What Do Meeting, Convention, or Event Planner Do?

Career Description Coordinate activities of staff, convention personnel, or clients to make arrangements for group meetings, events, or conventions.

A Day in the Life of a Meeting, Convention, or Event Planner

• Obtain permits from fire and health departments to erect displays and exhibits and serve food at events.
• Evaluate and select providers of services according to customer requirements.
• Arrange the availability of audio-visual equipment, transportation, displays, and other event needs.
• Coordinate services for events, such as accommodation and transportation for participants, facilities, catering, signage, displays, special needs requirements, printing and event security.
• Meet with sponsors and organizing committees to plan scope and format of events, to establish and monitor budgets, or to review administrative procedures and event progress.
• Inspect event facilities to ensure that they conform to customer requirements.

Skills Needed to be a Meeting, Convention, or Event Planner

These are the skills Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners say are the most useful in their careers:

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Other Meeting, Convention, or Event Planner Job Titles

• Planner
• Event Coordinator
• Certified Meeting Professional
• Conference Services Director
• Event Planner

Is There Going to be Demand for Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners?

There were about 116,700 jobs for Meeting, Convention, or Event Planner in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 10.9% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 12,700 new jobs for Meeting, Convention, or Event Planner by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 15,100 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Meeting, Convention, or Event Planner are Utah, Colorado, and Nevada. Watch out if you plan on working in Maine, Alaska, or West Virginia. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Salary for a Meeting, Convention, or Event Planner

The typical yearly salary for Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners is somewhere between $27,560 and $84,900.

Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners who work in District of Columbia, New Jersey, or New York, make the highest salaries.

Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners in different U.S. states.

State	Annual Mean Salary
Alabama	$44,280
Alaska	$50,830
Arizona	$44,160
Arkansas	$45,490
California	$57,960
Colorado	$51,060
Connecticut	$59,790
Delaware	$49,280
District of Columbia	$67,970
Florida	$48,940
Georgia	$50,950
Hawaii	$60,340
Idaho	$37,280
Illinois	$52,570
Indiana	$48,970
Iowa	$44,770
Kansas	$42,470
Kentucky	$40,000
Louisiana	$42,320
Maine	$47,050
Maryland	$56,250
Massachusetts	$56,570
Michigan	$47,090
Minnesota	$51,130
Mississippi	$41,110
Missouri	$45,140
Montana	$40,370
Nebraska	$45,720
Nevada	$47,410
New Hampshire	$49,370
New Jersey	$65,950
New Mexico	$37,400
New York	$67,990
North Carolina	$47,080
North Dakota	$47,780
Ohio	$48,590
Oklahoma	$43,300
Oregon	$49,100
Pennsylvania	$48,670
Rhode Island	$57,980
South Carolina	$40,040
South Dakota	$36,840
Tennessee	$48,980
Texas	$53,230
Utah	$45,130
Vermont	$49,210
Virginia	$60,830
Washington	$53,380
West Virginia	$42,760
Wisconsin	$46,160
Wyoming	$44,580

What Tools do Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners Use?

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners:

• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft Office
• Hypertext markup language HTML
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft Outlook
• Web browser software
• Microsoft Access
• Data entry software
• Microsoft Project
• Spreadsheet software
• Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop
• Microsoft Dynamics
• Facebook
• Microsoft Publisher
• Google Docs
• FileMaker Pro
• Adobe Systems Adobe InDesign
• Geographic information system GIS software
• Google Drive

How do I Become a Meeting, Convention, or Event Planner?

What education or degrees do I need to become a Meeting, Convention, or Event Planner?

How many years of work experience do I need?

Where Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners Work

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

Related Careers

Those interested in being a Meeting, Convention, or Event Planner may also be interested in:

• Chefs and Head Cooks

Those who work as a Meeting, Convention, or Event Planner sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:

• Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes
• Producers
• Public Relations and Fundraising Managers

References:

• Bureau of Labor Statistics
• College Factual
• O*NET Online

Image Credit: Bblackpsu via Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International

More about our data sources and methodologies.