Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners: Career Profile
Coordinate activities of staff, convention personnel, or clients to make arrangements for group meetings, events, or conventions.
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What Do Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners Take On?
Typical responsibilities of meeting, convention, and event planners include:
- Consult with customers to determine objectives and requirements for events, such as meetings, conferences, and conventions.
- Review event bills for accuracy and approve payment.
- Coordinate services for events, such as accommodation and transportation for participants, facilities, catering, signage, displays, special needs requirements, printing and event security.
- Arrange the availability of audio-visual equipment, transportation, displays, and other event needs.
- Confer with staff at a chosen event site to coordinate details.
- Inspect event facilities to ensure that they conform to customer requirements.
- Maintain records of event aspects, including financial details.
- Monitor event activities to ensure compliance with applicable regulations and laws, satisfaction of participants, and resolution of any problems that arise.
Skills and Knowledge
Top meeting, convention, and event planners rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The competencies most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Types of Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners Jobs
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Catering Coordinator
- Catering Director
- Catering and Convention Services Manager
- Certified Meeting Professional
- Conference Manager
- Conference Organizer
- Conference Planner
- Conference Planning Manager
Job Outlook
The U.S. employs around 372,451 meeting, convention, and event planners working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to decline by -0.2% over the projection horizon.
Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $64,460 |
| Hourly median | $30.99 |
| 10th percentile | $36,550 |
| 25th percentile | $50,505 |
| 75th percentile | $78,414 |
| 90th percentile | $92,369 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Maine | $127,160 |
| New York | $73,230 |
| Massachusetts | $72,840 |
| District of Columbia | $72,010 |
| Hawaii | $67,660 |
| California | $66,990 |
| Washington | $66,070 |
| New Jersey | $64,730 |
| Connecticut | $64,230 |
| Colorado | $62,290 |
| Rhode Island | $60,980 |
| Virginia | $60,480 |
| Maryland | $59,990 |
| Illinois | $59,860 |
| Arizona | $59,480 |
| Oregon | $59,320 |
| Florida | $58,830 |
| Minnesota | $57,970 |
| North Carolina | $57,190 |
| Nevada | $57,110 |
| Vermont | $56,990 |
| New Hampshire | $56,500 |
| Texas | $56,500 |
| Pennsylvania | $55,690 |
| Louisiana | $55,100 |
| Delaware | $54,230 |
| Alaska | $53,640 |
| Missouri | $53,000 |
| Iowa | $52,890 |
| Wisconsin | $51,860 |
| Michigan | $51,680 |
| Arkansas | $51,670 |
| Kansas | $51,600 |
| North Dakota | $51,160 |
| Nebraska | $50,460 |
| Ohio | $50,390 |
| Virgin Islands | $49,780 |
| Idaho | $49,690 |
| Tennessee | $49,600 |
| South Carolina | $49,410 |
| Utah | $49,400 |
| Alabama | $48,590 |
| Georgia | $48,430 |
| Indiana | $48,410 |
| Kentucky | $48,410 |
| Montana | $47,750 |
| New Mexico | $47,600 |
| Wyoming | $47,560 |
| West Virginia | $47,160 |
| Oklahoma | $46,410 |
| South Dakota | $44,570 |
| Mississippi | $43,200 |
| Puerto Rico | $29,950 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Earnings for meeting, convention, and event planners differ across the country. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| New England | $68,273 | 4.9% | 1.21 |
| Middle Atlantic | $67,393 | 17.6% | 1.44 |
| Far Western US | $65,522 | 19.2% | 1.15 |
| Rocky Mountains | $57,202 | 5.5% | 1.54 |
| Southwest | $56,016 | 10.3% | 0.84 |
| Southeast | $54,931 | 22.9% | 1.01 |
| Plains States | $53,608 | 5.8% | 0.85 |
| Great Lakes | $53,062 | 13.0% | 0.92 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland-South Portland, ME | ME | $127,160 | |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $81,120 | 830 |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | IA | $80,370 | 140 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | HI | $79,770 | 110 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $79,070 | 3,130 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $77,860 | 10,290 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | MA | $74,890 | 3,230 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | CT | $72,680 | 300 |
Which Industries Hire Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners
The bulk of meeting, convention, and event planners work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 20,800 | $60,350 |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 19,610 | $57,200 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 18,220 | $49,780 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 15,870 | $60,510 |
| Educational Services | 13,140 | $59,880 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 13,050 | $68,530 |
| Information | 5,340 | $71,740 |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 4,440 | $53,370 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Software Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners Use
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Creative Cloud software (hot technology)
- Desktop publishing software: Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Geographic information system: ESRI ArcGIS software (hot technology)
- Web page creation and editing software: Facebook (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Google Docs (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: Hypertext markup language HTML (hot technology)
- Sales and marketing software: Marketo Marketing Automation (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
The on-the-job environment of meeting, convention, and event planners reflects the following characteristics:
- Telephone Conversations
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Contact With Others
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
How to Become Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners
Typical meeting, convention, and event planners positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
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Degree Programs
Aspiring meeting, convention, and event planners typically earn programs in:
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
1 programs across 1 majors
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
1 programs across 1 majors
References
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 13-1121.00 (Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners).
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