Corporate event planner vs conference coordinator

The differences between corporate event planners and conference coordinators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a corporate event planner and a conference coordinator. Additionally, a corporate event planner has an average salary of $53,681, which is higher than the $41,978 average annual salary of a conference coordinator.

The top three skills for a corporate event planner include corporate events, event logistics and audio visual. The most important skills for a conference coordinator are conference calls, reservations, and event planning.

Corporate event planner vs conference coordinator overview

	Corporate Event Planner	Conference Coordinator
Yearly salary	$53,681	$41,978
Hourly rate	$25.81	$20.18
Growth rate	18%	18%
Number of jobs	29,341	19,660
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 77%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	2	2

What does a corporate event planner do?

A corporate event planner is responsible for organizing business events such as seminars, conferences, award ceremonies, meetings, or product launches. They oversee procedures from planning to execution to ensure that everything runs efficiently and meets the clients' needs. They must coordinate with clients to identify event requirements and budgets, secure venues and equipment, book caterers, reserve supplies, delegate responsibilities among staff, and monitor all operations. An event planner must promptly and efficiently recognize issues and solve them to ensure optimal services.

What does a conference coordinator do?

A conference coordinator organizes professional gatherings and meetings according to a client's needs and preferences. There are also instances where they may plan reunions, parties, and other events. Their responsibilities begin at meeting the clients to identify their needs and preferences, including the event's purpose or themes. From there, a conference coordinator develops plans, secures venues and speakers, books caterers and other equipment, prepares and processes requests, and maintains records of all transactions, presenting invoices to the clients. Moreover, a conference coordinator must be proactive and resolve any conflicts or issues should any arise.

Corporate event planner vs conference coordinator salary

Corporate event planners and conference coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Corporate Event Planner	Conference Coordinator
Average salary	$53,681	$41,978
Salary range	Between $36,000 And $78,000	Between $32,000 And $54,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	New York
Best paying company	-	Battelle
Best paying industry	-	Telecommunication

Differences between corporate event planner and conference coordinator education

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

	Corporate Event Planner	Conference Coordinator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 77%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	San Diego State University	San Diego State University

Corporate event planner vs conference coordinator demographics

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

	Corporate Event Planner	Conference Coordinator
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 13.6% Female, 86.4%	Male, 26.5% Female, 73.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 5.8% White, 61.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 5.9% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between corporate event planner and conference coordinator duties and responsibilities

Corporate event planner example responsibilities.

Manage all logistics and communications from beginning to end with clients, including sending invitations, monitoring RSVP, and hosting.
Develop agenda and itinerary, organize and procure all speaker biographies and materials and logistics for successful program execution.
Arrange onsite and offsite activities and dinners for participants and VIP's.
Provide creative support and assistance by researching and developing booth entertainment ideas and designing booth signage and packaging of giveaways.

Conference coordinator example responsibilities.

Manage internal & external reservations for audio and videoconferencing requirements over telephone and via e-mail.
Attend daily and weekly BEO meetings.
Process documentation of hotel BEO s and final invoices while disputing where necessary.
Help Medicaid eligible members to secure both physical and behavioral services in the community by reviewing and preparing prior authorization requests.
Track lead referrals and ROI.
Track budget costs and ROI relate to each event.

Corporate event planner vs conference coordinator skills

Common corporate event planner skills

Corporate Events, 15%
Event Logistics, 12%
Audio Visual, 9%
Event Management, 8%
Trade Shows, 5%
Event Budgets, 4%

Common conference coordinator skills

Conference Calls, 15%
Reservations, 13%
Event Planning, 6%
Audio Visual Equipment, 5%
Conference Planning, 4%
Event Management, 4%

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Corporate Event Planner
Corporate Event Planner vs Conference Coordinator

Updated January 8, 2025

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