Director of events vs conference coordinator

The differences between directors of events 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 director of events and a conference coordinator. Additionally, a director of events has an average salary of $65,971, which is higher than the $41,978 average annual salary of a conference coordinator.

The top three skills for a director of events include customer service, event management and customer satisfaction. The most important skills for a conference coordinator are conference calls, reservations, and event planning.

Director of events vs conference coordinator overview

	Director Of Events	Conference Coordinator
Yearly salary	$65,971	$41,978
Hourly rate	$31.72	$20.18
Growth rate	18%	18%
Number of jobs	8,520	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 director of events do?

An event director or director of the event is responsible for organizing a successful execution of an event. This job is demanding and involves a varied range of tasks and obligations, from planning and overseeing the cast and crew recruited, supervise training for effective execution of the event. They manage how to effectively deal with people from staff and crew to sponsors, and talents, especially in tight schedules and difficult circumstances. Moreover, the event director is the representative of the event when dealing with the benefactors of the event, media group for promotion coverage, and people outside the industry.

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.

Director of events vs conference coordinator salary

Directors of events and conference coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Director Of Events	Conference Coordinator
Average salary	$65,971	$41,978
Salary range	Between $38,000 And $112,000	Between $32,000 And $54,000
Highest paying City	Boston, MA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	New York
Best paying company	CrowdStrike	Battelle
Best paying industry	Technology	Telecommunication

Differences between director of events and conference coordinator education

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

	Director Of Events	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

Director of events vs conference coordinator demographics

Here are the differences between directors of events' and conference coordinators' demographics:

	Director Of Events	Conference Coordinator
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 34.1% Female, 65.9%	Male, 26.5% Female, 73.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 5.9% White, 61.8% 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 director of events and conference coordinator duties and responsibilities

Director of events example responsibilities.

Manage a team of employees with responsibilities of 40,000 sq.
Create, update and manage donor databases, invitation and RSVP lists, and seating charts.
Conduct ROI analysis to ensure effective allocation of corporate funds and staffing resources to achieve business and sales objectives.
Manage weekly BEO meetings to discuss the upcoming events with other department heads to ensure the proper execution of all events.
Maximize revenue by upselling and managing clients' budgets effectively.
Manage all aspects of these events and act as onsite manager to ensure meeting are delivered effectively and professionally.

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.

Director of events vs conference coordinator skills

Common director of events skills

Customer Service, 15%
Event Management, 8%
Customer Satisfaction, 7%
Event Planning, 7%
Audio Visual, 6%
Booking, 6%

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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Director Of Events
Director Of Events vs Conference Coordinator

Updated January 8, 2025

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