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The differences between conference coordinators and lead event specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a conference coordinator and a lead event specialist. Additionally, a conference coordinator has an average salary of $41,978, which is higher than the $34,064 average annual salary of a lead event specialist.
The top three skills for a conference coordinator include conference calls, reservations and event planning. The most important skills for a lead event specialist are customer service, food safety guidelines, and facebook.
| Conference Coordinator | Lead Event Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $41,978 | $34,064 |
| Hourly rate | $20.18 | $16.38 |
| Growth rate | 18% | 18% |
| Number of jobs | 19,660 | 13,919 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A conference coordinator organizes professional gatherings and meetings according to a client's needs and preferences. There are also instances where they may plan reunions, parties, and other events. Their responsibilities begin at meeting the clients to identify their needs and preferences, including the event's purpose or themes. From there, a conference coordinator develops plans, secures venues and speakers, books caterers and other equipment, prepares and processes requests, and maintains records of all transactions, presenting invoices to the clients. Moreover, a conference coordinator must be proactive and resolve any conflicts or issues should any arise.
A Lead event specialist is responsible for providing clients a proposal or a plan to make an event successful. Most of the time, they are the person who continually interacts with their clients to determine what they need, from the planning stage down to the implementation phase. Meaning this will also be how they can promote their brand or business and generate an income from it. Additionally, they are the ones who organize a promotional event and interacts with potential clients.
Conference coordinators and lead event specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Conference Coordinator | Lead Event Specialist | |
| Average salary | $41,978 | $34,064 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $54,000 | Between $23,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | New York | - |
| Best paying company | Battelle | - |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | - |
There are a few differences between a conference coordinator and a lead event specialist in terms of educational background:
| Conference Coordinator | Lead Event Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | San Diego State University | San Diego State University |
Here are the differences between conference coordinators' and lead event specialists' demographics:
| Conference Coordinator | Lead Event Specialist | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 26.5% Female, 73.5% | Male, 37.7% Female, 62.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 5.9% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 5.9% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |