Conference services manager vs director of special events

The differences between conference services managers and directors of special events can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a conference services manager and a director of special events. Additionally, a director of special events has an average salary of $63,671, which is higher than the $50,711 average annual salary of a conference services manager.

The top three skills for a conference services manager include reservations, conference services and booking. The most important skills for a director of special events are event planning, alumni, and event management.

Conference services manager vs director of special events overview

	Conference Services Manager	Director Of Special Events
Yearly salary	$50,711	$63,671
Hourly rate	$24.38	$30.61
Growth rate	10%	8%
Number of jobs	121,578	23,252
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 79%
Average age	39	42
Years of experience	4	4

What does a conference services manager do?

A Conference Services Manager organizes and oversees conferences from planning to execution, ensuring efficiency and smooth operations. They meet with clients and representatives to learn about their event needs and budgets. From there, a Conference Services Manager develops plans and guidelines with staff, books caterers and venues according to the clients' preferences, arrange programs, and coordinates other services. They lead and encourage staff to reach goals, maintaining an active communication line to promptly and efficiently resolve any issues.

What does a director of special events do?

A director of special events spearheads and oversees the planning and execution of various events, ensuring everything runs smoothly and efficiently. They typically set goals and guidelines, manage schedules and timelines, outline plans and strategies, coordinate managers and different departments, and liaise with vendors and suppliers, building positive business relationships in the process. Moreover, as a director, it is essential to lead and encourage staff to reach goals while implementing and promoting the company's policies and regulations, including its vision and mission.

Conference services manager vs director of special events salary

Conference services managers and directors of special events have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Conference Services Manager	Director Of Special Events
Average salary	$50,711	$63,671
Salary range	Between $38,000 And $67,000	Between $35,000 And $113,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Apple	NRDC
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Professional

Differences between conference services manager and director of special events education

There are a few differences between a conference services manager and a director of special events in terms of educational background:

	Conference Services Manager	Director Of Special Events
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 79%
Most common major	Hospitality Management	Business
Most common college	Cornell University	Stanford University

Conference services manager vs director of special events demographics

Here are the differences between conference services managers' and directors of special events' demographics:

	Conference Services Manager	Director Of Special Events
Average age	39	42
Gender ratio	Male, 27.8% Female, 72.2%	Male, 25.1% Female, 74.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 8.9% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 5.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 5.1% White, 75.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	10%	16%

Differences between conference services manager and director of special events duties and responsibilities

Conference services manager example responsibilities.

Lead weekly team meetings to review group resumes and BEOs with key hotel staff.
Manage RFP's; review contracts; and coordinate with select vendors from planning to implementation.
Handle groups with meeting and catering requirements throughout entire booking process.
Create BEOs and resumes to communicate in detail to all staff members on property
Focuse on upselling food and beverage, meeting room rental, guest room rates, and other hotel services.
Season in all areas of the booking process, from prospecting and qualifying, to settling attrition upon completion of program.

Director of special events example responsibilities.

Manage the communications/special events budget to ensure ROI in accordance with the communication plan.
Restructure the budget plan for the department, achieving significant cost reductions while increasing ROI.
Organize, execute and manage all VIP hospitality and auxiliary celebrity events.
Manage all aspects of these events and act as onsite manager to ensure meeting are delivered effectively and professionally.
Develop a BEO form to promote effective communication between front of house and back of house.
Collaborate with catering to create BEO s and assist clients with menu selection for meetings and events.

Conference services manager vs director of special events skills

Common conference services manager skills

Reservations, 11%
Conference Services, 10%
Booking, 9%
Banquet Event Orders, 6%
Repeat Business, 5%
Delphi, 4%

Common director of special events skills

Event Planning, 13%
Alumni, 11%
Event Management, 7%
Event Logistics, 6%
Audio Visual, 4%
Press Releases, 3%

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Conference Services Manager
Conference Services Manager vs Director Of Special Events

Updated January 8, 2025

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