The Great Reshuffle has presented many meeting and event professionals with the opportunity to reassess their work-life balance and pursue a successful freelance career.

Soundings sets our talent community up for optimal success by providing them with education, resources, community, and opportunities to shine in their genius zones.

What freelancers need to plan and run successful virtual and hybrid events.

More than 56 million people freelanced this year, according to Upwork’s and Freelancers Union’s “Freelancing in America: 2018” survey. As the workforce continues to gravitate toward remote and flexible positions—Nasdaq predicted the percentage of working Americans choosing freelance work over a traditional 9-5 job to rise to 43 percent by 2020—the meetings and events industry should be collectively embracing the shift.

The economy is changing constantly, and with these changes business is being conducted in new ways. Freelancers will need to keep up to date on new technology and soft skills in order to thrive in this competitive job market.

COVID-19 has forced many event and hospitality professionals to think about new ways to generate income, and long-time corporate employees are opting to take advantage of freelance/contract opportunities. Whether it is project management or virtual event planning, freelancing has become popular for both the company needing help and the professional seeking project-based work.

Do you love the idea of freelancing, but also love the perks of corporate world benefits? As a best practice, add 15-30% to your rate to offset costs like payroll taxes, 401K matching, insurance and workers’ compensation.