19 tasks, each one witnessed by the sources that watched the job — and behind every one, a prompt you can use tonight.
You’ll split time between computers and people. Morning might mean checking Outlook email, confirming registrations in Excel or Google Docs, and sending updates to clients. Afternoons often involve site inspections, meeting staff, or talking with hotels and vendors by phone or in person.
Evenings or event days focus on on-site logistics: running registration desks, solving last-minute problems, checking banquet event orders (BEOs), and monitoring attendee satisfaction. After the event you’ll file bills, run a quick post-event evaluation, and update the client and your budget spreadsheets.
Expect Microsoft Outlook for scheduling and client email, Microsoft Excel for budgets and registration lists, and Google Docs for shared agendas and speaker notes. Marketo or another marketing automation tool and Facebook are used to promote events and track sign-ups.
If the venue or planning needs maps, someone might use ESRI ArcGIS for spatial planning. Microsoft Office covers the rest: Word for contracts and BEO text, and PowerPoint for program materials.
You keep a live event budget in Excel and update it whenever you get a quote or bill. Set line-item caps (catering, AV, staffing) and require approval before exceeding them.
Negotiate fees with hotels and suppliers, compare at least two bids, and review BEOs carefully so there are no surprise charges. Post-event evaluations help spot wasteful items to drop next time.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports about 142,860 people employed as meeting, convention, and event planners (SOC 13-1121.00). The median wage is $61,160 per year; the lowest tenth earn about $36,830 and the top tenth about $101,700 per year.
Local pay varies by city, employer, and event scale. Use the BLS data to get a general range and check local job listings for specific salaries.
Practice Excel for budgets and lists, and get comfortable with Outlook and Google Docs for scheduling and shared documents. Learn how to read and create a banquet event order (BEO) — that’s the venue’s instructions for food, setup, and timing.
Volunteer or intern at local conferences to practice registration desks, client calls, and site inspections. Read trade publications and attend seminars to learn current meeting-management standards and trends.
Hotel event coordinators usually work for one property and focus on that venue’s BEOs, catering, and on-site services. Event registration specialists focus on attendee registration systems, budgets, promotion, and the registration experience across venues.
Meeting planners can be broader, handling program topics, speakers, and overall event design. Registration specialists often handle the registration flow, data, and reconciliation, and they frequently coordinate with hotel staff and meeting planners.