Event manager vs director of events

The differences between event managers and directors of events 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 manager and a director of events. Additionally, a director of events has an average salary of $65,971, which is higher than the $51,117 average annual salary of an event manager.

The top three skills for an event manager include customer service, event logistics and event planning. The most important skills for a director of events are customer service, event management, and customer satisfaction.

Event manager vs director of events overview

	Event Manager	Director Of Events
Yearly salary	$51,117	$65,971
Hourly rate	$24.58	$31.72
Growth rate	18%	18%
Number of jobs	8,230	8,520
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	2	2

What does an event manager do?

An event manager is an individual who is in charge of planning an organization's event and coordinating meetings with clients to determine details about the event. Event managers must look and compare different vendors such as food caterers, decorators, or musicians while working within the planned budget. They interview and hire personnel to assist them during the event and evaluate their performance after the event. Event managers must also distribute post-event surveys so that customers can provide feedback on the event.

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.

Event manager vs director of events salary

Event managers and directors of events have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Event Manager	Director Of Events
Average salary	$51,117	$65,971
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $77,000	Between $38,000 And $112,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Massachusetts
Best paying company	VMware	CrowdStrike
Best paying industry	Technology	Technology

Differences between event manager and director of events education

There are a few differences between an event manager and a director of events in terms of educational background:

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

Event manager vs director of events demographics

Here are the differences between event managers' and directors of events' demographics:

	Event Manager	Director Of Events
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 36.2% Female, 63.8%	Male, 34.1% Female, 65.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 6.0% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	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%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between event manager and director of events duties and responsibilities

Event manager example responsibilities.

Manage FOH staff during the lunch rush - correctly handle any customer complaints or issues.
Manage successful closing of NYC block to control traffic flow and allow celebrity red carpet entrances.
Coordinate and manage maintenance, bartending, catering, schedules, calendars, and supervise staff.
Create BEO's and lead weekly team meetings for support team laying out the direction and objective of upcoming events.
Manage delivery schedules, outside vendor orders, and budget requirements for the sales, operations, and culinary staff.
Manage all logistics and communications from beginning to end with clients, including sending invitations, monitoring RSVP, and hosting.

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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.

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Event manager vs director of events skills

Common event manager skills

Customer Service, 15%
Event Logistics, 10%
Event Planning, 9%
Audio Visual, 6%
Onsite, 5%
PowerPoint, 4%

Common director of events skills

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

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Updated January 8, 2025

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