Who knew that this is actually a career? Thinking about it, of course, it’s obvious that it is and one that will be growing quickly in the future. It’s just never really occured to me that people might do this full time.

But with the increasing pace of modern life, the growth of companies that do nothing but put on, for example, industry shows, I guess it’s inevitable that it will become a more structured career. At the moment there is no specific route into the job. There are no college degrees in convention planning for example. Employers do like applicants to have a college degree, usually a Bachelor’s, but that is more as a marker, a sign of a certain level of general education and intelligence, not specific training in the field. No doubt, over the coming years, college degrees specifically on this subject will arise.

The two main routes actually seem to be either starting as a general gofer or coming in from the hotel trade. The general gofer route means being a secretary or junior manager perhaps who is asked to organise local meetings and discovers a talent for it. Reputations spread and after further experience our hero finds herself organising larger and larger meetings and conventions. Coming in from the hotel trade: well, they’re the people who see the other side of the same process so experience there is obviously a plus.

I have a feeling that this is likely a job for our male brain types (and I will certainly admit that the effective ones I’ve met professionaly have all been women: but with very much male brain systemizing abilities) according to our EQSQ personality tests. While at the time of the actual meeting or copnvention there will be a need to be the smiling and welcoming face, in the months of preparation that lead up to it it’s systems and details all the way.