Director of convention services vs event planner

The differences between directors of convention services 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 director of convention services and an event planner. Additionally, a director of convention services has an average salary of $65,956, which is higher than the $51,542 average annual salary of an event planner.

The top three skills for a director of convention services include culinary, booking and guest rooms. The most important skills for an event planner are customer service, vendor contracts, and plan events.

Director of convention services vs event planner overview

	Director Of Convention Services	Event Planner
Yearly salary	$65,956	$51,542
Hourly rate	$31.71	$24.78
Growth rate	18%	18%
Number of jobs	60,402	19,793
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	2	2

Director of convention services vs event planner salary

Directors of convention services and event planners have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Director Of Convention Services	Event Planner
Average salary	$65,956	$51,542
Salary range	Between $38,000 And $114,000	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 director of convention services and event planner education

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

	Director Of Convention Services	Event Planner
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	San Diego State University	San Diego State University

Director of convention services vs event planner demographics

Here are the differences between directors of convention services' and event planners' demographics:

	Director Of Convention Services	Event Planner
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 51.1% Female, 48.9%	Male, 22.4% Female, 77.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 5.9% White, 61.6% 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 director of convention services and event planner duties and responsibilities

Director of convention services example responsibilities.

Work closely with the banquet department and culinary team to achieve outstanding food and beverage service.
Manage sleeping room blocks, including rooming lists, comp assignments, room assignments, pre-keying and VIP's.
Coordinate booking activities of catering departments to achieve budget revenues.
Conduct the weekly BEO meeting with the culinary team.
Handle VIP accommodations, amenities and transportation.
Supervise the installation and implementation of a network computer system and DELPHI software.

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.

Director of convention services vs event planner skills

Common director of convention services skills

Culinary, 10%
Booking, 9%
Guest Rooms, 7%
Business Relationships, 7%
Square Feet, 6%
Meeting Rooms, 6%

Common event planner skills

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

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Director Of Convention Services
Director Of Convention Services vs Event Planner

Updated January 8, 2025

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