What does a conference manager do?
Conference manager responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real conference manager resumes:
- Manage a team five additional volunteers who are responsible for all aspects of VIP care during event.
- Achieve quarterly financial goal by upselling products and services and by identifying additional opportunities base on the event profile.
- Provide telephone coordination of all seminar attendees including reservations and accommodations.
- Supervise RFP process with venues, vendors and speakers.
- Prepare RFP's and contracts for hotels, vendors, and suppliers.
- Prepare and execute PowerPoint presentations for all plenary sessions.
- Develop and maintain excellent relationships with various CME providers.
- Coordinate all aspects of educational meetings for medical specialty associations, including requirements for approval of CME accreditation.
Conference manager skills and personality traits
We calculated that 13% of Conference Managers are proficient in Conference Logistics, Audio-Visual Equipment, and Conference Management. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Negotiation skills, and Organizational skills.
We break down the percentage of Conference Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Conference Logistics, 13%
Served as liaison with external contractors/vendors for all conference logistics both domestic and internationally.
- Audio-Visual Equipment, 7%
Arrange the availability of audio-visual equipment, transportation, displays, and other event needs.
- Conference Management, 6%
Worked directly with Director of Conference Management to develop standard practices for selling and executing catering and convention business.
- Event Management, 5%
Travelled to global locations for on-site event management.
- Event Planning, 5%
Delivered quality customer service by dealing directly with customers during the event planning and reservation stages.
- Delphi, 4%
Produce Banquet Event Orders and Forecast Revenue utilizing Newmarket Delphi Database and EBMS.
"conference logistics," "audio-visual equipment," and "conference management" are among the most common skills that conference managers use at work. You can find even more conference manager responsibilities below, including:
Communication skills. One of the key soft skills for a conference manager to have is communication skills. You can see how this relates to what conference managers do because "meeting, convention, and event planners exchange information with clients, suppliers, and event staff." Additionally, a conference manager resume shows how conference managers use communication skills: "write press releases, letters and other forms of communication. "
Negotiation skills. Another essential skill to perform conference manager duties is negotiation skills. Conference managers responsibilities require that "meeting, convention, and event planners must be able to secure quality products and services at reasonable prices for their clients." Conference managers also use negotiation skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "coordinated national and international academic conferences from initial budgeting and contract negotiation to participant travel and on-site management. "
Organizational skills. conference managers are also known for organizational skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to conference manager responsibilities, because "meeting, convention, and event planners must multitask, pay attention to details, and meet tight deadlines." A conference manager resume example shows how organizational skills is used in the workplace: "streamlined all aspects of meeting planning, operations and budget reconciliation through superior organizational skills. "
Problem-solving skills. conference manager responsibilities often require "problem-solving skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "meeting, convention, and event planners must be able to anticipate potential issues and prepare creative solutions that satisfy clients." This resume example shows what conference managers do with problem-solving skills on a typical day: "conduct site selections to locate meeting facilities and negotiate contracts with facilities and vendors to provide cost-saving solutions. "
The three companies that hire the most conference managers are:
- JPMorgan Chase & Co.3 conference managers jobs
- Brookfield Properties2 conference managers jobs
- Atla
2 conference managers jobs
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Compare different conference managers
Conference manager vs. 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. They also analyze the current market trends, identifying business opportunities to negotiate with more clients by meeting consumer demands and needs, bringing revenues, and increasing the company's profitability.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a conference manager are more likely to require skills like "conference logistics," "audio-visual equipment," "conference management," and "delphi." On the other hand, a job as a marketing and event planning internship requires skills like "powerpoint," "twitter," "instagram," and "events intern." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Marketing and event planning interns tend to reach lower levels of education than conference managers. In fact, marketing and event planning interns are 5.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Conference manager vs. Director of events
An event director or director of the event is responsible for organizing a successful execution of an event. This job is demanding and involves a varied range of tasks and obligations, from planning and overseeing the cast and crew recruited, supervise training for effective execution of the event. They manage how to effectively deal with people from staff and crew to sponsors, and talents, especially in tight schedules and difficult circumstances. Moreover, the event director is the representative of the event when dealing with the benefactors of the event, media group for promotion coverage, and people outside the industry.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real conference manager resumes. While conference manager responsibilities can utilize skills like "conference logistics," "audio-visual equipment," "conference management," and "conference website," directors of events use skills like "customer service," "customer satisfaction," "audio visual," and "booking."
Directors of events may earn a higher salary than conference managers, but directors of events earn the most pay in the technology industry with an average salary of $71,076. On the other hand, conference managers receive higher pay in the hospitality industry, where they earn an average salary of $64,559.directors of events earn similar levels of education than conference managers in general. They're 1.7% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Conference manager vs. Event organizer
A meeting planner makes professional decisions in all areas of meeting preparation and presentation. They plan meetings, establish meeting objectives, schedule meetings, budget expenses, inspect meeting sites, negotiate with suppliers, and create a speaker lineup. They also need to deal with travel arrangements and with technical equipment used in the course of the meeting.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from conference manager resumes include skills like "conference logistics," "audio-visual equipment," "conference management," and "delphi," whereas an event organizer is more likely to list skills in "charity events," "community events," "powerpoint," and "ticket sales. "
Most event organizers achieve a similar degree level compared to conference managers. For example, they're 1.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.7% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Conference manager vs. Meeting planner
Even though a few skill sets overlap between conference managers and meeting planners, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a conference manager might have more use for skills like "conference logistics," "audio-visual equipment," "conference management," and "delphi." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of meeting planners require skills like "client facing," "powerpoint," "audio visual," and "meeting materials. "
In general, meeting planners earn the most working in the hospitality industry, with an average salary of $55,783. The highest-paying industry for a conference manager is the hospitality industry.The average resume of meeting planners showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to conference managers. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 3.8% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.2%.Types of conference manager
Updated January 8, 2025
