Brandon Manuel

January 1, 2025

Worksheet (Bonus worksheet page on page 2!)

What kind of events do you want to plan? What sparks joy for you when thinking of different events that you can be involved with? What kind of events do you think that you can add a special touch or make better if you were planning them?
1. I like to plan celebratory events. It brings me joy to get everyone together whether it be for a graduation, sports award banquet, or corporate holiday party. I enjoy creating an occasion for people to take a load off and have a good time. When the event is over and I speak with guest as their heading out that is the best feeling for me. “When will the next event be held?” Or “Your team did a phenomenal job” are the type of praises I love to receive following the event. I think I could add a special touch to Corporate events if I were planning them. I would take the time to get to know the personalities of the workers in the building. Figure out their likes and dislikes, so I make each occasion meaningful to them. Work can be very high stress at times and creating an environment where employees can take a load off after all their hard work is key. My special touch to events to make it better would be creating a stage for live music, performances, and acknowledgements through out the event. Creating entertainment is key to keep guests engaged at all times through the end of the event. Also, I’m a bartender so whether is is alcoholic beverages or mock tails the beverage station will always be created to make guest enthused to come over and take part of a beverage on my team and I.

Why do you want to go into event planning? What makes you gravitate toward this career path?
1. I want to go into event planning because I think I would be very good at it. When I sit back and think about it I have been planning or helping plan events all my life. Starting as a kid when my family would throw big family cookouts and gatherings, whether it be for a holiday like 4th of July, or a graduation party, I noticed early all of the moving parts it took pull off a successful outing event after event. Creating a list of items, hiring food vendors, setting up games for entertainment, and setting up & breaking down. I noticed the planning and I executed many of the tasks young. It is a joy now just as it once was when I was a kid especially waking up the day of the event.

What do you hope to get out of event planning? And what are your long term goals when thinking of your Events Management career?
1. I hope to make a long and successful career doing event planning and I hope there are many memories and friendships made along the way. My long term goals for my event management career is to be a event planner for top artist, entertainers, public figures, athletes and sport organizations. I want to be apart of big projects whether it be directing the whole thing or collaborating with other top event planners and collectively create an experience that people will be talking about for ages. Building relationships with top caters, designers, bartenders, graphic designers and more is something I’m looking forward to. I understand the amount of teamwork it takes, and I have a passion for seeing my team doing what they are passionate about in their own individual roles. It truly is a feeling I cannot find anywhere else.

Launch a Career in Event Management

A Couple First Steps Worksheet

List 10 companies/organizations/opportunities/upcoming events that you want to work or volunteer at build your experience in a specific direction. (i.e. I want to be a wedding planner, I should list something like my sister’s upcoming bridal shower, my cousins wedding, four local wedding planners, two local florists, and two venues nearby).
1. Live Nation Entertainment
2. Red Bull Events
3. Special Olympics
4. The Recording Academy
5. NBA Cares / NFL Foundation
6. Sundance Institute
7. Habitat for Humanity
8. Make-A-Wish Foundation
9. IMG (endeavor)
10. Eventbrite

Describe how you are going to reach out to these organizations/people/companies. Are you going to send them an email? Give them a call? What are you going to say?

My message should be professional, concise, and tailored to the company. Here's a simple framework that I would use to get my point across.

Framework for Reaching Out

Introduce Myself

Briefly state my name, background, and why I am reaching out.

Express My Interest

Mention the specific type of events I’m interested in and why their company caught my attention.

Highlight Relevant Skills

Share any experience or skills that align with the work they do (e.g., customer service, event planning, or logistics).

Offer to Volunteer

State my willingness to volunteer or assist with events to gain experience and support their team.

Request Next Steps

Ask for guidance on how to apply or if there are current opportunities available.

Professional Sign-Off

Thank them for their time and include my contact information.

By what date are you going have reached out to every single person on your list? 1 month from now? 2 months from now? Remember that all of these event dates are approaching and you cannot wait forever to reach out.
1. It is the start of the new year, so it will take me five days to reach out to all of the companies. Two companies a day Monday - Friday. With it being the beginning of the new year I can make an early impact and have the rest of the year to plan depending on which ones I get accepted to work.

Brandon Manuel

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