How to Become an Event Planner After 50

“If you want a career in event planning, there are a dozen different directions you can go,” Jones says. “It can be working for a venue like a banquet hall, conference center or convention center. It can be wedding planning, and maybe starting out as a ‘day of’ bridal consultant and then working your way into planning actual events from start to finish. Nonprofits are always looking for people who can do galas and fundraisers and community outreach events.”

Jones plans events as part of her role working full-time for a technology company. Gaudini, on the other hand, runs her own event planning and consulting business, which is another direction to go if you’re more entrepreneurially inclined and want more control over your workload and clients. This part of your decision-making process will help you decide whether you will be looking for an event planning position as an employee or if you will start your own business and look for clients.

2.  Bolster your experience

The direction you choose might begin with the experience you already have, Jones says. Virtually everyone has planned a party, wedding or work event, giving them basic expertise in aspects of event planning. “It’s one of those careers that it's easier for people to transition into, because a lot of us have day-to-day experience with [them],” she says.

If you don’t have much experience in the area, one way to build some is to volunteer to help plan events. Chances are there are events that need planning in your workplace, church, local nonprofits, children’s school or other organizations, Jones says. “Put yourself out there and say, ‘I'd like to help.’ Get involved in community organizations or organizations that are part of your area of expertise,” she says.

In addition to her corporate event planning responsibilities, Jones is a longtime volunteer for and former head of the Ohio Sauerkraut Festival, a large community event held in Waynesville, Ohio. She says she began volunteering in small ways and, year after year, got more involved running different committees. As she became more confident in understanding how the event worked, she offered to be a mentee. “Offer to shadow or be  an assistant and just watch them and learn,” she says. “You learn how they make it work.”

In addition to using opportunities in your own day-to-day activities to gain experience, you can also seek professional certifications like becoming a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) or Certified Special Events Professional (CSEP) to boost your credibility.

3. Are you 'big picture' or logistics?

Event planning requires the ability to multitask and juggle many details. “It boils down to any sort of project management that you've ever done in your career,” Jones says. “Project management is managing scope, time and resources, and that can be anything. If you've ever managed a software project, a construction project, if you've ever planned a family vacation — any size of project in any industry really can help prepare you for the core skill required in event planning.”

Gaudini says that event planners can be focused on strategy or logistics. She considers herself a strategist, who is more focused on the big picture aspects of the event: What are the event's goals and how can they be accomplished within the budget? She has a team of freelance partners and agencies who help her with logistics. “A lot of people just assume, you just go straight to logistics, but that's really not the best way to approach events,” she says. “There’s an order of operations.” Understanding that list of priorities and tasks — from creating an event brief to building the budget to booking the venue to making decisions about what will make the event memorable — is essential to running successful events, she says.

Minor has worked as both a strategist, planning events, and as a logistics helper, fulfilling services like flower arrangements and food. She likes the flexibility of working on her own terms and being able to scale her business up or down depending on other responsibilities.

4.  How will you be paid?

The path you take in event planning also affects how you will be paid. If you are hired by a corporation or event planning company to do the work as part of your job, you will likely be paid a salary or hourly wage with the event’s expenses covered by the company. If you decide to work for yourself, you have other options for getting paid. Minor charges an hourly rate. Some event planners may charge a fee and may also receive a commission or markup on various event expenses. According to BLS data, the mean annual wage for event planners is $62,280. However, some event planners report earning six figures or more.

5.  Build your network

Whether you decide to work for yourself or an employer, it’s a good idea to compile a portfolio of your previous event work to share with prospective employers or clients. Include descriptions, images, and data points on a digital file or website that can be shared. And network with everyone—including other event planners, Gaudini says, “Event planners typically are really, really social creatures who like to help each other,” she says.

Becoming an event planner requires organizational skills, an ability to manage under pressure, and a creative flair. For those who are good at managing projects with many details and input from others, event planning may offer an exciting, flexible career option.