Conference and exhibition organiser Job Information | National Careers Service

The work

As a conference and exhibition organiser you would deal with three main areas of work: marketing, operations and sales. You might specialise in one of these, or you might deal with all three.

In marketing, your work might include:

• researching the level of interest in an event
• publicising events
• finding suitable venues and dates
• overseeing the design and printing of tickets, posters and promotional items.

Operations work involves making sure that everything runs smoothly on the day, and can include:

• planning timetables
• booking venues
• supervising and paying contractors and suppliers, such as exhibition designers and caterers
• working closely with venue staff during events
• handling enquiries from exhibitors, speakers, sponsors and visitors
• supervising health and safety issues, and ensuring that venues are cleared safely.

Your work in sales would involve selling stand space to exhibitors by telephone or face-to-face, and arranging sponsorship for events.

Hours

You would normally work 9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday. However you will need to be prepared to work unsocial hours if required, including evenings and weekends when events might take place. Just before and during an event, for example, you would work long hours and have strict deadlines, particularly on the operations side.

You would mainly be based at an office and would spend a lot of time on the telephone. You would also travel to meet potential sponsors and exhibitors, and visit venues and contractors.

Income

Starting salaries can be around £17,000 to £21,000 a year. With experience, earnings can reach £25,000 to £40,000 a year.

Managers and exhibition directors can earn from £50,000 to £70,000 a year.

Salaries often include bonuses and commission, particularly in exhibition sales jobs.

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

Entry requirements

You could move into conference and exhibition organising from a range of backgrounds.

Employers will look for relevant experience or strong transferable skills such as organising, budget management and sales. Experience gained in hotel conference and banqueting, travel, sales, marketing, PR or fundraising can be especially useful.

Taking a qualification in events management or hospitality management may help you. This is not essential if you can get relevant work experience, but courses at degree, foundation degree or HNC/HND level often include work placements, which will help you gain practical experience and develop contacts. See the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) website to search for courses.

• Universities and Colleges Admissions Service

Shorter part-time courses in event planning may be available at local colleges. These may be helpful for building useful experience if you are new to the industry.

Qualifications include:

• EDI Level 2 Certificate in Event Planning
• NCFE Level 2 Certificate in Event Planning.

You could also start as an administrator or assistant in an event management company or marketing department, possibly through temporary work (temping). You could then progress to organising events yourself as your experience grows.

Whatever your qualifications and background, you will find it useful to have practical experience of organising large events, for example as part of a previous job, through voluntary work or in your social life. Doing paid or unpaid work as a steward at large events or exhibitions can also be a good way of building contacts in the industry.

You may be able to start in this industry through an apprenticeship scheme in events or hospitality. You will need to check which schemes are available in your area. To find out more, see, the Apprenticeships website.

• Apprenticeships

Training and development

You would do most of your training on the job. Some employers may give you the opportunity to do short in-house or external training courses.

You could also study part-time for qualifications in event planning and management whilst you are working in the industry. Qualifications include:

• EDI Level 2 Certificate in Event Planning
• EDI Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Event Management
• NCFE Level 2 Certificate in Event Planning
• Organisation for Tourism and Hospitality Management Level 4 Certificate in Conferences and Event Management
• BTEC HNC in Event Management.

You may find it useful to join a professional organisation such as the Association of Event Organisers (AEO) or the Association for Conferences and Events (ACE), for training and networking opportunities. See their websites for more details.

• Association of Event Organisers (AEO)
• Association for Conferences and Events (ACE)

Skills and knowledge

To be a conference and exhibition organiser, you should have:

• excellent organisational skills and an ability to multi-task
• good communication and people skills
• the ability to build good working relationships with all kinds of people, from clients to contractors
• creative problem-solving ability
• a high degree of attention to detail
• the ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines
• good negotiation, sales and marketing skills
• budget awareness
• administration and IT skills
• the ability to work as part of a team and also on your own initiative.

More information

Association for Conferences and Events (ACE)
Riverside House
High Street
Huntingdon
Cambridgeshire
PE18 6SG
Tel: 01480 457595
www.aceinternational.org

Association of British Professional Conference Organisers (ABPCO)
Wellington Park
Belfast
BT9 6DJ
Tel: 028 9038 7475
www.abpco.org

Association of Event Organisers (AEO)
119 High Street
Berkhamsted
Hertfordshire
HP4 2DJ
Tel: 01442 285810
www.aeo.org.uk

Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM)
Moor Hall
Cookham
Maidenhead
Berkshire
SL6 9QH
Tel: 01628 427120
www.cim.co.uk

Eventia
Tel: 0870 112 6970
www.eventia.org.uk

Opportunities

You could work for exhibition management or event management companies, major exhibition venues, or in-house marketing departments at large organisations such as universities.

Jobs may be advertised in the local, national and events industry press, and by specialist recruitment agencies.

With experience and a good track record, you could progress to management level at a company, or you could choose to work freelance, or set up your own business.

You may find the following useful for vacancies and general reading (links open in a new window):

• Event Magazine
• Event Industry News
• AEO Recruitment Centre

Job profiles are based on the latest information supplied to us by industry bodies, such as Sector Skills Councils. Please be aware that with the introduction of the Qualifications and Credit Framework there has been, and will continue to be, changes to vocational qualifications. For more information, please check with industry bodies directly.

We do not accept responsibility for the content of external sites.

Related industry information

Industry summary

View full Job market information