Read: What does the conference and exhibition organizer do?

What does the conference and exhibition organizer do?

    As a conference and exhibition organizer, you will handle three main areas of work: marketing, operations, and sales. You may specialize in one of these, or you may handle all three. In the marketing area, your work may include: • Researching important events • Finding suitable venues and dates • Overseeing the design and printing of tickets, posters, and promotional materials In the operations area, you must ensure everything runs smoothly on the day, and this includes the following: • Planning schedules • Booking venues • Supervising contractors and suppliers and paying their fees, such as exhibition designers and catering contractors • Working with venue staff during events • Handling inquiries from exhibitors, speakers, sponsors, and visitors • Overseeing health and safety issues, and ensuring venues are cleaned safely As for the sales area, your work involves selling booth space to exhibitors over the phone or face-to-face, and arranging event sponsorship. ________________________________________ What should I do to become a conference and exhibition organizer? To do this job, you will need to be able to multitask. You will need communication skills and good interpersonal skills. You will also need to be able to build good working relationships with all kinds of people. You can move into conference and exhibition organizing from a range of jobs. Employers will look for relevant experience or strong skills such as organization, budget management, and sales. Experience gained in hotel and banquet conferences, travel, sales, marketing, public relations, or fundraising can be particularly useful. Obtaining a qualification in event management or hospitality management may help you, although this is not necessary if you can gain relevant work experience. Foundation degree, Higher National Diploma, or degree-level courses often include work placements, which will help you gain practical experience and develop contacts. ________________________________________ Skills that should be present in an exhibition and conference organizer • Attention to detail • Communication skills  • Financial planning • Interpersonal skills • Information technology • Problem-solving ability • Teamwork ________________________________________   Places where you can work as an exhibition and conference organizer You can work in exhibition management or event management companies, major exhibition venues, or in-house marketing departments of large institutions, such as universities.