If there was ever a good time for you to ask for a raise in salary, it’s now. It can be so easy to simply wait until your yearly review rolls around - and even then you may not make a strong enough case for your pay rise, but if you don’t ask then you don’t get. Sometimes the first step is just knowing your worth.

So why now?

There are several reasons why now is the time to strike for a pay rise in event marketing: 

• Real marketing talent is very difficult to find, especially if you’re looking for someone with events experience. It is an industry that you either love or hate, and many get burnt out early on, so there aren’t too many of us that truly love it
  
  
• There is a gap in skills in existing marketing teams, as not all companies train their marketers to the level that Informa, IQPC, UBM and the other big players do. In addition, the necessary skill-set of an event marketer has changed dramatically in recent years, meaning that companies face having to invest in training their staff
  
  
• The events industry is booming: existing companies are growing, new event businesses are being created, and associations and publishing houses are also jumping on the bandwagon. As a result there are plenty of event marketing jobs out there and not enough candidates

All this means that:

• Your company is likely to have to spend in the region of £4,000 to £6,000 to replace you. Just consider the costs and resource needed to place adverts in newspapers or online, and source candidates on LinkedIn – it can be at least £100 to £2,000. And while this is relatively cheap, it still takes a long time to acquire really good candidates with mass marketing
  
  
• The cost of outsourcing to a recruitment agency, charging between 15-25% of the advertised salary, will not be an appealing prospect to your boss
  
  
• If they lose you they will find it very difficult to find a replacement straight away, creating a headache for someone in your company as the burden will rest on someone else
  
  
• Wether you are a nice person or not, it makes more financial sense for your boss to retain you and offer an extra £2,000 to £6,000 and save themselves the headache. This is an opportunity that you can’t let pass you by, as it doesn’t come around very often

So what should you do now?

• Update your CV, as sooner or later you will need to do this. Simply the act of doing so will remind you of the value you add to the business
  
  
• Check out the current event marketing roles on offer on LinkedIn and in event industry groups
  
  
• Update your experience or skills on LinkedIn, or get someone to write a recommendation for you. This will trigger updates for all those searching for candidates
  
  
• Speak to top recruiters in the industry to get a feel for how much you are worth in the current market: Rupert Wallis from Media Contacts, Fay Hampton from Albany appointments or Trevor Foley from TFConnect are well respected, discreet and well recognised recruiters within the events industry. They can tell you exactly what is on offer, how much you can earn
  
  
• Forward this email to a colleague so they can forward it to your boss, or, if you are ballsy enough, forward it to your boss yourself and ask them for an informal chat in three weeks. He will know what is coming

For the meeting with your boss:

• Make sure to put across to them how much you love your job
  
  
• Arm yourself with stats, information and analysis on the results you have contributed to
  
  
• Think about how you can add value in addition to what you are doing now that will benefit the business or department.
  Hint: Online communities, social media projects, event app innovation, lead generation, CRM integration, new website ideas... (Find more hints on what’s hot for events here or get in touch for a quick assessment and a bit of direction)
  
  
• Make sure they know that the reason you want to go the extra mile is because you want to earn a salary that is in line with the market rate (after you have done your research) and that you know this is the path to making it happen
  
  
• Tell your boss that you are ready to step up to a new challenge and that you want their support
  
  
• Remember to ask for their feedback and thoughts. If they are a boss worth having they will appreciate you being forthcoming and will at the very least consider your proposition
  
  
• Most importantly, set a follow up catch up in 3 weeks
  
  
• These two posts on gaining respect from the boss and gaining buy-in will also help you to frame the conversation.

By the end of the 3 weeks both of you will have done your research and it will be evident that the odds are in your favour. If your boss does not give you the opportunity to earn a better salary, and is not prepared to retain you, then run as fast as you can or risk missing out on earning more money elsewhere.

The golden age of event marketing is here, and you have to ride the wave. Give yourself the chance to earn more money, and to step outside your comfort zone and feel valued. In the events industry this is an opportunity not to be missed.

Good luck and get searching!