Chapter 1 | So You Want to Get Serious about Planning Special Events? | 1 |
| Self-Assessment | 1 |
| The Ingredients of a Successful Event Planner | 2 |
| More Self-Assessment: What Do You Have? What Do You Need? | 3 |
| Laying the Foundation: Skills | 5 |
| Finding Your Niche: Types of Event Planning Services | 9 |
| The Pitfalls of Event Planning | 14 |
| The Challenges of Event Planning | 18 |
Chapter 2 | The Home Office | 21 |
| A Space of Your Own | 21 |
| Equipment and Technology | 22 |
| Office Supplies | 23 |
| Event Supplies | 24 |
Chapter 3 | Developing Your Business | 27 |
| Your Business Structure | 27 |
| Business Planning 101: Market Research | 30 |
| Business Planning 102: Selecting a Business Identity | 33 |
| The Business Plan | 34 |
| Setting Goals | 40 |
Chapter 4 | Dollars and Sense | 43 |
| Tracking Your Business | 43 |
| Show Me the Money: Pricing Your Services | 47 |
| Budgeting | 51 |
Chapter 5 | Marketing Your Services | 57 |
| Specialist or Generalist? Defining Your Position | 57 |
| Developing Your Marketing Materials | 58 |
| Developing a Marketing Plan | 61 |
Chapter 6 | Developing a Team | 69 |
| Support, Part I: Vendors | 69 |
| Support, Part II: Staffing | 71 |
| Working with Your Support Staff | 76 |
Chapter 7 | Legal and Ethical Issues | 81 |
| Liability | 81 |
| Contracts | 83 |
| Permits and Licenses | 90 |
| Insurance | 91 |
| Improving Your Risk Exposure | 92 |
| Event Ethics | 94 |
Chapter 8 | Planning Basics: The Event Process from Proposal to Follow-Up | 97 |
| The Proposal | 98 |
| The Production Schedule | 107 |
| The Critical Elements of Every Event | 110 |
Chapter 9 | Social Celebrations: Weddings and More | 115 |
| The Joys of Planning Social Events | 115 |
| Social Planning Pitfalls | 117 |
| Tapping into the Social Planning Market | 118 |
| Social Planning Basics | 120 |
| Social Venues | 121 |
| Decor Basics | 124 |
Chapter 10 | Corporate Events | 127 |
| The Various Corporate Events | 127 |
| Familiarize Yourself with Your Clients | 128 |
| Events at Trade Shows | 131 |
| Current Trends in Corporate Events | 133 |
Chapter 11 | Nonprofit and Fund-Raising Events | 137 |
| Getting Your Foot in the Door | 137 |
| Nonprofit Event Basics | 140 |
| Celebrity Appearances | 142 |
Chapter 12 | Balancing Your Life | 147 |
| Home-Office Guidelines for You, Your Family, and Your Friends | 148 |
| Caring for Your Children While You Work | 151 |
| Priorities | 153 |
| More about Priorities | 157 |
| Support | 159 |
Chapter 13 | Being the Best: Education and Training | 161 |
| Formal Education | 161 |
| Professional Designations | 162 |
| More Ways to Refine Your Trade | 164 |
| Above and Beyond | 167 |
| What Else Is Out There? | 169 |
Appendix A | School and Degree Programs | 170 |
| United States--Four-Year Programs | 170 |
| New England Schools for Higher Education in the Meeting, Event, and Hospitality Industry | 173 |
| United States--Two-Year Programs | 178 |
| Australia | 179 |
| Canada | 179 |
| Great Britain | 179 |
| Korea | 179 |
Appendix B | Earning Your Professional Certification | 180 |
| Association Designations | 180 |
| Exposition Designations | 181 |
| Speaker Designation | 182 |
| Event Management Designations | 183 |
| Destination Management Designations | 185 |
| Catering Designations | 186 |
| Consultant Designations | 187 |
| Travel Designations | 188 |
| Hospitality Designations | 190 |
Appendix C | Recommended Reading | 193 |
| Index | 195 |
| About the Author | 198 |