How to Become a Venue Manager
Venue managers have a very important job. It’s up to them to ensure that events at their place of employment go smoothly and are a success. If this sounds a little like event planning, you’re right. The two do have a few things in common. But how does a venue manager differ from an event planner?
An event planner works at many different venues, and they may or may not be in charge of hiring staff, like caters, florists, etc. A venue manager works for a single venue, and they have the ability to choose staff and much more. They often work with event planners, depending on the circumstances, of course.
Want to learn how to become a venue manager? It’s easier than you think, thanks to the many venues out there who need this expertise, but the job does require plenty of experience. Let’s explore how to get started in this exciting field.
Learn More About Management
Whether you end up working for a theatre program, a hotel with conference and event rooms, a ballpark, a music venue or any other place that holds a lot of events, you need to know quite a bit about management in order to be successful. Since venue managers are in charge of all of the pieces that go into pulling off the event, as well as ensuring that there are a multitude of events in order to bring in revenue, having some business and management training will help.
Consider a College Degree
While you don’t need a college degree in order to be a venue manager, earning one can help point you in the right direction. A degree in Arts and Entertainment Management will give you a solid foundation of the business, management and entertainment skills that you’ll need in order to succeed as a venue manager.
Gain Management and Leadership Experience
In order to be a successful venue manager, you need to not only have the right knowledge but also some management and leadership experience. Most of the time, venue managers start out at the bottom, working as assistants to the main venue manager and then work their way up the ladder until they are the ones in charge.
Every time that you find another job in the field, or even in a related field, you’re gaining additional experience that you can place on your resume. In addition, expanding your skillset is always a good thing, as it will help you later on, when you find yourself working as a venue manager.
Do You Need an Internship?
Internships, completed while in college, can help future venue managers learn more about the job and how everything is done. These internships are done through the venue itself, no matter what type it is. During the course of a summer or a single college semester, students will get on-the-job experience and make plenty of valuable industry connections that will help them in their future careers. Plus, these internships are impressive on a resume and will provide students with options who they can list as references. After all, finding a job often requires a strategic combination of both knowledge and connections. Learn more about how to become a venue manager, today.