How to hire a conference director

How to hire a conference director, step by step

Here's a step-by-step conference director hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a conference director job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new conference director
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a conference director, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a conference director to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a conference director that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of conference director salaries for various roles:

   Type of Conference Director	Description	Hourly rate
   Conference Director	Meeting, convention, and event planners coordinate all aspects of events and professional meetings. They arrange meeting locations, transportation, and other details.	$19-47
   Marketing And Event Planning Internship	A marketing and event planning intern is responsible for supporting the operations of a company's marketing department, performing administrative duties under the guidance of a direct supervisor or tenured marketing staff. Marketing and event planning interns shadow all the processes of marketing operations, assisting with events management procedures, and suggesting strategic solutions to boost the company's brand image to the public... Show more	$10-16
   Planning Committee Member	The role of planning committee members is to assist with designing and implementing an educational activity. They need to ensure that the leadership gives the continuing education (CE) developer enough time to complete the CE process... Show more	$9-152

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Conference Logistics
   • Sponsorship Packages
   • Event Planning
   • Conference Planning
   • Content Development
   • Audio Visual
   • Conference Services
   • Event Logistics
   • Site Selection
   • Contract Negotiations
   • Conference Materials
   • Trade Shows
   • Event Management
   • Press Releases

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage development of all CRM communications and materials.
   • Provide wine education for hotel staff and sales presentations to food and beverage executives.
   • Cause marketing fundraising events including film screenings, concerts and private donor VIP dinners.
   • Enrich social media intranet with bulletins on giveaways, surveys, and upcoming events.
   • Develop banquet menus, pricing, special food offerings and theme party menus with culinary staff.
   • Collaborate with marketing department on client ad sweepstakes, giveaways, logo usage and client branding.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your conference director job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A conference director salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, conference directors' average salary in wyoming is 53% less than in connecticut.
   • Seniority. Entry-level conference directors earn 59% less than senior-level conference directors.
   • Certifications. A conference director with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a conference director's salary.

   Average conference director salary

   $64,405yearly

   $30.96 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level conference director salary

   $41,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 19, 2025

4. Writing a conference director job description

   A good conference director job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a conference director job description:

   Conference director job description example

   The Conference Director will collaborate with leadership to develop an inaugural conference planning department to advance the mission of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The Conference Director develops and implements institutional and departmental policies, processes, and procedures to support St. Jude conferencing needs and practices. The Director leads a team of Conference Managers who plan and implement virtual, hybrid, and in-person conferencing, as well as on-site conference planning logistics such as facility rentals, hotels, meals, registration, security, programs, and reception activities. The team supports conferences across the spectrum of work conducted at St. Jude, thus enhancing interactions with scientists globally to establish St. Jude as a major center for scientific exchange. The position develops a method for tracking all current and upcoming conferences hosted at or by St. Jude and monitors to avoid timing conflict. At the same time, this position works to maintain and develop outstanding relationships with Department Chairs, Faculty, and staff and helps to foster these relationships with the Project Leaders.
   Responsibilities
   
   * Develops institutional and departmental policies, processes, and procedures to support the conferencing needs of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
   * Directs the work of a team of Conference Managers to ensure the consistent and successful production and delivery of select conferences/meetings at St. Jude, both virtual and in-person, for both internal and external audiences.
   * Ensures that the team partners with the event host to conduct a conference needs assessment, create an individualized project plan, and schedule and establish goals and key performance indicators.
   * Manages a partnership with St. Jude Strategic Communications, Education and Outreach for the ongoing development of comprehensive communications and marketing plans, visual identity development, and online presence.
   * Manages a partnership with additional key collaborative partner departments such as the St. Jude Liaison Office, Security, Environmental Services, IT/IS/AV, Food Services, etc.
   * Oversight of the coordination of various conference technical needs such as conference websites, online registrations, abstract submissions, breakout rooms, poster sessions, pre-recorded and live lectures, online agendas, surveys, metrics, and data collection.
   * Ensures coordination with the St. Jude Liaison Office for onsite logistical conference needs such as room reservations, security/access, coordination with other institutional or ALSAC events, logistical planning, and tours.
   * Ensures the provision of additional services such as the coordination of event day needs with Information Services, virtual platform technical assistance, and other departments as needed.
   * Partners with local external facilities to establish and manage contracts to host off-site conferences.
   * Partners with the Travel Office to establish and manage contracts with local hotels to provide blocks of rooms as needed for onsite conferences.
   
   Minimum Education
   
   * Bachelor's Degree required.
   * Master's Degree preferred.
   
   Minimum Experience
   
   * Five (5) years relevant work experience in conference/event planning and management (onsite, hybrid, and virtual), and database management. Demonstrated success in project management, proficiency in database management and utilization of different software systems.
   * Supervisory experience required.
   * Experience in planning and management of scientific conferences is preferred.
   
   Required Credentials
   
   * CMP, PMP, or DES certification preferred.
   
   Other Credentials
   
   * CMP, PMP, or DES certification preferred.
   
   Other Information
   
   St. Jude is an Equal Opportunity Employer
   
   No Search Firms:
   
   St. Jude Children's Research Hospital does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. Please do not call or email. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee or other representative at St. Jude via email, the internet or in any form and/or method without a valid written search agreement in place and approved by HR will result in no fee being paid in the event the candidate is hired by St. Jude.
   
   COVID-19 vaccine:
   
   St. Jude Children's Research Hospital has mandated the COVID-19 vaccine for all employees, excluding those with an approved medical or religious accommodation, as a condition of employment.

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5. Post your job

   To find the right conference director for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with conference directors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit conference directors who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your conference director job on Zippia to find and recruit conference director candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit conference directors, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new conference director

   Once you have selected a candidate for the conference director position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new conference director first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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