Career change as an event manager

Career change paths

• Venue manager

  Also: Cultural manager

  With on-the-job trainingPromotion

  As manager of a municipal event hall, congress center or cultural center you are responsible for the program, rentals, staff and budget of the whole building.

  What you bring:

  You plan events with budget, technology, safety and service providers, and you keep track of everything even under time pressure.

  How to get there:

  You usually get there after several years in event organization, often by first becoming deputy manager. Alongside your job, the further training course for certified senior event specialist (Veranstaltungsfachwirt) strengthens your application and can be funded through Aufstiegs-BAföG (state funding for advanced vocational qualifications). With a qualification as event management clerk (Veranstaltungskaufmann) you are admitted directly to the first part of the exam; with other commercial vocational training (Ausbildung) you are admitted after one year of work experience. In both cases you are admitted to the second part after one further year. At municipal and large venues, a university degree is sometimes expected for management positions.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Often at weekendsPhysically lightLots of contact with people

  €4,445gross per monthMedian salary

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• Marketing specialist

  Also: Trade fair and events specialist

  With on-the-job training

  In the marketing department of a company or association you plan trade fairs, customer events and campaigns, manage agencies and budgets, and evaluate what the measures achieved.

  What you bring:

  You organize appearances that make brands, products or places visible, and you work closely with agencies, graphic design and technology.

  How to get there:

  You can switch to the marketing department of a company or association with on-the-job training (Einarbeitung), often starting in trade fairs and events. Alongside your job, the further training course for certified senior specialist for marketing (Fachwirt für Marketing) gives you a recognized qualification and can be funded through Aufstiegs-BAföG (state funding for advanced vocational qualifications). To be admitted, you need three-year commercial vocational training (Ausbildung) and one year of marketing-related work experience.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Fixed daytime hoursPhysically lightIn an office

  €5,385gross per monthMedian salary

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• Fundraiser

  Also: Communications and events officer

  With on-the-job training

  In fundraising or communications at a nonprofit organization, an association or a university, you plan fundraising and donation events, stay in contact with supporters and write invitations and reports.

  What you bring:

  You win partners and sponsors, approach guests and know how events attract attention and support.

  How to get there:

  You start with on-the-job training (Einarbeitung). Experience with sponsors or charity events is the best reference. Part-time certificate courses in fundraising at private academies take a few months. For pure press work, employers more often expect a university degree or a trainee program (Volontariat).*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Fixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with people

  €5,318gross per monthMedian salary

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• Project manager

  Also: Project lead

  With on-the-job trainingPromotion

  As a project manager in a company you plan projects such as site openings, product launches or customer projects, coordinate teams and service providers, and report on status, costs and risks.

  What you bring:

  You manage projects with fixed deadlines, many people involved, a budget and risks, often several at the same time.

  How to get there:

  You switch with on-the-job training (Einarbeitung), often starting as a project coordinator. A project management certificate, for example under IPMA or PRINCE2 or for agile methods, takes courses of a few days to a few weeks and is sometimes required. For larger projects, companies often ask for a university degree, but experience with large events counts as project experience.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightIn an officeHome office possible

  €5,850gross per monthMedian salary

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• Sales manager for conferences and events

  Also: Sales representative for event venues

  With on-the-job training

  In sales at a conference hotel, congress center or service provider you win business customers and associations, prepare quotes, negotiate terms and hand booked events over to the team that runs them.

  What you bring:

  You know what organizers want and what matters for rooms, technology, catering and accommodation.

  How to get there:

  You start with on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) in the booking system and pricing, usually lasting a few weeks. Experience from event planning is a good reference, and sales targets are part of the job. English skills are often expected.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Fixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with people

  €5,550gross per monthMedian salary

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• Booker

  Also: Artist agent

  With on-the-job training

  As a booker or agent you book bands, artists or speakers for organizers, negotiate appearances and contracts, and plan dates and tours.

  What you bring:

  You know artists, technical requirements, contracts and event procedures, and you negotiate confidently with service providers.

  How to get there:

  You start at agencies, concert promoters or venues with on-the-job training (Einarbeitung), often through contacts in the industry. Besides permanent positions, you can also work self-employed, with an uneven workload. Evening and weekend work is part of the job.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Fixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with peopleIn an office

  €4,456gross per monthMedian salary

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• Event permit clerk

  Also: Special use permit clerk

  With on-the-job training

  In the public order office (Ordnungsamt) of a city, you check applications for events, markets and special uses, coordinate with the police, the fire department and organizers, and issue permits with conditions.

  What you bring:

  You know permits, conditions, safety plans and how to coordinate with authorities from the organizer's point of view.

  How to get there:

  Municipalities usually fill such jobs with administrative specialists (Verwaltungsfachangestellte), but they also hire career changers who have commercial vocational training and relevant expert knowledge, and they give them several weeks to a few months of on-the-job training (Einarbeitung). You can often make up the administrative qualification alongside your job through an administrative course for employees (Angestelltenlehrgang) at an administration school.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with peopleIn an office

  €3,822gross per monthMedian salary

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• Group and incentive travel specialist

  Also: Tour operator employee

  With on-the-job training

  At tour operators or business travel agencies you plan group, incentive and company trips, calculate package prices and look after customers before and during the trip.

  What you bring:

  You organize travel, accommodation, program and catering for groups and work with many service providers.

  How to get there:

  You switch with on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) in booking systems and travel law, usually lasting a few weeks to a few months. Foreign languages are a plus. The vocational training (Ausbildung) as tourism clerk (Tourismuskaufmann) gives you a recognized qualification. Alongside your job, you can later take the further training course for certified senior tourism specialist (Tourismusfachwirt). To be admitted, you need commercial vocational training and two years of work experience in tourism.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Fixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with peopleIn an office

  €3,291gross per monthMedian salary

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Salary: median of all full-time employees in the job, gross per month excluding special payments, as of April 2025. Half earn more, half earn less. Source: Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis), table 62361-0030, license dl-de/by-2-0. Assigned to the jobs by quereinsteiger.de. No guarantee of accuracy.