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If you're wondering if events planning is a growing business, ask Tampa's Lisa Pagano.
Pagano, 34, worked in marketing and events for Ernst & Young, serving as statewide manager for its Entrepreneur of the Year Awards.
One of the award winners, Ray Titus, would later offer Pagano a job as brand director for Plan Ahead Events, a national meetings and event management franchise brand, for his parent company, United Franchise Group.
Later on, Titus and Pagano decided that she was best suited for doing hands-on planning, so Pagano has become the South Tampa franchisee for Plan Ahead Events, one of 25 locations nationally. Pagano has Westshore, downtown, Ybor City, the stadium area and Hyde Park in her territory.
“This is what I do best,” Pagano told Coffee Talk.
Her work includes working with companies and people on trade shows, expositions, award ceremonies, holiday parties and many other corporate and social events.
Here are a few statistics about event planning:
• The meetings and convention industry has been identified by CNN/Money magazine as one of the 50 best jobs in America.
• Entrepreneur.com reports it to be a $500 billion industry worldwide.
• Yahoo Hot Jobs rates event planning as the No. 1 business career that doesn't require an MBA.
The growth in technology for teleconferences and handheld email hasn't dampened the need for in-person meetings, Pagano says.
“There's no replacement for being able to shake someone's hand,” she says.
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