Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners: Job Description
Coordinate activities of staff, convention personnel, or clients to make arrangements for group meetings, events, or conventions.
Featured schools near , edit
What Tasks Do Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners Take On?
Typical responsibilities of meeting, convention, and event planners cover:
- 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.
What Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners Need to Know
Effective meeting, convention, and event planners rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
These are the skills most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
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
How Many Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners Are There?
There are roughly 372,451 meeting, convention, and event planners working in the United States today. This occupation is expected 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 |
Wages vary widely 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 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Compensation for meeting, convention, and event planners shift depending on where you work. 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 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners
| 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 |
Top Industries Employing Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners
The largest employers 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.
Tech Stack
- 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)
The Day-to-Day Environment
Daily working conditions for meeting, convention, and event planners tends to involve 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
Education and Training
Entry-level meeting, convention, and event planners positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Social and Community Service Managers (Primary-Long)
- Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes (Supplemental)
- Logisticians (Supplemental)
- Project Management Specialists (Primary-Short)
- Management Analysts (Supplemental)
- Fundraisers (Primary-Short)
- Business Continuity Planners (Supplemental)
- Information Technology Project Managers (Supplemental)
Degree Programs
Students preparing for meeting, convention, and event planners often complete programs in:
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
1 programs across 1 majors
Sources
This profile draws on 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).
BusinessDegreeCentral.com provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© BusinessDegreeCentral.com – All Rights Reserved.