The Event Planning Industry

I help a variety of startups by doing their business planning legwork; this way, they get to focus on their craft. So in order to keep updated and educate myself about different industries, I attend seminars, summits and conferences hosted by different industry heads. Sometimes while I'm there, I also conduct surveys for startups.

Today I attended an Event Planning Summit at The Conference Center at Northpointe on 23North in Columbus (http://www.thecenteratnorthpointe.com/). This place is the campus dormitory of events and meetings. They concentrate on your event, their hotels exist solely for events, and they know what they're doing. When you drive in you have directors, when you walk through the doors there are directors, and the food is EXCELLENT! Upon being there for fifteen minutes, It certainly becomes obvious -this place was created solely for one purpose-to plan and orchestrate events.

Now if you've been keeping up, you know that the hotel and travel industry has suffered since the recession. This industry is still struggling. Just recently, I did some recession research for clients and the news was a little gloomy. However, we identified some "keys to success" to keep above water. This is what any business owner must practice.

The event planning industry is certification and contract driven. There are some key things to learn in order to protect your business and to grow a loyal client base. If you are considering getting into the industry, you must join certain associations, work hard to gain at least three years of experience in your business and then prepare to sit for the Certified Meeting Planner test (CMP), and you must also build a relationship with an attorney who will ensure that each business contract protects your business. There are also some limitations and setbacks that you will want to identify.

I may be blogging about this a little later. However, if you would like more information, you can contact me via my business website listed below.

About the Author: Cheryl Isaac is the writer of this blog and the Startup Business Consultant & Owner of Isaac Business Services; an agency that offers startup concierge & business planning services for small businesses.