Director of events vs special events coordinator

The differences between directors of events and special events 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 special events coordinator. Additionally, a director of events has an average salary of $65,971, which is higher than the $40,063 average annual salary of a special events coordinator.

The top three skills for a director of events include customer service, event management and customer satisfaction. The most important skills for a special events coordinator are customer service, event planning, and press releases.

Director of events vs special events coordinator overview

	Director Of Events	Special Events Coordinator
Yearly salary	$65,971	$40,063
Hourly rate	$31.72	$19.26
Growth rate	18%	18%
Number of jobs	8,520	34,538
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 77%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
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 special events coordinator do?

A special events coordinator is in charge of organizing and devising plans for an event, even monitoring all progress to ensure everything is running smoothly. They are typically responsible for consulting with clients and understanding the event's purpose, offering a selection of venues and caterers, providing cost estimates, and booking various services such as speakers, equipment, location, photographers, videographers, and other essential factors. Moreover, a special events coordinator manages all processes involved in setting up and down an event, all while maintaining client satisfaction.

Director of events vs special events coordinator salary

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

	Director Of Events	Special Events Coordinator
Average salary	$65,971	$40,063
Salary range	Between $38,000 And $112,000	Between $26,000 And $60,000
Highest paying City	Boston, MA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	New Jersey
Best paying company	CrowdStrike	Smithsonian Institution
Best paying industry	Technology	Education

Differences between director of events and special events coordinator education

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

	Director Of Events	Special Events Coordinator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 77%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	San Diego State University	San Diego State University

Director of events vs special events coordinator demographics

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

	Director Of Events	Special Events Coordinator
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 34.1% Female, 65.9%	Male, 26.4% Female, 73.6%
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, 16.4% Asian, 5.9% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between director of events and special events 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.

Special events coordinator example responsibilities.

Work closely with MDA families, volunteers, sponsors and fellow staff to achieve MDA objectives.
Maintain business website and manage Facebook account.
Manage reservations and priority seating for VIP diners to ensure customer satisfaction and encourage repeat business.
Compile programs and PowerPoint presentations for day of event.
Check RSVP lines and provide attendee list for day of event.
Create promotional flyers, brochures, and PowerPoint presentations for multiple target markets.

Director of events vs special events 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 special events coordinator skills

Customer Service, 24%
Event Planning, 11%
Press Releases, 4%
Event Logistics, 4%
Event Management, 4%
PowerPoint, 3%

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Director Of Events
Director Of Events vs Special Events Coordinator

Updated January 8, 2025

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