Marketing Your Event Planning Business (2004)

By Judy Allen

Another 'spot on' publication in the highly successful event planning series by Judy Allen. This time Allen tackles the subject of marketing your event management business and discusses reasons why and how to go it alone. Pleasantly readable and packed with real world examples, the book is laid out in an easy to digest format equally valuable to the event planning professional, the self starter, or the student. Don't expect to find too much information on how to actually plan events as this is covered in other books in the series.

Chapters include Making Yourself Marketable, Aquiring Areas of Expertise, Creating Your Niche, Defining Your Objective, Targeting Your Talents, Customising Customer Service Requirements, Marketing to Your Audience, Soliciting Sales, The Value of Diversification, and Going Out on Your Own. In addition the book contains useful appendices such as those detailing industry certifications, associations and councils, industry resources, industry conferences and shows, and sample creative concepts.

If Marketing Your Event Planning Business has any shortcomings it's that like most of the series it's written largely for North American audiences and this is reflected in the language, the case studies, and the fiscal examples contained within. However, reassuringly Allen's own vast industry experience and ability to communicate her ideas and insights with her readers is certanly not lost in translation.

Judy Allen is founder and President of Judy Allen Productions and has created special events in over thirty countries. In addition to her event planning book series she writes weekly articles for the same subject for the New York Post and regularly contributes to industry websites and publications.