So You Want to Be an Event Planner

Lindsay Martin-Bilbrey, CMP
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So You Want to Work in Events helps students, early-career professionals, and career-switchers understand what working in live events really looks like — and where they might fit. Hosted by Lindsay Martin-Bilbrey, CMP, this podcast explains event careers, roles, skills, and pathways with clear language and real industry context. Designed for high school and college students, parents, and advisors, the show offers practical guidance for navigating event and hospitality careers.

Season 1

  1. EPISODE 1

    What Even Is a Live Event? Defining Event Planning as a Career Field

    When people say they work in live events, it can mean everything, and nothing, at the same time. So what actually counts as an event, and why does defining it matter? In this episode of So You Want to Be an Event Planner, we break down what planned live events really are and why they deserve to be understood as a legitimate field of work and study. Using examples from corporate events, festivals, sport, social rituals, and civic life, we introduce a clear definition of events and explain how careers across live events fit within the broader experience industries. We also explore why events are typically taught in hospitality programs in the U.S. and how defining and naming the live event field creates clarity, confidence, and belonging for students, career-switchers, parents, school counselors, and advisors. If you’re curious about event planning or event management — or wondering whether you belong in this industry — this episode is your starting point. 🔑 Key IdeasEvents are intentional, temporary, designed, and purpose-driven gatheringsEvents exist across business, culture, sport, civic life, and social spacesEvent planning is a legitimate interdisciplinary field, not just a job title or side taskHospitality became the academic home for events in the U.S. for structural reasonsNaming the field creates visibility, legitimacy, and belonging 🧠 Language We’re UsingPlanned live eventsExperience industriesTemporary organizationsPurpose-driven gatheringsEvent ecosystem ✍️ Try ThisThink about the last three events you attended. What was each event’s purpose, and which sector did it belong to (business, social, cultural, sport, civic)? Notice how different events serve very different outcomes — even though we often use the same word for all of them. 🎧 Coming Up NextEpisode 2: The Live Events & Experience Industries — A Tour of the Ecosystem If events are a real field, where do they actually live? We’ll map the industries, sectors, and systems that rely on events — and why event jobs are often harder to see than they should be. Companies mentioned in this episode: DisneyWalmartCoachellaOlympicsWorld Cup

    11 min

  2. EPISODE 2

    The Live Event & Experience Industries: A Tour of the Ecosystem

    🎙️ Episode 2 — The Live Event & Experience Industries: A Tour of the EcosystemIf live events are a real field, where do they actually live? In this episode of So You Want to Be an Event Planner, we take a guided tour of the live events and experience industries to make the event ecosystem visible. We explore how live events show up across sport, festivals, corporate environments, associations, tourism, civic life, and mega-events—and why event planning and event management work is often embedded inside other industries rather than labeled clearly. This episode helps students, career-switchers, parents, counselors, and advisors understand where event careers exist, why event jobs can be hard to spot, and how seeing the full ecosystem makes the field larger, more legitimate, and easier to navigate. If you’re curious about event planning or event management careers—and wondering where this work actually “lives”—this episode gives you the map. 🔑 Key IdeasEvents operate across multiple experience industries, not a single sectorEvent roles are often embedded inside marketing, operations, tourism, and civic systemsVisibility and legitimacy are not the same thingSport, festivals, corporate events, associations, tourism, civic life, and mega-events all rely on live eventsUnderstanding the ecosystem expands career options and reduces confusion 🧠 Language We’re UsingExperience industriesEmbedded event rolesDistributed ecosystemCultural and economic valueEvent labor market ✍️ Try ThisThink about an industry you wouldn’t normally associate with events (tech, healthcare, government, education). Where might live events show up inside that system—and what purpose would they serve? 🎧 Coming Up NextEpisode 3: How Do People Get Into This Field? If event planning is everywhere but hard to see, how do people actually find their way into it? Next, we break down the real entry paths into live events—and why non-linear backgrounds are the norm, not the exception. 🔍 Examples Referenced in This EpisodeProfessional sport leagues (live sport events)Music and arts festivalsCorporate conferences and brand activationsAssociation annual meetingsDestination and tourism-driven eventsCivic and public sector eventsGlobal mega-events Companies mentioned in this episode: Applespan...

    10 min

  3. EPISODE 3

    How Do People Get Into Live Events as a Career? (Event Planning & Event Management)

    🎙️ Episode 3 — How Do People Get Into This Field?Almost no one grows up saying, “I want to work in live events.” So how do people actually find their way into event planning and event management? In this episode of So You Want to Be an Event Planner, we break down the real entry paths into live events and normalize non-linear career journeys. We explore how people migrate into the field from hospitality, theatre, marketing, sport, nonprofits, corporate roles, and technology—and why transferable skills matter more than having a “perfect” background. This episode also addresses the permission problem that causes many capable people to hesitate before claiming a place in the field. If you’re a student, career-switcher, or early professional wondering how to get into event planning or whether you belong in this industry, this episode is for you. 🔑 Key IdeasThere is no single or “correct” path into event planningMost event professionals migrate from adjacent fieldsTransferable skills matter more than credentials at entry levelCareer switching is common—and often advantageousBelonging in events is claimed through practice, not permission 🧠 Language We’re UsingCareer migrationTransferable skillsEntry pathwaysPermission problemAdjacent industries ✍️ Try ThisMap your own path—real or hypothetical—into events. What skills do you already have that live events need? 🎧 Coming Up NextEpisode 4: Where the Jobs Actually Are If people get into events in many ways, where do they actually work? Next, we’ll break down who hires event planners and event managers—and how the event labor market really functions. 🔍 Examples Referenced in This EpisodeHospitality and venue operationsTheatre and live performance productionMarketing and experiential teamsNonprofit fundraising eventsCorporate internal events

    10 min

  4. EPISODE 4

    Where Event Planning Jobs Are Located (Employers & Career Paths)

    🎙️ Episode 4 — Where the Live Event Jobs Actually AreSearching for event planning jobs can feel confusing—because the work doesn’t always show up where you expect it to. In this episode of So You Want to Be an Event Planner, we demystify the event labor market by breaking down where event planning and event management jobs are actually located. We explore the main employer types—venues, agencies, brands, nonprofits, associations, governments, vendors, and freelance work—and explain why job titles can be misleading in this field. This episode reframes career mobility as a strength and helps listeners understand how to evaluate roles based on environment, not just titles. If you’re trying to figure out where to apply—or why event jobs are so hard to spot—this episode brings clarity. 🔑 Key IdeasEvent jobs exist across multiple employer typesVendors and freelancers are central to the event ecosystemJob titles often hide the real work being doneEvent careers are rarely linearUnderstanding environments matters more than chasing titles 🧠 Language We’re UsingEmployer typesVendor ecosystemFreelance laborEmbedded departmentsCareer mobility ✍️ Try ThisLook up one job that isn’t labeled “event.” What event-related responsibilities does it actually include? 🎧 Coming Up NextEpisode 5: What Are The Source (Undergraduate) Majors if I Want to Work in Live Events Once you know where jobs live, the next question is academic: what should you study—and does it really matter? 🔍 Examples Referenced in This EpisodeHotels and convention centersEvent and experiential agenciesBrand-side event teamsAssociations and nonprofitsEvent vendors (AV, production, tech)Freelance event professionals Companies mentioned in this episode: AppleMovable Inc.DoritoBank of AmericaWells FargoSmith and NephewBill and Melinda Gates Foundation

    10 min

  5. EPISODE 5

    What Should You Major In for Event Planning? (Undergrad Majors & Event Careers)

    🎙️ Episode 5 — Exploring Undergraduate Majors for Jobs in Live Events“What should I major in if I want to work in events?” It’s one of the most common—and most stressful—questions people ask. In this episode of So You Want to Be an Event Planner, we explore the academic disciplines that feed into event planning and event management careers. We look at how hospitality, business, communications, sport management, theatre, social sciences, design, and technology each contribute different capabilities to event work. This episode reframes events as an interdisciplinary field and explains why skill stacking and applied experience matter more than choosing a single “right” major. If you’re a student, parent, counselor, or advisor navigating event management degrees and pathways, this episode brings reassurance and clarity. 🔑 Key IdeasNo single major owns the event fieldEvents draw from many academic disciplinesInterdisciplinarity is a strength, not a weaknessSkill stacking matters more than major choice aloneMost successful event professionals build toward the field over time 🧠 Language We’re UsingSource majorsInterdisciplinary fieldSkill stackingAcademic pathwaysApplied experience ✍️ Try ThisList what your major—or past education—already contributes to events. Then identify one complementary skill you’d like to build next. 🎧 Coming Up NextEpisode 6: The Formats of Events — A Taxonomy Once you understand pathways, it’s time to look at the events themselves. Next, we’ll break down the different types of events—and why format matters more than you think. 🔍 Examples Referenced in This EpisodeHospitality and tourism programsBusiness and marketing degreesTheatre and performing arts backgroundsSport management programsSociology, psychology, and design disciplines

    18 min
  • 5 Episodes

About

So You Want to Work in Events helps students, early-career professionals, and career-switchers understand what working in live events really looks like — and where they might fit. Hosted by Lindsay Martin-Bilbrey, CMP, this podcast explains event careers, roles, skills, and pathways with clear language and real industry context. Designed for high school and college students, parents, and advisors, the show offers practical guidance for navigating event and hospitality careers.

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