A career as a promoter is a fast paced career, which will keep you on your feet. A promoter is also a marketer and a great deal of their time is devoted to coming up with great new marketing strategies for special events. As an event promoter you will be working directly with medias such as television, radio, and direct mail campaigns.

When you choose a career as an event promoter you will not be working your typical 9 to 5 job. You will be working long hours and you must have a passion for your work in such a way that you will not even notice that you are working all the time.

An event promoter is self-employed and works on various projects, as they are made available to them. An event promoter will have to work with a staff of financial personal and artists many times to complete their assignments. It is essential for the event promoter to be creative and able to come up with fresh new ideas on a continuous basis.

In addition to being creative an event promoter must be able to think out of the box while at the same time staying on budget for the project. An event promoter must have the ability to be likable to all he or she comes in contact with. By being likeable the event promoter will be able to secure the promotional tools and advertising needed and at a great savings. It is true that an event promoter is somewhat like a sales person, as he must sell himself in order to sell the event that is being promoted. Likewise the event promoter must be very enthusiastic in everything they do. Others will be no more excited about an event than the one which promoting it is.

There is no particular education, which is required to become an event promoter, however schooling in marketing may be helpful. An event promoter must be an organized person, as well as a person who possesses much charm. Once an event promoter secures their first couple of projects and completes them with much success, their career will begin to take off. However, it should be remembered that an unsuccessful event could rack havoc on a promoter's career, which can take a very long time to overcome.

Those interested in becoming event planners will find a good number of schools online universities and vocational colleges that offer event planner certification programs. Unfortunately there is no nationally recognized accreditation council or association for event planner certification programs. This means that one should exercise a healthy skepticism when selecting an event planner certification program.

A program that will sufficiently prepare students to work as professional event planners would include an in class or online lecture from very experienced event planners. Moreover one should check to make sure the program offers both technical instruction on how to plan a range of events as well as business end instruction on how to run one's business successfully. Good programs may include opportunities for students to work with an experienced mentor or to practice their hand in an internship position. Some event planner certification programs require advanced students to actually plan an real event giving them hands-on experience as well as helping them develop a portfolio for future jobs.

Nevertheless there are some steps you can take before entering a formal certification program to prepare yourself for a career in event planning. Experience is arguably the most important asset an event planner can bring to a job. Secure a job in the hospitality industry; work an event before you plan an event. Furthermore classes in catering and business can offer students relevant experiences that will one day be applied to event planning.

CMP. The Convention Industry Council's Certified Meeting Professional designation is the most widely recognized in the industry. Started in 1985 meeting professionals planners and suppliers who have earned the CMP credential now number 11269 in 27 countries. Candidates must have three years' experience and a full-time job in the industry; accrue a minimum number of points based on the scope of their responsibilities education professional contributions and so on; and pass a written exam.

CMM. For meeting professionals planners and suppliers with at least 10 years' experience Meeting Professionals International offers a Global Certification for Meeting Management program focusing on strategic issues and executive decision making. Applicants must be accepted into the program and attend a five-day residency after which they take an online exam and write a strategic business plan for either a new venture or their department. Now in its eighth year the program has conferred 373 CMM certifications.

CITE. The Society of Incentive & Travel Executives launched its Certified Incentive Travel Executive certification program in 1980 to recognize high achievement in the field. Opened to non-SITE members in 2005 the designation requires incentive professionals to have a certain level of experience and involvement with SITE work with a SITE member mentor pass a three-hour written exam and write a 3000-word research paper.

CSEP. The International Special Events Society established the Certified Special Event Professional designation in 1983 to recognize competence and experience in the special event field. The requirements include an exam and portfolio review. Twice yearly exam dates coincide with the Special Event Show and ISES EventWorld.

DMCP. The Destination Management Certified Professional designation established in 2001 by the Association of Destination Management Executives is awarded to those who demonstrate expertise experience and ethical awareness in destination management. The first exams were held in 2002 and now 94 certified DMCPs are on the books; all but two are from the United States.

CDME. The Destination Marketing Association International in conjunction with Purdue University has a program in which convention bureau executives earn a CDME designation Certified Destination Management Executive.