How to Become an Event Planner in India: Skills, Steps, & Qualifications 

Event planning is a lucrative field in India. But, it is not a much coveted educational field like engineering or medicine.

So, how to become an event planner in India isn’t discussed enough. There are many like you struggling to find out how they can build a career in this field.

However, with EventTube, most of your event planning worries are solved. Today, we will tell you how to pave your way into this field.

A. Educational requirements to become an event planner in India

Event Planning is a more hands-on job. You don’t usually require multiple degrees for it. However, it is still advisable to have at least a Bachelor’s degree.

Many universities have courses on event management. Some of the institutions you should be targeting are listed below:

1. National Institute of Event Management (NIEM), Delhi
2. Asian Academy of Film and Television (AAFT), Delhi
3. IIFT, Delhi
4. Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies, Delhi
5. Indian Institute of Learning and Advanced Development (INLEAD), Delhi NCR
6. Indian Institute of Learning and Advanced Development (INLEAD), Delhi NCR
7. National Academy of Event Management and Development (NAEMD), Mumbai
8. International Institute of Event Management (IIEM), Mumbai
9. Indian School of Media (ISM), Mumbai
10. EMDI Institute of Media & Communication, Mumbai
11. Pearl Academy, Mumbai
12. National Academy of Media and Events, Kolkata
13. PES University, Bangalore

Average duration of these courses is three years.

Alternatively, you can also go for a diploma course in event management if you want to hasten the process.

Note that the stream you choose in school isn’t very relevant here.

In addition to that, if you have already finished your Bachelor’s in another course, worry not! There are still plenty of ways to pave your way in this industry.

B. Volunteering

Truth be told, no college or university course will really teach you event planning.

Real learning happens on the job.

But jobs need experience.

And to get that experience, you need to start early. It is advisable to take up volunteering tasks while you’re studying.

You’ll basically be exchanging your time and effort for valuable industry experience. There are high chances that you might not get compensated well at this stage.

Regardless, try to go for volunteering roles. Some of the roles you could be looking at are:

• Event coordination volunteer
• Security volunteer
• Guest services volunteer
• Event promoter/marketer
• Sponsorship volunteer
• Event operations volunteer
• Hospitality volunteer

Expect a lot of running around and lectures, event management is not easy! However, with lots of bittersweet memories, you will learn things that books can never teach.

C. Attend events

Another way to learn the craft of event planning and management is by attending events.

And we don’t mean attending the events that you think are going to be fun. No, don’t just spend on VIP tickets to your favorite concert.

But rather, attend a variety of events, from seminars to even weddings. Try to get hold of the event planner at the venue and ask all your questions.

In fact, such events are wonderful places for you to start networking. So never let go of this opportunity.

If attending events regularly is not in your budget or schedule, don’t worry. You can keep up with our Instagram where we attend the hottest events in town. Then, we bring out the most valuable insights from each event for you to learn.

D. Build a niche

You’ll have to go through the process of working for a multiple events before picking a niche.

And, it’s great in a way because you’ll learn what you like and don’t like in the event industry. You may be attracted towards wedding planning but be better suited for corporate events.

Building your niche will have to begin with a hit-and-trial process. You must undertake it to make an informed decision.

Some of the sectors you could be looking at are as follows:

• Corporate event planning: Here you’ll organize events for various organizations
• Wedding planning: You’ll plan events such as engagement parties, bridal showers, and other events other than the main wedding
• Festival and concert planning: You will be organizing large scale events, often involving celebrities and artists
• Personal event planning: Here, you’ll be responsible for small-scale private events like birthdays and anniversaries
• Cultural event planning: These can be both large or small scale, but they’ll revolve around various cultural festivals and events
• Sports event planning: From cricket matches to big tournaments and races, you take care of organizers, sportsmen, and viewers
• Educational event planning: Here, you’ll work closely with schools and institutions. You’ll organize events such as graduation ceremonies and proms

There are many more fields you could be exploring. Do comment below if you’d like to read an article on the various sectors of event planning.

That being said, approach the broad field of event planning with an inclination toward a niche. If you try to organize any and all kinds of events, you wouldn’t be able to master any.

So, pick a niche and start training intensively in it. They are all very different from each other.

E. Start networking

A great first step towards building your niche and career is to network.

You should always keep an eye out for ongoing event management workshops and seminars. Meeting event planners in real life is a great way to build your network.

Try to find some time for social media too and engage with event planning content on social media. You will find a lot of helpful event-planning resources online. Engaging with such content shall spark conversations with other event planners.

Also, try to join event planning communities like the following:

1. Event and Entertainment Management Association (EEMA)
2. Indian Exhibition Industry Association (IEIA)
3. EventTube

You can also think of taking the old-fashioned route of cold messaging if not emailing. In our experience, LinkedIn works best for this.

Here’s a LinkedIn cold messaging template for you that you can copy-paste with simple modifications:

“Hello [insert the person’s name to build a personal connection],

I hope this message finds you well. Recently, I came across your profile and was impressed by your experience in event planning. I would like to connect with you to learn more about the industry and exchange insights on best practices.

As an aspiring event planner, I am keen to connect with seasoned professionals like you who can offer valuable guidance and mentorship. I would love to hear your thoughts on [insert your event planning topic of interest, for eg. event technology]

Please let me know if you would be open to connecting and discussing further. I look forward to hearing back from you.

Best regards,
[Your Name]”

F. Do I need licenses and permits?

In India, you do not need licenses and permits to become an event planner.

However, certain events require licenses and permits such as:

• Noise Permit
• Alcohol License
• Fireworks/fire Permit
• Health Permit
• Business License
• Building Permit
• Event Permit
• Premises License

These vary from event to event so you’ll be required to stay up to date with the current laws and regulations.

G. How to get certification to become an event planner in India

Chances are that you didn’t get a chance to focus on event planning in your formal education.

Even in that case, there are still options for you to get relevant education in very less time.

Some popular short-term event planning and management courses are as follows:

• Event Planning and Management Certificate by Indian School of Business Management & Administration (ISBM): It’s a 6-month online course that covers event planning, including marketing, sponsorship, and production management
• Diploma in Event Management by Indian Institute of Learning and Advanced Development (INLEAD): This is a 1-year course that covers event planning, marketing, and production management
• Certified Event Planner by Wedding Planning Institute: This is a 12-week online course that covers all aspects of event planning, including weddings, corporate events, and social events
• Diploma in Event Management by International School of Business and Media (ISB&M): This is a 9-month course that covers all aspects of event planning, including marketing, sponsorship, and production management
• Certificate Course in Event Management by National Institute of Event Management (NIEM): This is a 6-month course that covers all aspects of event planning, including marketing, sponsorship, and production management

We highly recommend that you keep on getting certifications in order to upskill yourself.

H. How to become an event planner in India with the right soft skills

While doing a formal course is great, it only teaches you 20% of what event planning really is. You may even learn 50% of it by attending events, volunteering, and networking.

But, your success in this field will also be determined by your people skills or soft skills. You must keep your soft skill development in mind if you plan on thriving in this field.

Here’s a questionnaire for you to check if you have the right soft skill set for event planning:

• Am I able to calmly deal with stress?
• Do I talk respectfully to both my clients and helpers?
• Am I able to deal with difficult clients and still give them a good experience?
• How good of a listener am I?
• Am I able to put my client’s wishes before my own?
• Do I do a good job with time and work management?
• Am I able to delegate tasks well and track their progress?
• Do I have an eye for detail?
• Am I a good leader and a team player at the same time?
• Have I missed any opportunities to learn and incorporate creative ways into my event planning technique?
• Can I multi-task?

If you have positive and satisfactory answers to such questions, you’re on the right track! You’ll improve even more as time passes.

An event planning career is not a short-term job. You can’t just study and get placed the next day.

You will have to work your way up the ladder. And even when you’re on top, you can’t stop learning. The event trends continuously change.

To assist you in this journey, we come up with industry tips, tricks, and advice. You can sign up for the newsletter below to see what EventTube has to offer.

And it’s absolutely free too!