Continuing Education in the Wedding Industry
Continuing Education In The Wedding Industry!
The wedding industry requires cutting edge knowledge and continuing education. Wedding couples want the latest fashion, designs, products and services provided by professionals who can fulfill their dreams. Staying competitive means not only being talented, but honing your talent and running an efficient, profitable company. All of that is a tall order for any professional and especially for those in the business of making other people’s dreams come true.
The only way to stay at the leading edge is to engage in regular continuing education in the wedding industry. Both the latest trends and business practices evolve quickly, but you don’t have to get left behind. You can stay competitive by staying informed.
Attending industry conferences, enrolling in classes, seeking out great speakers and logging in the hours online or in-person to learn what you need to know is an investment of time and money, both of which are precious when you’re running a business. But they are investments that pay off and that you need to be willing to make if you want to stay at the top of your game.
Photo Credit: Don Mears Photography
Finding the Time
A common concern among business owners and professionals is that there is never enough time. Continuing education in the wedding industry, though, is so important. It needs to be included on your list of top priorities! Work it in to your schedule by blocking as much time as you reasonably can each week – maybe it’s 20 minutes per day, or 2-3 hours per week; only you know what you can afford. I block 3-4 hours at a time to read blogs, watch webinars or indulge in video training, and I find that the payoff is enormous in staying up-to-date with what is going on in the industry.
Use the Off-Season
The off-season is a great time to for continuing education in the wedding industry. Not only is it easier to find opportunities to attend a conference, take in a webinar series or complete an online course, but you’ll also have more time to try out what you learn. Brush up on the latest technology, for example, and then give various apps and websites a trial run. Continuing education is most valuable when you apply the knowledge you acquire.
Bonus! Visit AllSeated’s webinar page to sign up for a wide range of interesting and informative wedding industry webinars!
Seek Convenience and Value
If your time and resources are limited (and whose aren’t?), I recommend beginning online. There are an incredible number of opportunities to expand your general business and industry-specific knowledge right at your fingertips. Many are even free or low-cost!
Webinars and Online Courses
Look for webinars which can be viewed at your convenience and online courses with downloadable content that you can refer to again and again. Some programs come with access to learning communities where you can find peer support and networking, or live mentoring opportunities with industry leaders. Others even yield credit towards college degrees and certifications.
Industry Blogs
Even the time you spend reading reputable industry blogs counts as a form of continuing education. You can’t know what is trending, or what will be popular this season without staying plugged in to industry media. While it’s easy to spend too much time surfing the web and not enough applying all of the great advice you find, choosing a solid list of daily, weekly or monthly reads can be very beneficial to your knowledge bank.
Don’t keep putting it off. Commit today to continuing education in the wedding industry to stay at the top of your field by seeking and taking advantage of continuing education opportunities.
Kylie Carlson is the CEO of the International Academy of Wedding and Event Planning. With six locations globally, the academy boasts an internationally recognized accreditation program that brings professional training to wedding planners, designers and stylists.
