Did you know that 89 percent of event organizers love their jobs? And, why not? It's a growing field with a lot of opportunities available.
It can also be very fun. However, if you want to stay on top of your game, you need to continually expand your knowledge and network.
One great way to do this is by attending an event planning conference. Are you debating going to a conference but not sure if you should make the investment?
Keep reading to learn why you should attend.
Network and Collaborate
What you know is essential. However, sometimes, who you know is just as important. Attending an event planning expo gives you the opportunity to meet other people in the event planning industry.
You can also collaborate with other event planners. Around 80 percent of professionals believe that networking is critical to their success, and for a good reason. Some executives have revealed that they would lose 28 percent of their business if they stopped networking.
Networking can give you the opportunity to find career options in the event planning industry. However, you'll also meet people who want to use your services or can connect you to people who want to use your services.
Expand Your Knowledge
The world is rapidly changing, and events change quickly along with it. You can amp up the events you plan with the latest information and technology.
For example, over recent years, virtual events have grown and continue to grow even post-pandemic. In fact, around 45 percent of future B2B events are expected to be completely virtual.
There's a different level of knowledge needed when planning virtual events. You need to understand how to engage virtual audiences and the technology used for virtual events.
If you want to continually expand your knowledge, conferences are great to attend. You can hear from other professionals in the field and explore topics you're interested in.
This will help you become a better event planner and give you people you can reach out to for more knowledge and information.
Inspiration
When you've been in the event planning industry for a long time, coming up with new ideas can feel impossible. It can also start to feel like everything you do is rote and uninspired.
A conference is great to attend because you get to hear about what other event planners are doing. This is a great way to get out-of-the-box ideas that you may not have thought up on your own.
You can take those ideas and put your own spin on them to make them unique for your clients. If you're feeling uninspired, heading to an expo could be the perfect solution.
Motivation
Are you trying to grow your own event planning business? Building a business is a challenge in any industry; however, event planners face unique challenges. When you feel like you're not moving in the direction you want quickly enough, it's easy to lose your motivation.
Conferences are an excellent time to meet up with other event planning experts. Together you can discuss the challenges you're facing. It's likely you'll find someone else who has faced the same challenges.
Hearing how they've overcome those challenges and grown can be very motivating. You can also hear about how different events are changing and inspiring the people involved.
This can give you the motivation you need to keep pushing forward. It can also give you ideas on how to move through your challenges.
SWAG
Do you like free things? Conferences and expos are great venues for vendors to set up booths, and often you'll find that those vendors bring SWAG.
SWAG or "stuff we all get" are those freebies you get when you attend different events. While there will certainly be vendors selling things, there will likely be free items as well.
The SWAG can range from free bags and pens to trials of software you might be considering. While SWAG certainly isn't the only reason you should attend, it's a great perk.
Stay on Top of Current Trends
Staying on top of current trends is imperative in the event planning industry. Your clients want to know that you can plan an event that meets their needs, and if you don't know what's happening, it makes it difficult.
There is a lot of information on the internet now, but that's not always enough. Sometimes you need to hear from people that are currently implementing the current trends in their work.
You might even hear about current trends you didn't know existed.
Content Possibilities
As an event planner, social media marketing is imperative. However, it's easy to feel like your content is becoming dry, or you might not know what else to post.
Do things like hashtags and tags confuse you? Attending a conference can teach you how to use hashtags like #eventplannerexpo, which can help you grow your social media. But how does a conference help?
Not only will some conferences have sessions that discuss social media for event planners, but you can get great content from the event itself.
You can turn that content into blog posts, videos, and more. If you're really creative, you can use the same piece of content multiple ways on different platforms. Using social media correctly as an event planner will help you build your brand and establish yourself as an authority in your field.
Have Fun and Travel
Conferences take place in a wide range of destinations giving you the opportunity to travel. You can go a day in advance or stay an extra day and see the sites in the cities that host the conference.
Beyond that, going to an industry conference is just fun. When you're not learning, you're meeting people, and you get to explore the surrounding area.
Attend an Event Planning Conference
Attending an event planning conference can help you grow as an event planner. It can also be fun and give you the opportunity to travel to new places.
Are you ready to attend a conference and reap the benefits? Learn more about the 2023 Event Planner Expo today.
