Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners: Job Description
Coordinate activities of staff, convention personnel, or clients to make arrangements for group meetings, events, or conventions.
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What Tasks Do Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners Do?
The core tasks performed by 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.
What Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners Need to Know
Effective meeting, convention, and event planners combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The abilities that matter most in 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
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. Employment is projected to decline by -0.2% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners Make?
| 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 |
Where Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners Earn the Most
Pay for meeting, convention, and event planners differ across the country. Top regions by median wage:
| 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 |
Which Industries Hire Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners
The largest employers of meeting, convention, and event planners are found across 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 |
Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners work in the following industries:
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)
The Day-to-Day Environment
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
Education and Training
Most 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), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
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- 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)
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Degree Programs
Future meeting, convention, and event planners commonly pursue 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
Statistics shown above are sourced 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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