How To Become an Event Promoter in 9 Easy Steps

1.9 million events take place each year, but to pull off an event and get the word out, it's important to have someone promoting it. Are you an event promoter or want to become one?

Being an event promoter is a great way to get your foot in the door with special events, festivals, and conventions. These events offer jobs to fans who attend, provide a source of income for event organizers and promoters, and even act as a way to promote your business.

This article is an excellent resource if you're looking to get into events but don't know where to begin. It explains everything from developing sponsorship programs to managing fan turnout and more.

Keep reading to discover how to become an event promoter and earn more income today.

What is An Event Promoter?

An event promoter organizes and promotes all of an event's activities. There are many different types of event promoters. These include:

• Convention and trade show promoters
• Festival and concert promoters
• Athletes and entertainers

While the work of event promoters is often the same, the terminology used to describe it can vary. For example, some event promoters may call themselves event production companies, while others may have a niche in marketing and/or event management.

Some may call themselves consultancies, while others may refer to themselves as marketing companies. The terminology varies depending on the type of business or organization involved.

1. Get Certified

The first and most crucial step in becoming an event promoter is to get certified by the National Conference of Business Marketing Practitioners (NCBMP). After getting certified, you'll need to apply to be a National Association of Business Marketing (NABM) member.

Once you are a member, you can get certified in various areas, such as event promotion and marketing. Becoming certified in any area is only as valuable as the knowledge and skill you bring to that area.

The certification process can be done online, and there are several different certification bodies that you can choose from. One of the more popular certification bodies is the International Organization of Business Communicators (IOBC).

There are many levels of certification, the most demanding being the International Association for Business Communicators (IABC).

2. Create a Portfolio

After getting certified or approved for membership by your chosen association, you are ready to begin your event promotion and marketing journey. The first and most important thing you will need to do is create a portfolio of work relevant to your chosen event promotion and marketing field.

In other words, start building your "case" for why you are the perfect person to promote events by showcasing your past work and any skills or experience you have that may be relevant.

The best way to do this is to create a digital portfolio that you can easily update as your events evolve.

In addition to showcasing your past work, a digital portfolio should include 3-5 examples of recent work you've completed. This will show potential clients and attendees that you are up-to-date on your industry and can deliver quality work.

You will want to focus your portfolio selection on showcasing work relevant to your chosen industry so that it stands out from the crowd and is easily noticeable. You can find a guide for creating a digital portfolio here.

3. Gain Experience

After building a solid digital portfolio, you will probably want to gain experience in event promotion and marketing. This can come from working with various clients or organizations, participating in industry events and training, or acquiring some practical event management or marketing knowledge.

If you are interested in event management or marketing, you may consider taking a marketing or event management seminar. A good seminar will show you how things work in the field and provide you with real-world experience.

There are plenty of events and festivals in the valley that offer hands-on training, so consider participating in one.

4. Define Your Market

One of the most important things to do before launching an event is to define your market. What are they interested in? What are they thinking right now? This will help you create a promotional plan that works with the event's audience.

Another reason to understand the market you work in is because you want to ensure you're promoting and marketing your services to the right people. Take some time to study the tactics used by your competitors and ensure you're doing things that capture the attention of your ideal consumer.

Another reason to define your market is that your ideal consumer will pay attention to what you're doing in the market. If you've not taken the time to understand them and what they need, it will show and turn them off from doing business with you at any point in the future.

5. Promote Through Events and Festivals

The best ways to promote an event is to promote it through events and festivals in your area. Be it a local soccer game, a country music festival, or a sold-out concert, events often have large followings that will come out in droves to see their favorite artists.

These followings will be your potential customers; after all, they are out looking for an event like this one. Not to mention scheduling during local community events is a great way to nurture client relationships.

You never know whom you're going to run into that might need your services. The more time you spend promoting, the better off your chances are of future success as an event promoter.

6. Network and Build Your Brand

Another key way to introduce yourself as an event promoter is to network with other event professionals. Meet other event planners, managers, and talent managers to build your brand.

Your brand is your reputation among your peers. If you have built a reputation for yourself as an event expert, your clients will want to see you as an expert at signing talent, and so on. This is how you build a personal brand that will help you stand out among other event professionals.

7. Create a Promotional Calendar

Some event professionals choose to conduct business as sole proprietors. In this case, they will establish an LLC to hold their events. However, more and more event professionals are using professional service firms to help them with their events.

As a promoter, you will want to make sure that you are flexible with your promotional schedule to keep up with your customers' needs. Depending on your business type, you may want to limit the number of events you promote each year. This is a great way to test the waters and get a feel for what events your customers want to see.

8. Choose an Event Promotion Specialization

After gaining some experience, you will probably want to specialize in a specific area of event promotion. This allows you to make more money, as event promotion is mainly about selling tickets and helping to raise awareness of your events through branding and marketing.

There are several areas you can specialize in, and it's essential to choose one. This allows you to focus on one area and gain the skill set needed for it.

When you spread your attention across too many areas, it can make it challenging to become great at one and provide the level of quality service that your clients are looking for.

9. Pay Attention to Every Aspect of Events

The amount of planning needed for event promotion is immense. It's not just the planning of the event but also the production, marketing, and financial planning required for the promotion.

It is vital to ensure that all of these aspects are considered when planning an event. This will help ensure that the event is successful and that people are happy they attended.

Before you decide to move forward with becoming an event promoter, you need to attend a few events and take in all aspects of it. Taking in all aspects of an event will help you acknowledge and have a new appreciation of what it takes to put together an event.

Besides, if you don't know what goes into an event, how are you going to be able to market it to people that you want to attend the event? The more you understand the inner workings of the event, the better off you'll be when it's time to promote it.

All of this and more will help you determine how to become a event promoter.

How to Become an Event Promoter: A Beneficial Guide

Are you still asking yourself how to become an event promoter? Several steps you can take that will help you become an event planner include getting certified and taking time to network with other people that work in your same industry.

If you're ready to look for your next event promotion job, get started with Staff Connect, and let us help you continue to thrive as an event promoter.

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