Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between event specialists 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 an event specialist and a conference coordinator. Additionally, a conference coordinator has an average salary of $41,978, which is higher than the $41,294 average annual salary of an event specialist.
The top three skills for an event specialist include brand awareness, product preparation and product demonstrations. The most important skills for a conference coordinator are conference calls, reservations, and event planning.
| Event Specialist | Conference Coordinator | |
| Yearly salary | $41,294 | $41,978 |
| Hourly rate | $19.85 | $20.18 |
| Growth rate | 18% | 18% |
| Number of jobs | 12,130 | 19,660 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Events specialists, also known as events producers or event planners, have many roles and responsibilities. They establish event concepts, select venues, secure sponsorships, and handle logistics for events. Also, they plan and manage event timelines, coordinate technical aspects, and manage risks. Event specialists are also responsible for communicating with vendors, organizing marketing materials, and liaising with event speakers. To become an event specialist, one should need to meet several qualifications that include having a degree in marketing, hospitality, or public relations. Organization skills and experience in project management are also important.
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.
Event specialists and conference coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Event Specialist | Conference Coordinator | |
| Average salary | $41,294 | $41,978 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $63,000 | Between $32,000 And $54,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | New York |
| Best paying company | Shearman & Sterling | Battelle |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between an event specialist and a conference coordinator in terms of educational background:
| Event Specialist | Conference Coordinator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | San Diego State University | San Diego State University |
Here are the differences between event specialists' and conference coordinators' demographics:
| Event Specialist | Conference Coordinator | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 30.9% Female, 69.1% | Male, 26.5% Female, 73.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 5.9% White, 61.4% 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% |