Event consultant vs meeting planner

The differences between event consultants and meeting planners can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an event consultant and a meeting planner. Additionally, an event consultant has an average salary of $74,259, which is higher than the $56,257 average annual salary of a meeting planner.

The top three skills for an event consultant include event logistics, event planning and event management. The most important skills for a meeting planner are client facing, event planning, and powerpoint.

Event consultant vs meeting planner overview

	Event Consultant	Meeting Planner
Yearly salary	$74,259	$56,257
Hourly rate	$35.70	$27.05
Growth rate	18%	18%
Number of jobs	20,095	17,112
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 74%	Bachelor's Degree, 78%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	2	2

Event consultant vs meeting planner salary

Event consultants and meeting planners have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Event Consultant	Meeting Planner
Average salary	$74,259	$56,257
Salary range	Between $45,000 And $121,000	Between $40,000 And $77,000
Highest paying City	-	Newark, NJ
Highest paying state	-	New Jersey
Best paying company	-	AbbVie
Best paying industry	-	Hospitality

Differences between event consultant and meeting planner education

There are a few differences between an event consultant and a meeting planner in terms of educational background:

	Event Consultant	Meeting Planner
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 74%	Bachelor's Degree, 78%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	San Diego State University	San Diego State University

Event consultant vs meeting planner demographics

Here are the differences between event consultants' and meeting planners' demographics:

	Event Consultant	Meeting Planner
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 25.1% Female, 74.9%	Male, 12.4% Female, 87.6%
Race ratio	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%	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 event consultant and meeting planner duties and responsibilities

Event consultant example responsibilities.

Manage and mentor team of alliances coordinators and business development representatives.
Conduct all research and obtain the required information as mandated in the RFP.
Track event metrics and attendees, and assist in preparing post-event analysis defining impact and overall ROI.
Execute audience marketing, list research, events logistics, ROI evaluation, research speakers, topics, and trends.
Implement VIP service for company principals and elite members regarding special housing, transportation, lifestyle, and dietary needs.
Execute responsibilities as a team lead to create theme events that provide a VIP experience for private high net worth clients.

Meeting planner example responsibilities.

Manage company's social medias and publish weekly relate topics on Facebook and newsletter.
Confirm reservations, registrations and manage itineraries.
Develop and issue client/supplier contracts, submit RFP s, secure meeting space, research and create budgets for proposals.
Handle all participants regarding event specifications, RFP's, registrations, confirmations, cancellations, schedules, and cost summaries.
Deliver onsite execution and conduct post event surveys.
Oversee arrangements for event production and onsite technology.

Event consultant vs meeting planner skills

Common event consultant skills

Event Logistics, 16%
Event Planning, 14%
Event Management, 7%
Venue Selection, 6%
Audio Visual, 5%
Trade Shows, 4%

Common meeting planner skills

Client Facing, 10%
Event Planning, 8%
PowerPoint, 6%
Audio Visual, 5%
Event Management, 5%
Site Selection, 4%