Conference planner vs event planner

The differences between conference planners and event planners 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 planner. Additionally, a conference planner has an average salary of $57,176, which is higher than the $51,542 average annual salary of an event planner.

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

Conference planner vs event planner overview

	Conference Planner	Event Planner
Yearly salary	$57,176	$51,542
Hourly rate	$27.49	$24.78
Growth rate	18%	18%
Number of jobs	17,145	19,793
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	2	2

Conference planner vs event planner salary

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

	Conference Planner	Event Planner
Average salary	$57,176	$51,542
Salary range	Between $41,000 And $79,000	Between $35,000 And $74,000
Highest paying City	-	Stamford, CT
Highest paying state	-	Connecticut
Best paying company	-	Intelliswift
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between conference planner and event planner education

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

	Conference Planner	Event Planner
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	San Diego State University	San Diego State University

Conference planner vs event planner demographics

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

	Conference Planner	Event Planner
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 15.3% Female, 84.7%	Male, 22.4% Female, 77.6%
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, 11.4% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 5.9% White, 61.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between conference planner and event planner 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 planner example responsibilities.

Manage client RFP s, develop detailed proposals & client pitches.
Produce, implement, and manage sales lead forms and online surveys to determine overall ROI.
Manage VIP & bottle service, sell tickets, hire promoters, promotional models, disc jockeys & staff for venues.
Manage and ship all marketing and advertising kits and giveaways for career fairs, on-campus presentations, final rounds and orientations.
Coordinate and host successful client seminars, creating invitations and promotional materials, booking venues, and selecting guest speakers.
Coordinate travel arrangements, including booking airfare, hotel and transportation.

Conference planner vs event planner 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 planner skills

Customer Service, 15%
Vendor Contracts, 12%
Plan Events, 8%
Event Management, 6%
PowerPoint, 5%
Event Logistics, 3%