Director of special events vs public relations director

The differences between directors of special events and public relations directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a director of special events and a public relations director. Additionally, a public relations director has an average salary of $94,692, which is higher than the $63,671 average annual salary of a director of special events.

The top three skills for a director of special events include event planning, alumni and event management. The most important skills for a public relations director are press releases, web content, and pr campaigns.

Director of special events vs public relations director overview

	Director Of Special Events	Public Relations Director
Yearly salary	$63,671	$94,692
Hourly rate	$30.61	$45.52
Growth rate	8%	8%
Number of jobs	23,252	31,693
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 79%	Bachelor's Degree, 81%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	4	4

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.

What does a public relations director do?

A public relations director is an individual who is employed to design and implement marketing strategies that can cultivate the relationship between a company and the media. Public relations directors collaborate with the internal team to boost brand awareness and maximize brand consistency in all advertising efforts. They must arrange interviews and press releases so that they can promote their company and its products or services. They also maintain relationships with the media and should manage sensitive issues to maintain the company's good reputation.

Director of special events vs public relations director salary

Directors of special events and public relations directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Director Of Special Events	Public Relations Director
Average salary	$63,671	$94,692
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $113,000	Between $59,000 And $150,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Napa, CA
Highest paying state	California	Nevada
Best paying company	NRDC	Exelixis
Best paying industry	Professional	Internet

Differences between director of special events and public relations director education

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

	Director Of Special Events	Public Relations Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 79%	Bachelor's Degree, 81%
Most common major	Business	Communication
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Director of special events vs public relations director demographics

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

	Director Of Special Events	Public Relations Director
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 25.1% Female, 74.9%	Male, 35.9% Female, 64.1%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 6.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 5.1% White, 74.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between director of special events and public relations director duties and responsibilities

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.

Public relations director example responsibilities.

Manage internal agency public relations, blog content and twitter account.
Hire, train and manage play-by-play broadcasters guaranteeing a professional and informative listening experience.
Maintain strong working relationships across all departments to manage successful on-site opportunities, content and multimedia asset development and spokesperson requests.
Assist in development-relate alumni campaigns and event planning.
Keep running list and archive information regarding NCAA commitments.
Compile statistics and update game notes, player biographies, player and team statistics.

Director of special events vs public relations director skills

Common director of special events skills

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

Common public relations director skills

Press Releases, 19%
Web Content, 9%
Pr Campaigns, 5%
Facebook, 4%
Crisis Communications, 4%
Twitter, 3%

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Director Of Special Events
Director Of Special Events vs Public Relations Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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