A post on the Event Planning & Event Management LinkedIn group has meeting planners rethinking their job titles—both seriously and just for fun.
It all began when Brent McNulty, a corporate event planner for Fidelity Bank in Wichita, Kan., wrote to the group: “My VP just requested I reinvent my job title to something new. We are trying to stay away from the word ‘corporate’ in our department name and titles. My current title is Corporate Event Planner. What is your job title?”
Some meeting planners, mostly the CMPs in the group, spoke up for the professionalism of the role. Said one: “How about everyone just know you are a Meeting Professional? Why? Because you deserve that respect, you deserve to be congratulated on providing the best for your organization and those that attend your meetings and events. You all deserve the prestigious title—Meeting Professional!”
Others waxed philosophical about their roles, from the more subdued “Event Troubleshooter to the ethereal “Master Dream Weaver” to the slightly risque “Events and Digital Marketing Hustler.”
In between there were plenty of practical suggestions: Strategic Events Manager, Director of Business Event Services, Venue & Events Logistics Director, Special Event & Relations Manager, Events & Recognition Coordinator, Marketing Event Manager.
One planner strategized that if Brent changed his title to VP, it could lead the way to a promotion for his boss. If he became VP of Operations, he reasoned, “Your VP having another VP reporting could be a promotion for his title to Senior VP. However, what’s the highest result your VP wants to achieve through title change (attract more attendees, connect to CXOs, increase revenue for events from target audience, etc.)?”
There’s always one in the group, and this planner took the entire discussion to the highest level: “I was ‘Head of Knowledge Management’ and am now ‘Event Director.’ ‘God’ generally covers it, though.”
