Are you looking for a new career opportunity and thought that maybe event tech could be a good option for you? Or maybe you already work in events, have seen the writing on the wall, and are considering shifting over to the event tech side?
And now you are thinking, “What does the job REALLY entail?”
That is what this article is designed to break down for you.
What is event tech?
Event tech (or event technology) has two different meanings in the industry:
- Audio/visual (A/V) production
- Digital tools
Thinking back, that makes sense as the events industry predates the modern internet. Back in the day, “technology” was the A/V equipment that makes an event run. Today that term is also used to refer to the registration sites, websites, mobile apps, and other digital tools that make an event run.
This article – and this site – is all about the digital tools. If you want an great introduction to the audio/visual side of events, I can’t recommend John Chen’s Engaging Virtual Meetings highly enough as he has built a thriving business both teaching and delivering exactly that.
Is there job security?
While I can’t promise job security, what I can say is that events is a rapidly-growing industry.
According to Grand View Research, the global events industry size was valued at $1,135.4 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23.1% from 2020 to 2027.
With events, you need to software to mange them. Event management software is projected to grow 12.5% annually until 2030 — and in a $6.9 billion dollar industry that isn’t small growth.
All of that growth needs people to make it happen. And event tech is not at risk of being replaced by AI any time soon – there is far too much configuration, customization, and people involvement in it for a bot to replace us. While GenAI is proving its worth in terms of alleviating some of the tedious tasks — that’s great as it only frees us up to add even more client value.
Do I need to travel?
Almost certainly, yes. The virtual-only days of the pandemic are slowly receding into the background and event companies who are continuing to deliver virtual events typically have a in-person component or distinct in-person events to complement the virtual ones.
How much you travel and to where depends upon the role. I used to travel to about a dozen events a year and now I’m traveling to 2-3 per year.
What is the schedule like?
One of the reasons so many people love working in events is because of the flexibility. One of the reasons people burn out from events is because it can get intense right before an event and they haven’t adapted their schedule to account for that.
Let’s break down what that means in the real-world.
Working in event tech, there tends to be four different peak periods for every event.
- When the marketing site goes live
- When event registration opens
- When the detailed agenda/session catalog goes live
- The live event
(This corresponds pretty nicely to the attendee journey paths. If you aren’t familiar with them, here is a resource that can help.)
There is no set formula for what looks like – so much goes into determining the number of hours neded. But here are some factors to keep in mind as you are considering different roles:
- Maturity of the events team in organization
- Size of the team
- Size of the event
- Your role
If you are new to events or event tech, I strongly encourage you to focus your energy on mature organizations or agencies that can place you in mature organizations. Those are the places that will have the best-documented processes and the fewest surprises.
Event technology is still a people business
What types of personalities do well in events? (aka, do I need to be an extrovert?)
Introverted but still want to work in events? Then event tech is the place for you! (I say this as a giant introvert – it’s totally possible.)
In my 10+ years of doing event tech, the people who I’ve found excel at event tech are the ones that have the highest emotional intelligence. Introverts, extroverts, and ambiverts – it doesn’t matter. At the end of the day, event tech is still a people business.
Personalities that excel tend to:
- Have solid organizational skills
- Love creating seamless experiences
- Think well on their feet
- Aren’t afraid to jump in and just “figure it out”
- Are big picture thinkers – and like the details
- Possess strong communication skills
- Are good at translating concepts between different audiences
I’ve seen teachers thrive as event tech pros. I think nurses would be amazing event tech pros. And, I’ve heard of lawyers who have successfully made the transition. It’s about your lived experience and reframing your skills.
If you have the people and organizational skills and aren’t always the last of your friends to try out a new tool or app, then event tech could be a great fit for you. The rest is just skills that can be learned.
What are the different event tech roles out there?
Event tech roles are broadly grouped into four roles:
- Technical project manager (TPM)
- Solutions architect (SA) or developer
- Configuration & implementation specialist
- Quality assurance (QA)
Each of these roles is critical to the success of a project. Depending upon the project size and the event tech stack (software that is used) you may wear one or all of the above hats.
Do I need to be certified?
I am not going to lie, the vast majority of us fell into events by accident. And the events industry as a whole has been behind-the-curve when it comes to training and standardization. There are now organizations, like Smart Event Academy, that are working to fill that gap in the industry.
If you feel like you want that training and certification to fill gaps in your knowledge, then by all means take the course and get the certification.
Is it required? Absolutely not.
How much does event tech pay?
Compensation varies considerably depending upon your role, where you live, and years of experience. But, independent of location and years of experience, the more technical your role is, the more you can earn. This isn’t to say that you should become a programmer if you hate programming, but if you enjoy doing the techie config bits, then leaning into that will boost your earning potential.
Here are some good places to start undertanding compensation potential:
- Indeed.com salary explorer
- Meetings.net meeting planner salary survey results (note that digital event planners earn more than non-digital event planners)
- Glassdoor salary insights
- Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook
Explore more about a career in event tech
I’ve created a handy action plan to help you determine your next steps in evaluating if event technology is for you. Sign up below to get your free copy!
