Event management is a popular and competitive job role in one of today’s most high-growth industries, valued at over £61 billion in the UK alone, according to the 2024 UK Events Report.
The events landscape brings a range of different functions under one roof. Though business fairs like the Speciality & Fine Food Fair might seem quite different from festivals like Glastonbury, and even further still from wedding planning, they can all fall under the supervision of an event manager.
All professionals can gain value from upskilling, whether they are already established as an event manager or just beginning their career. Upskilling sets professionals apart from industry peers, fosters career development, targets weaker areas, and keeps them ahead in this fast-paced environment.
In this blog post, we’ll discuss five proven ways to upskill in event management.
It may sound counterintuitive, but the most effective way to upskill is to reflect on your existing skillset. It’s hard to upskill if you don’t know where your experience lies and where you may be lacking.
For example, if you have a degree in event management but no real-life experience in a relevant role, you might focus your efforts on gaining work experience. Likewise, if you’ve organised events for years, but have never done an accredited course in event marketing, this could be an area for growth.
Event management utilises a range of soft and hard skills, alongside real-life experience. For a successful event management career, professionals should be confident in:
Evaluate your skills in each of these areas and note areas to improve. You can use this to target where to upskill.
In a fast-paced environment like events, nothing beats real-life experience. In event management roles, you may be charged with arranging silent discos one week, and wedding planning another! You can specialise in a particular event style, so you don’t necessarily need in-depth experience in each event type; however, it’s worth having at least a baseline knowledge!
Be proactive. Volunteer at festivals or register for a visitor’s pass for a trade show. Many charities use volunteers for their event appearances, which provide great opportunities for experience.
Likewise, internships, placement opportunities and learning experiences can build your expertise and experience. They may also serve as an entry point to new segments of the events industry. If you manage to secure a placement, engage with every department and be keen to learn. If the company is good, you should get out what you put in.
It may seem obvious, but education and qualifications are one of the most efficient ways to literally upskill in the industry. By furthering your education, you broaden your knowledge, industry experience, and credibility in your field. Courses can also be used to troubleshoot some of the problem areas identified earlier in this blog.
There is a range of qualifications and learning formats to explore –
Degrees are one of the most traditional routes into accreditation. Degrees are great for young professionals as they provide a well-rounded understanding of the industry and a direct route into an event career.
Explore degrees such as:
Though degrees are brilliant, they’re not suitable for every professional, as they require a significant amount of time and money. A degree may also be an unnecessary step for event managers who are already well-established in the industry.
Event management courses allow professionals to upskill without committing to a three-year degree. The courses are ideal for young professionals to gain accreditation and long-standing industry professionals to broaden their knowledge in a specific niche. Typically, they are shorter than a full degree. They may also be hosted online for accessibility. Just make sure when you select a course, it is recognised by a reputable professional body.
Event management courses can be taken with a range of vendors, such as FutureLEARN, the Open University, and Coursera, but one specialist company, Event Crowd, stands out. Event Crowd offers event courses, forged by event experts to sculpt industry-ready event managers.
Event Crowd’s courses are different to others on the market, largely because of the experts powering them. Most generic courses are theory-driven, led by professionals with little real-life experience. In contrast, Event Crowd’s courses are created by well-renowned industry experts with real-life experience and success stories. This gives the courses great depth and substance on topics that most won’t even address! Content is delivered through a compelling blend of comprehensive videos, theory, and case studies, and each course has a designated tutor.
The overarching differentiator for Event Crowd is that the team does not offer event courses as a sideline to other projects; instead, it is the heart of the company. Their Level 5 Event Management Course is CIM, CMI, and IEM-recognised, and professionals leave with a reputable diploma! Explore Event Crowd’s latest course: Level 5 Event Management.
A recent study from Wiley suggests that 68% of professionals use blogs as their primary method to keep updated in their field.
Publications, blogs and news sites from the events industry offer valuable access to a wide range of success stories, updates and insights. Reading industry material like this is a great way to stay up-to-date in the industry!
As the UK event scene is quite active, there is a range of great publications to consider, including StandOut magazine, Exhibition News, and UK Media & Events. These publications cover all facets of events, from exhibitions and festivals to one-off activations.
Get into the habit of reading from these publications regularly to keep up with the industry. StandOut Magazine even offers a seasonal print, which offers insights from all aspects of the event industry.
Like industry news publications, event conferences and fairs are great places to upskill and learn about the latest developments and technologies. When you miss these events, you miss key insights that can propel your event management career.
Though there is a wide range of events for the industry, we recommend International Confex, The Meetings Show, Event Tech Live, Event Marketing Summit, and BrightonSEO! These features include excellent talks and thought leadership on a range of topics, such as marketing and SEO, event organisation and even event technology.
As well as attending conferences and shows, explore committees for event professionals. Like the conferences, committees put you at the forefront of the industry, offering first looks and advice on industry developments. One example of a committee is the Association of British Professional Conference Organisers (ABPCO), the leading professional body for association, conference & not-for-profit event organisation. This committee promotes knowledge sharing and collaboration among members.
We hope you enjoyed our five proven strategies for upskilling in event management! By evaluating initial skills and experience, you can identify where you may need to grow and create a plan of action. Whether it’s experience in a wider range of events or specific qualifications that can build credentials and knowledge, there are great avenues available.
Use free resources to your advantage. Professionals who stay on top of relevant news, events and conferences tend to be much more in tune with their industry. Even just thirty minutes a week can build great knowledge over time.
It’s important to recognise that upskilling is a continued process. You may want to revisit this resource and our strategies to continue your development!
Tristan Head, an expert in the events industry, often shares insights on event management, marketing and promotion.
In his role as Head of Marketing & Brand at Event Crowd, he creates informative content designed to unite professionals with expert-led event management courses. He also collaborates with a range of industry-renowned experts, working hard to translate their expertise into accessible content and learning resources!
