TAMMIE HAWKINS - QUALITIES OF A SUCCESSFUL EVENT PLANNER

Tammie Hawkins is a successful event planner who works in Los Angeles. She is always busy and has a lot of clients who enjoy her work. She has been working as an event planner for several years and many of the clients refer her to others and continue to have her plan their own events. Party planners have certain qualities that Tammie Hawkins just happens to possess.

Organized

An event planner has to be very organized in order to keep the details of different parties straight and to be able to find all the records and supplies needed for each party. You should be able to keep your desk clean, your computer files organized and have all of your party supplies and gear organized and easy to find and sort through. Being organized will help you plan parties quickly and keep your clients happy.

Friendly

People who are looking to plan an event are often excited about it and want to work with someone who shares their excitement and is easy to talk to. You should be able to talk to all different kinds of people and make each of them feel comfortable and confident in your ability to help them plan the perfect party. Nobody wants to do business with someone who is grumpy or seems burdened with the client’s request. Make sure you are going out of your way to be friendly and make your clients feel good.

Eye For Details

When it comes to event planning, the smallest details can make the biggest differences. A good event planner will have an eye for details. He or she will be able to look at the big picture and know what details are necessary to make the event extra special or more personal. In some cases, a client may request certain details and the party planner will know how to add them to the party in the proper way.

Resourceful

Event planning isn’t always easy and it can sometimes be hard to find the right place for a party or event or the right tools and supplies. A good event planner has to be resourceful and able to use the things available to plan the event to the best of his or her abilities. An event planner may even have to make decorations, flowers or other things for the event if they cannot be purchased or found elsewhere.

If you think you might possess the qualities of a successful event planner like Tammie Hawkins, you may want to pursue a career in the industry. Event planning may be fun, but it can also be challenging. Make sure you have what it takes to do the job.

Tammie Hawkins - Best Schools for Aspiring Event Planners

Tammie Hawkins is an event planner based in the Los Angeles area. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, with a major in business management and a minor in hospitality management. There are many potential paths to becoming an event planner, but most companies want to see a four-year degree on your resume, specifically with a focus in hospitality, business, or marketing. Here are some of the best schools in the United States for aspiring event planners.

• Purdue University is one of the world’s best schools for hospitality studies. They offer degrees in hospitality and tourism that provide practical knowledge that can be applied to many different career paths. Located in Indiana, Purdue is also a nationally recognized school with a strong athletics program.
• The University of Central Florida is one of the only schools in the country that offers an event management major, perfect for aspiring event planners. This major focuses on how to promote and organize many different types of events. Students also take core hospitality courses as well as a variety of hospitality electives.
• Michigan State University offers a hospitality business degree that is very applicable to work in the event planning field. This competitive program requires a substantial amount of work experience through internships, which is incredible preparation for a career in event planning.

Tammie Hawkins encourages young aspiring event planners to obtain a degree from a reputable hospitality program, such as one of these, to prepare for their career.

Tammie Hawkins - Staying Involved in the Event Planning Industry

As one of Los Angeles’ most respected event planners, Tammie Hawkins is committed to keeping up with trends in the industry. The event planning industry is something that is very global, and is constantly changing and evolving depending on clients’ needs and preferences. Hawkins finds that staying up to date on event planning trends helps her to create events for her clients that are very exciting and dynamic.

Hawkins holds event planning certifications from two organizations: Certified Meeting Planners and the International Special Events Society. These organizations, as well as many others, provide her with resources that help her to stay informed and involved in event planning trends. The Convention Industry Council, which provides the Certified Meeting Planner qualification, offers many industry conferences and conventions that allow event planners to networks with each other, as well as learn about new technology and trends and further their knowledge. There are also many other conferences around North America and Europe for event planners to attend, most notably BizBash’s Expo and Plan-A-Thon events.

Tammie Hawkins also enjoys reading industry publications, as these are an easy and inexpensive way for her to keep up with event planning news and gain inspiration for her own work. She loves reading event planning magazines such as Special Events Magazine and Biz Bash Magazine. She also frequently reads event planning blogs and news articles. Hawkins’ dedication to her industry is what has set her business apart from the multitudes of other event planning companies in southern California and beyond.

Tammie Hawkins - How to Become an Event Planner

Tammie Hawkins has enjoyed a long and successful career in the event planning industry. She is currently the head of her own event planning business in Los Angeles, and creates events for a large variety of clients, many of which are executives or large companies in the entertainment industry. Prior to starting her own business in 2010, she worked for several large and reputable event planning companies in L.A. Becoming an event planner is a great choice for anyone who is very organized, loves to be creative, and is friendly and social. If you are interested in becoming an event planner, there are several steps you can take to get started in your career.

• Most event planning companies prefer that their employees have Bachelor’s degrees, so the first step to becoming an event planner is attending college or university. There are many degrees you can get that will be useful for event planning. The most relevant degree to event planning is hospitality management, but business, marketing, and public relations degrees are also helpful. If you choose to major in anything other than hospitality, be sure to take some elective classes that relate to hospitality to further your knowledge and prep you for your career. 
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  In addition to obtaining a Bachelor’s degree, it is also helpful to get an event planning certification to show potential employers that you are knowledgeable and qualified to work in the industry. There are many event planning certifications, and the most common in the United States is the Certified Meeting Professional qualification from the Convention Industry Council. Other popular event planning certification groups include the International Special Events Society and the Society of Government Meeting Professionals. To obtain these credentials, you will have to take extra classes and may need to fulfill certain practical experience requirements as well. 
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  After you have completed your education, the next step to becoming an event planner is to gain real world experience. This is most commonly done through an internship, where you will work at an event planning company to learn the ropes. If you cannot get involved in an internship, another way to get industry experience is to volunteer to help with the organization and set-up of individual events in your area. This is one of the most important things that event planners look for on a resume. 
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  After you have completed your internship and have your foot in the door of the industry, the next thing to do is to continue networking! Try to make as many connections as you can – you never know when someone may be able to help you out or get you an opportunity in the future. Tammie Hawkins recommends attending industry events and conferences to meet new people and find new projects and clients.