How to hire a meeting/event planner

How to hire a meeting/event planner, step by step

Here's a step-by-step meeting/event planner hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a meeting/event planner job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new meeting/event planner
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a meeting/event planner do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your meeting/event planner job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a meeting/event planner for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

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   Hiring the perfect meeting/event planner also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   Here's a comparison of meeting/event planner salaries for various roles:

   Type of Meeting/Event Planner	Description	Hourly rate
   Meeting/Event Planner	Meeting, convention, and event planners coordinate all aspects of events and professional meetings. They arrange meeting locations, transportation, and other details.	$16-36
   Site Coordinator	A site coordinator is responsible for organizing special events and programs based on a client's specifications or a business's needs. Site coordinators ensure that the plan will go well by monitoring their resources, coordinating with third-party services, researching the best settings, finalizing the list of attendees, and managing the budget goals... Show more	$12-26
   Conference Coordinator	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... Show more	$15-25

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Event Planning
   • PowerPoint
   • Event Management
   • Beverage Selection
   • Cost Savings
   • Contract Negotiations
   • Site Selection
   • Booking
   • External Clients
   • Ground Transportation
   • Trade Shows
   • Onsite Management
   • External Vendors
   • Travel Arrangements

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead tour groups through onsite NIH research technology labs.
   • Plan, manage, and implement a portfolio of meetings and events for healthcare professionals.
   • Manage arrangements for ABA leadership, including the president, officers, board and executive vice presidents.
   • Achieve quarterly financial goal by upselling products and services and by identifying additional opportunities base on the event profile.
   • Manage food and beverage, as outlined on BEOs, to confirm that all meals and room setups are correct.
   • Manage relationships with vendors, hotel staff and DMC's to ensure delivery of services as defined by senior management.

   More meeting/event planner duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your meeting/event planner job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A meeting/event planner salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, meeting/event planners' average salary in arkansas is 51% less than in new jersey.
   • Seniority. Entry-level meeting/event planners earn 55% less than senior-level meeting/event planners.
   • Certifications. A meeting/event planner with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a meeting/event planner's salary.

   Average meeting/event planner salary

   $51,141yearly

   $24.59 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level meeting/event planner salary

   $34,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 28, 2025

   Average meeting/event planner salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Connecticut	$65,463	$31
   2	New York	$63,788	$31
   3	Virginia	$62,970	$30
   4	District of Columbia	$62,185	$30
   5	Washington	$58,769	$28
   6	Maryland	$58,264	$28
   7	California	$55,745	$27
   8	Texas	$54,950	$26
   9	Illinois	$54,569	$26
   10	Colorado	$52,984	$25
   11	Massachusetts	$50,875	$24
   12	Michigan	$45,969	$22
   13	Minnesota	$45,955	$22
   14	Alabama	$45,248	$22
   15	Nevada	$44,407	$21
   16	Oklahoma	$39,744	$19
   17	Florida	$38,094	$18

   Average meeting/event planner salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Ncar - The National Center For Atmospheric Research	$85,555	$41.13
   2	Boston Consulting Group	$83,361	$40.08
   3	Vertex Pharmaceuticals	$79,602	$38.27	2
   4	Beacon Hill Staffing Group	$55,418	$26.64
   5	Conagra Brands	$55,199	$26.54	5
   6	Randstad North America, Inc.	$51,241	$24.64	1
   7	Ivy Hotel	$50,947	$24.49
   8	Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan	$50,873	$24.46	1
   9	Protective Life	$50,872	$24.46
   10	CBRE Group	$50,253	$24.16	147
   11	Veeva Systems	$49,620	$23.86	4
   12	CLASS	$49,366	$23.73
   13	Northside Hospital	$49,314	$23.71
   14	Performance Food Group	$49,247	$23.68
   15	CB Richard Ellis Memphis LLC	$49,119	$23.61
   16	McGee Air Services	$48,832	$23.48
   17	Goodman Manufacturing	$46,015	$22.12
   18	Montgomery County Public Schools	$44,028	$21.17
   19	Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores	$42,826	$20.59
   20	Compass Group USA	$38,692	$18.60	28

4. Writing a meeting/event planner job description

   A job description for a meeting/event planner role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a meeting/event planner job description:

   Meeting/event planner job description example

   • Collaborate with internal association teams to identify event strategies that support association goals and provide positive experiences for attendees.
   • Negotiate contracts with conference related companies and vendors to leverage economies of scale and exceed client budget expectations. Establish and maintain positive working relations with internal staff, vendors and external stakeholders.
   • Lead future year site selection strategy by managing the RFP process, provide input to the conference ROI, develop recommendations and negotiate the contract(s).
   • Develop and manage financials as it relates to events and creating annual budgets for meetings and events, achieving favorable financial results through strong negotiation skills.
   • Accountable for oversight of all meeting planning responsibilities including but not limited to project management in the pre-planning phase, planning and oversight of event logistics inclusive of room block management, food and beverage, room-sets, audio visual, attendee experiences and invoice reconciliation, and onsite management.
   • Maintain an ongoing awareness of trends and new approaches to improve planning and production processes for events, including working with AV providers, AMC services teams, hotel professionals and others.
   • Work on other projects and tasks as assigned.

   
   
   

   • Bachelor's Degree; CMP and DES preferred
   • 5+ years of direct experience in domestic event planning. International event planning experience is a plus.
   • Intermediate computer proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
   • Ability to travel (domestically and internationally) approximately 6-8 times a year for up to a week at a time (inclusive of weekends).
   • Ability to lift 30 pounds and to be on your feet for 10+ hours (when onsite).

   Association Management Center is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a diverse team in which all employees are welcomed, valued and respected for their individual strengths, perspectives, and contributions.

   Disclaimer The statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the employee in this position. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of a person in this position.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find meeting/event planners for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your meeting/event planner job on Zippia to find and recruit meeting/event planner candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with meeting/event planner candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new meeting/event planner

   Once you've decided on a perfect meeting/event planner candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new meeting/event planner. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a meeting/event planner?