Conference planner vs event manager

The differences between conference planners and event managers 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 planner and an event manager. Additionally, a conference planner has an average salary of $57,176, which is higher than the $51,117 average annual salary of an event manager.

The top three skills for a conference planner include conference planning, reservations and audio-visual equipment. The most important skills for an event manager are customer service, event logistics, and event planning.

Conference planner vs event manager overview

	Conference Planner	Event Manager
Yearly salary	$57,176	$51,117
Hourly rate	$27.49	$24.58
Growth rate	18%	18%
Number of jobs	17,145	8,230
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	2	2

Conference planner vs event manager salary

Conference planners and event managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Conference Planner	Event Manager
Average salary	$57,176	$51,117
Salary range	Between $41,000 And $79,000	Between $33,000 And $77,000
Highest paying City	-	New York, NY
Highest paying state	-	New Jersey
Best paying company	-	VMware
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between conference planner and event manager education

There are a few differences between a conference planner and an event manager in terms of educational background:

	Conference Planner	Event Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	San Diego State University	San Diego State University

Conference planner vs event manager demographics

Here are the differences between conference planners' and event managers' demographics:

	Conference Planner	Event Manager
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 15.3% Female, 84.7%	Male, 36.2% Female, 63.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 5.8% White, 62.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 6.0% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between conference planner and event manager duties and responsibilities

Conference planner example responsibilities.

Manage all logistics and communications from beginning to end with clients, including sending invitations, monitoring RSVP, and hosting.
Monitor room blocks for out of town event attendees and design VIP gift baskets.
Direct, plan and organize internal/external meetings, corporate golf outings, banquets and VIP programs.
Develop agenda and itinerary, organize and procure all speaker biographies and materials and logistics for successful program execution.
Provide creative support and assistance by researching and developing booth entertainment ideas and designing booth signage and packaging of giveaways.

Event manager example responsibilities.

Manage FOH staff during the lunch rush - correctly handle any customer complaints or issues.
Manage successful closing of NYC block to control traffic flow and allow celebrity red carpet entrances.
Coordinate and manage maintenance, bartending, catering, schedules, calendars, and supervise staff.
Create BEO's and lead weekly team meetings for support team laying out the direction and objective of upcoming events.
Manage delivery schedules, outside vendor orders, and budget requirements for the sales, operations, and culinary staff.
Manage all logistics and communications from beginning to end with clients, including sending invitations, monitoring RSVP, and hosting.

Conference planner vs event manager skills

Common conference planner skills

Conference Planning, 16%
Reservations, 10%
Audio-Visual Equipment, 8%
Conference Services, 7%
Event Planning, 4%
Event Logistics, 4%

Common event manager skills

Customer Service, 15%
Event Logistics, 10%
Event Planning, 9%
Audio Visual, 6%
Onsite, 5%
PowerPoint, 4%