20 tasks, each one witnessed by the sources that watched the job — and behind every one, a prompt you can use tonight.
You usually start by checking email in Microsoft Outlook and the event schedule in Google Docs or Excel. Mornings often mean quick calls with the venue, speakers, or a client to confirm arrival times and AV needs.
Afternoons are for coordinating vendors, approving bills, and updating the registration list. On-site days you inspect the venue, troubleshoot problems, and ensure staff follow the run sheet. Evenings include a short post-day log and planning the next day’s tasks.
Learn Microsoft Excel and Google Docs first—Excel for budgets and attendee lists, Google Docs for shared run sheets and client notes. Those two get used every day.
After that, learn Marketo if your role includes promoting events. Marketo handles email campaigns and tracking registrations; you’ll still export lists to Excel and coordinate timings in Outlook.
Create the budget in Microsoft Excel with line items for venue, catering, AV, speakers, and staff. Update it weekly as contracts are signed or invoices arrive.
Approve bills by comparing invoices to contracts, then record payments. Use Excel to track actuals versus forecasts and flag any overages for the client or project lead.
Take practical classes in event management, hospitality, or business administration—community college courses or online certificates work. Also learn Excel, Outlook, and Google Docs fundamentals.
Attend industry seminars and read trade publications to learn meeting standards and trends. Volunteering at conferences gives hands-on experience with registration, on-site coordination, and vendor negotiation.
A conference manager usually handles recurring or large multi-day professional meetings, including speaker programs, budgets, and post-event evaluations. An event planner can be broader—weddings, parties, or single-day events.
Meeting planner is a similar title and often interchangeable, but conference managers often work more with educational content, speaker selection, and complex logistics across multiple days.
Negotiating contracts is critical because hotel, AV, and supplier terms control costs and liabilities; good negotiation can save the budget. You’ll use those skills every time you sign a venue or supplier contract.
Supervising staff and choosing speakers are also important for quality and attendee satisfaction. If you must prioritize, learn contract negotiation and budget control first, then build program development and people management skills.