ltd)