The potential of working in the events industry is massive, with the global events market estimated to reach $2.1 trillion by 2032.
Not only that, working in event management is fun and rewarding.
Many processes within the events industry fall under the blanket term of “event management.” So, what is event management exactly? This broad term covers everything from planning to marketing to executing events.
At Eventbrite, we’ve helped thousands of event professionals manage fantastic events all over the world. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll share all the how-tos, plus expert tips from Eventbrite creators. This resource will help you learn everything you need to know about event management.
Event management is the entire process of creating and running events. It includes just about every aspect — from planning through to post-event logistics.
Think of an event you’ve hosted in the past or one you’ve attended. Now think about every step that went on behind the scenes before, during, and after that event. All those steps fall under the event management definition. It’s a lot!
So, what do event managers do? The primary components of event management include:
There are different types of event management. Some people specialize in a certain area — event marketing, for instance — while others cover all the bases.
People working in event management often run their own events businesses. Others are employees working for event management companies, venues, or companies that routinely host internal events.
There’s a lot to learn about how to manage an event or get involved in the event management industry. But don’t worry. You’re in the right place.
Event management is an ever-changing game that can be influenced by factors such as technology, global events, and even social media trends. Here are some noteworthy stats about event management:
The full Eventbrite TRNDS 2024 has many more interesting facts and statistics for those working in events!
There are many reasons to love working in events, and there’s no shortage of opportunities in this vast industry. There are two main approaches: entrepreneurship and traditional employment. Here’s what you need to know about both.
Many people working in events are actually entrepreneurs who have started an event management business. These event pros plan, promote, and run their own events from start to finish — and handle all the business aspects along the way.
Some entrepreneurs also manage events for clients or start an event planning business to help other people plan great events. But for most entrepreneurs, the business model revolves around creating fun events from scratch.
Running any kind of business can be risky. While many entrepreneurs find success in the industry, it’s completely possible to lose money running events. Fortunately, with the right strategy and tools in place, you can optimize your chances of finding success in this fast-paced and exciting industry.
If you’re an event organizer looking to level up your career, this can be a fulfilling and profitable business model. Here are some steps you’ll need to take:
An event business plan covers your strategy, marketing plans, target audience, and much more. It should be one of your first steps in starting a business to help with your budget, provide a logistical checklist, and more. It’s essential if you’re looking for a business loan, as banks will require one on file.
Market research is important for setting yourself apart from the competition, running the best kind of events for your audience, and preparing your business financials. Start researching your competitors. What are other event organizers doing in your area, and how can you compete?
Then, think about your target audience. What type of people do you want to attract to your events? What do those people want to see at events? What price range are they willing to pay for tickets? Dig into data from the US Census Bureau to gather demographic info, and use this in your business plan.
Once you’ve chosen your event business name, make things official. You’ll need a business license with your state and/or city in order to operate. You may need additional permits, too, depending on the type of events you run. If you plan to hire employees, you’ll need a federal employee identification number (EIN). The Small Business Administration has a free guide that covers the bases well.
To run your business, you need to stock your toolbox with the essentials. The first is event management software that will help you plan, promote, and sell tickets to your event.
Event software is crucial for running large-scale events in particular — a tool like Eventbrite is suited to events of any size, from 10 attendees to 10,000. You’ll also need some sort of bookkeeping system, whether that’s Quickbooks or Xero, or a free solution like Google Sheets.
The best way to learn is by doing. With an event management business, that means getting started planning and running your own events! Start small with events at low-cost or free venues, so you don’t need to invest much upfront. Then brush up on your event marketing skills to get more people to your next event (more on this later!)
If you’d rather not run your own business, there are still plenty of opportunities in event management. What does the job market look like for event management professionals?
In the United States, the average event manager’s salary is $60,912. Many of these roles are available from large companies and organizations that put on their own events. There are also event management firms that help put on events for clients. Even cities and local governments hire event managers!
To find event management jobs, you can browse popular job boards like Indeed, Glassdoor, and LinkedIn Jobs. Positions to look for include:
Many of these terms are often used interchangeably in job titles. While you could potentially pick out differences between an event coordinator and an event manager, for instance, many job duties are quite similar. Just make sure to read the job description very carefully to understand what is expected of applicants. Your definition of “event coordinator” might not necessarily match that of a potential employer.
Remember that “event management” is a pretty broad term. If you want to specialize in a specific category of events or a specific skill set within event management (like event marketing or running sports events), that’s an option, too! Just adjust your job search to fit those search terms and brush up on your professional skills. You can start by continuing to read the rest of this guide!
If you want to seek out a formal education, degrees in marketing, business, and communications can all provide key event management skills. Most schools don’t offer a degree in event management specifically, though you can find some courses on event planning. You could also seek out event management internships to learn first-hand.
Many jump straight in, for example, by reaching out to their network via LinkedIn to see if anyone is hiring. Reaching out to companies you’ve worked with in the past, other event organizers, and even vendors/venue owners can be productive.
Event management covers a wide range of activities relating to running events. Below, find information on each category — as well as best practices in event management.
Coming up with creative event ideas can be a ton of fun. And it’s a key part of event management! At Eventbrite, there are all sorts of brilliant event organizers putting on fantastic live events all over the world. Here are a few examples for inspiration:
🧑🍳 Get in the Kitchen! hosts fun cooking classes as crossover events. Their recurring events series include Cooking & Comedy, Cooking & Karaoke, and Cooking & Queens drag shows.
🎨 Art Battle International hosts unique art competitions where artists only have minutes to create the best piece of art they can. In the end, every piece is auctioned off!
🕺 Bollywood Dreams Entertainment hosts high-energy dance parties all around the West Coast. The events often feature energetic Bollywood music, plus colorful activities and a whole lot of fun!
Whether you’re coming up with community event ideas, planning corporate events, or organizing a fundraiser, here are some steps to take:
1 . Start with market research to see what types of events are going on in your area
2 . Then, figure out what’s missing and what your community might enjoy
3 . Come up with a theme for your event, like a 70’s disco party or a speakeasy cocktail workshop
4 . Decide if you’ll run an in-person, a hybrid, or a virtual event
5 . Determine if your event will be a for-profit or a fundraiser event for a nonprofit
6 . Brainstorm event ideas based on your market research
7 . If you have connections in the event industry, ask them for feedback
8 . Join the Eventbrite Creator Collective to connect with your event expert community
This can be one of the most fun parts of event management, so enjoy yourself!
Planning events involves everything you need to do to get your event from idea to reality. It’s a lot! Event planning templates can help you get started.
For the most efficiency possible, it helps to have an event planning tool. Eventbrite has all the features you need to plan out your perfect event. Plus, Eventbrite makes it easy to list your event, promote it, and sell tickets (more on this later).
Whether you use Eventbrite or not, here’s what you need to know about planning events.
The best event planning tip anyone can give you is to first focus on putting together your event budget. The financials of your event will impact lots of other decisions you need to make, like your venue selection and ticket pricing strategy. It also helps keep costs down. Using an event budget template is a great place to start.
The venue you choose will affect your attendees’ experience. Venue rental costs can add up quickly. To cut costs, try to book as early as possible. But, more importantly, make sure your venue matches the theme of your event and that it’s accessible for your attendees and fits your event’s theme.
Finding event sponsors can be a huge benefit to your event and your business. Sponsors can also benefit, as their businesses will get publicity and attention from all your attendees. Start by crafting a sponsorship pitch deck, which you can use to land sponsors. Event sponsorship resources can help you learn more about working with sponsors in your industry.
Successful event managers have a lot to stay on top of! Event planning checklists can help prevent overwhelm and stay on track with goals. Event strategy templates can also help you set goals and refine your business strategy.
Throughout the event planning process, keep your target audience top-of-mind. Think of your audience while selecting your venue, planning the event schedule, pricing your tickets, etc. Your target audience should also influence your marketing and promotion strategy (more on this below!)
Event promotion involves all the steps needed to market your event and get attendees through the door. It can make or break the success of your events, so event marketing chops are essential skills for success here.
This is another area where event software tools are essential. An event marketing platform like Eventbrite can centralize your operations and help you reach more people.
Here’s what you need to know about event promotion:
It’s crucial to create an event listing online to advertise your event. Your listing serves as the central source of information for your event, as well. Ideally, list your event on a platform like Eventbrite that lets you sell tickets directly through the listing and ranks high on Google. You can also add your event to Facebook and other event promotion websites to reach more attendees.
Follow event listing best practices, like writing a catchy and informative event description that covers the five W’s (Who, What, When, Where, Why). Not a writer? With Eventbrite, you can use AI to help you craft your event description!
There is an entire community of people who will be super excited about your event. It’s your job to find them (with the help of technology). Start by using Eventbrite Ads to target the demographics most likely to be interested in your event. You can draw on insights from your market research here. Then, consider other ways to advertise your event, including social media ads and email marketing.
Reddit is also a valuable tool to find communities that may be interested in your event type. There are subreddits for just about everything, from Warhammer 40K to classic ‘40s cinema. Read each subreddit’s rules before posting — if promotional posts aren’t allowed, you can always buy Reddit ads targeting that specific subreddit.
Yes, it’s 2024, and yes, posters still work! For local events, don’t forget to post physical posters on community bulletin boards and at local businesses. If you start looking around, you’ll likely notice lots of other event organizers doing this — because it works.
Keep in mind that online poster printing costs can be high. In many cases, local print shops can get you a better deal — but you’ll want to price compare to be sure.
The main goal of promoting your event is, of course, to sell more tickets. But building excitement and community engagement is a better goal and will, in turn, lead to more sales. When promoting your event on social media and elsewhere, think about how you can build genuine excitement. For instance, think about using clips from past events and highlighting featured artists who will be performing.
Attendees want an exciting event. The way you promote your event also reflects the experience your guests will expect. So, make it exciting with creative event promotion ideas. For social media, try to create images and reels that will reflect the environment you’re creating at your event. Use successful event social media post examples for inspiration.