an events executive is anyone who is either in charge of or assists in the planning of an event. Event executives plan anything from sports events to concerts to conventions to important meetings to banquets. They need to figure out the logistics and costs of running an event and communicate all aspects needed to the hiring party.

Basics

Events executives hire and organize everyone needed to help stage an event. That includes security guards, concession stand workers, ushers and people to help set up and clean when an event is finished. Sometimes, events executives handle marketing duties, and sometimes they handle the marketing themselves. Other times, they aren’t involved in marketing at all, depending on the size and scope of the event they are organizing. Events executives often do much of the legwork themselves, making sure banners, signs, food and workers are all in place.

Skills

Events executives need to be highly organized and feel comfortable delegating to employees. They need to have a firm grasp of how everyone’s duties are performed and be able to assist in the various departments in a pinch. They also should be analytical, flexible and able to solve problems on the fly, as issues can often arise during the course of an event. It’s up to the events executive to make sure the issue is quickly resolved without disturbing the occasion. Most events executives must possess decent math skills, because they frequently must stay within a budget.

Background

There are no set guidelines to become an events executive. Many have either an associate’s or bachelor’s degree with a focus on courses in public relations, communications, business, marketing and administration. Others obtain certification obtained through various organizations centered around planning and staging events, although certification is rarely a requirement. Most have had prior experience working at events in some form, either as ushers or at the ticket window.

Prospects

Opportunities for events executives will fluctuate based on the industry in which they work and the different types of events they can organize. That said, overall, jobs should be good through the next decade. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment of events executives will increase by 16 percent from 2008 to 2018, or faster than average than all other occupations.

Earnings

Events executives earned anywhere from just less than $30,000 to more than $45,000 per year in April 2010, according to PayScale. Again, much of those figures were based largely on industry and the executive’s experience. Also, the BLS reported that events executives in the management, scientific and consulting services industries earned up to $49,600 per year in May 2008.