How To Become A Meeting Planner: What It Is and Career Path

What is a meeting planner and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Mark Zanter

A meeting planner handles the details and scope of meetings and various events such as conventions, parties, and trade shows from preparation to the event's day. Clients expect them to select and manage the location, date, budget, and attendees based on the meeting's objectives and purpose.

Depending on the size and nature of the organization and client they work for, they may also be called corporate meeting planners, association executives, or independent meeting planners. They deal with logistics, technical equipment, catering, and entertainment for the meeting or event.

The work schedule of the meeting planner is busiest during the event's planning and arrangement period when they work long hours coordinating with the meeting's stakeholders. Various problems may arise so they must be adaptable and capable to carry out their tasks under pressure.

Pursuing this career requires a bachelor's degree in hospitality management or a related discipline. Some people in this position have degrees in communication, public relations, business, and marketing. Employers often prefer candidates with professional certifications and work experience for this position.

What's a day at work look like for a meeting planner?

Mark Zanter

Coordinator, Marshall University

Most of Bachelor's students obtain a Masters degree since that is entry level for teaching in Higher ed. In recent years they have set themselves up as entrepreneurs in music business (writing jingles etc.), working as liturgical musicians, teaching privately, teaching in Higher ed, or working for an Arts Institution. Some will go into other fields like law, medicine, computer science, or public school teaching.

ScoreMeeting PlannerUS Average

Salary

4.4

Avg. Salary $56,257

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.6

Growth rate 18%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.2

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.24%

Asian 5.87%

Black or African American 11.26%

Hispanic or Latino 16.24%

Unknown 4.70%

White 61.68%

Gender

female 87.59%

male 12.41%

Age - 36

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 36

Stress level

7.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.3

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.0

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a meeting planner

Explore meeting planner education requirements

Most common meeting planner degrees

Bachelor's

78.4 %

Associate

10.3 %

Master's

5.6 %

Start to develop specific meeting planner skills

Skills	Percentages
Client Facing	10.05%
Event Planning	8.38%
PowerPoint	5.50%
Audio Visual	4.54%
Event Management	4.50%

Complete relevant meeting planner training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New meeting planners learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a meeting planner based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real meeting planner resumes.

Gain additional meeting planner certifications

Meeting planner certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific meeting planner certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for meeting planners include Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) and Certification in Meetings Management (CMM).

More About Certifications

Research meeting planner duties and 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.

Prepare your meeting planner resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your meeting planner resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a meeting planner resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable meeting planner resume templates

Build a professional meeting planner resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your meeting planner resume.

Apply for meeting planner jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a meeting planner job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do meeting planners rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

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1 star

Meeting planner reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2021

Cons

There is nothing more stressful then this job. As you get closer to an event, the days get longer and the job can become 24/7, especially while the event is happening. If you're looking for a job you clock out from at 5pm, this is not the job for you. You're also in charge of budgets, F&B, Centerpieces, Entertainment, Speakers, Content, App Development, Registration, the list is endless. If you aren't good under pressure, this is not the job for you.