Conference planner vs event specialist

The differences between conference planners and 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 planner and an event specialist. Additionally, a conference planner has an average salary of $57,176, which is higher than the $41,294 average annual salary of an event specialist.

The top three skills for a conference planner include conference planning, reservations and audio-visual equipment. The most important skills for an event specialist are brand awareness, product preparation, and product demonstrations.

Conference planner vs event specialist overview

	Conference Planner	Event Specialist
Yearly salary	$57,176	$41,294
Hourly rate	$27.49	$19.85
Growth rate	18%	18%
Number of jobs	17,145	12,130
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	2	2

Conference planner vs event specialist salary

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

	Conference Planner	Event Specialist
Average salary	$57,176	$41,294
Salary range	Between $41,000 And $79,000	Between $26,000 And $63,000
Highest paying City	-	New York, NY
Highest paying state	-	New York
Best paying company	-	Shearman & Sterling
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between conference planner and event specialist education

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

	Conference Planner	Event Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	San Diego State University	San Diego State University

Conference planner vs event specialist demographics

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

	Conference Planner	Event Specialist
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 15.3% Female, 84.7%	Male, 30.9% Female, 69.1%
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, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between conference planner and event specialist 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 specialist example responsibilities.

Manage three key concierge brands with a high level of guest service and VIP attention.
Manage RSVP lists, checked-in attendees at events, and insure guest satisfaction at all times.
Build client pipeline by using SEO, Linkedin, Mattermarks, Angel.CO.
Establish streamline budget management process, enabling overall department to effectively tracking spending trend and ROI.
Post to Facebook and other media regarding up-coming event and/or event outcome.
Promote upcoming events and shows through marketing materials, emails and twitter.

Conference planner vs event specialist 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 specialist skills

Brand Awareness, 51%
Product Preparation, 14%
Product Demonstrations, 5%
Food Preparation, 4%
Food Safety, 4%
Product Knowledge, 3%