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Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners

In the Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners occupation, workers coordinate activities of staff, convention personnel, or clients to make arrangements for group meetings, events, or conventions. O*NET rates it as considerable preparation, which usually means a bachelor’s degree plus a period of work experience. It leans on speaking, reading comprehension, and active listening. One core duty is to consult with customers to determine objectives and requirements for events, such as meetings, conferences, and conventions. Its interest code is ECS. Enterprising leads at 7.0 out of 7, so expect leading, persuading and making business decisions, with Conventional next at 5.0. It tends to suit people who want leading, persuading and making business decisions, and it offers little for anyone seeking hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world.

What they do

Coordinate activities of staff, convention personnel, or clients to make arrangements for group meetings, events, or conventions.

Main tasks

  • 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.

Skills

  • Speaking
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Active Listening
  • Social Perceptiveness
  • Service Orientation
  • Critical Thinking

Who this career fits

May suit you if

  • You like taking the lead and making the call.
  • You like clear rules and getting the details right.
  • You are ready to spend around four years on a degree, then build experience.
  • You are comfortable relying on speaking and reading comprehension.

May not suit you if

  • You would rather not persuade, sell or manage other people.
  • You want to work with your hands for most of the day. Realistic rates 1.0 out of 7 here.
  • You want to avoid a four-year degree or its equivalent.

Interest profile

O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code ECS takes the three highest, and Enterprising comes first here.

Preparation

Considerable preparation. Most jobs here ask for a bachelor’s degree, and employers usually expect a few years of related experience as well.

Most-reported requirement in the O*NET survey: Bachelor's Degree. This reflects what workers reported most often and is not a legal minimum. Licensing rules can differ by state or industry, so confirm what applies where you plan to work.

Also called

  • Catering Director
  • Conference Planner
  • Conference Planning Manager
  • Conference Services Director
  • Conference Services Manager

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.