WITH conferences, celebrity bashes, fashion shows and corporate events being the order of the day, event management is almost a sunrise industry.

Training for the job: You do not need any special qualifications; the only prerequisite is to have excellent inter-personal skills. Today the National Institute of event management, Mumbai, International Institute of Event Management, SNDT Women’s University, Mumbai and National Academy of Event Management and Development Mumbai, offer postgraduate diploma in event management.

Course curriculum: EMDI’s diploma in Event Management covers event branding, writing an event brief, production and technical, celebrity and artist management, types of media, creativity in events, event sponsorship, PR with context to events, in-film marketing and promotions, wedding planning, award ceremonies, entrepreneurship etc.

Career options: An event manager is expected to conceptualise for the occasion keeping in mind the requirements and objectives of the client, planning, coordinating with different agencies, seeking permission from various government authorities, visualising stage design, arranging performers and media promoters for the event, as well as.

One can start out by working as a manager in an event management company. Those experienced can also work as a consultant in corporations overseeing the entire operation. Those who have an entrepreneurial bent could also set up their own event management firm.

Pay package: High performers are paid handsomely. While a fresher may have to start with a lower stipend at Rs 10,000-15,000 initially, the opportunities for growth are tremendous and within a couple of years one can command as much as Rs 1.5-2 lakh per month.
 
By Shalini Gupta

Mazhar Ladji, event Management Excecutive, Shobiz Experimental Communications Mazhar Ladji Course: Diploma in Event Management It was the year 2007, when 18-year-old Mazhar was mulling over his options after Class 12: a vocational course versus a graduation degree. Just then, a friend approached him for help with an event he was planning out; the high-voltage MTV Lycra Awards. He agreed to assist his friend, the MTV show was a success, and  set the stage for Mazhar’s future career path. Managing a high-profile event packed in all the punch that he spontaneously enjoyed executing. “I had prior exposure in the event handling too with a Stardust Event Award show,” he adds, “and I enjoy all the backstage action.” So, the student of Lala Lajpat Rai College at Hazi Ali, Mumbai, enrolled at event management institute EMDI, attending classes from 6-8 p.m., and pursing his a BCom from his alma mater in the morning. The one-year Diploma in Event Management cost Mazhar Rs. 30,000. The programme curriculum includes all aspects related to managing an event. “Besides technical, sound and lighting knowledge, we were introduced to aspects of production, execution and client servicing,” says Mazhar. The internship period comprised working on diverse events right from Bollywood shows to the International Jewellery Show and celebrity weddings. “Each client is different and has to be tackled accordingly,” he says. A big event may warrant 10-15 meetings with clients before and during events, to meet demands, flawlessly. Pay package: A two-month internship at Seventy earned Mazhar Rs 12, 000. Now working at Shobiz Experimental Communications, a prominent event firm in Mumbai as an executive, Mazhar is on probation, and currently draws a salary of Rs 10,000 per month. Between 2008 and 2010, Mazhar also freelanced with event management firm Encompass. Growth prospects: In this field, your ability to understand and grasp the nuances will pave the way for growth. “Faster the understanding, more rapid is the growth,” says Mazhar. One has to plan events well in advance to avoid exigencies, he adds. However, patience with clients is a must, as is keeping ‘Plan B’ ready at all times. One can be promoted from executive to senior executive and work your way up to manager and lead a team. A mid-level executive can hope to earn Rs 35,000 and above.   By Urmila Rao