How to hire a meetings & events manager

How to hire a meetings & events manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step meetings & events manager hiring guide:

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

What does a meetings & events manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your meetings & events manager 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 meetings & events manager 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?

   Yes

   No

   A meetings & events manager's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, meetings & events managers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents meetings & events manager salaries for various positions.

   Type of Meetings & Events Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Meetings & Events Manager	Meeting, convention, and event planners coordinate all aspects of events and professional meetings. They arrange meeting locations, transportation, and other details.	$16-29
   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 Management
   • Event Planning
   • Site Inspections
   • Client Satisfaction
   • Cost Savings
   • Event Logistics
   • VIP
   • Reservations
   • Budget Management
   • Trade Shows
   • Contract Negotiations
   • BEOs
   • Meeting Space
   • Room Set-Up

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage and mentor team of alliances coordinators and business development representatives.
   • Submit RFP's to convention and visitors bureaus and hotel partners to secure travel industry funding for all events.
   • Solicit vendor RFP's and effectively negotiate optimal client savings.
   • Develop several best practices to include interactive event microsites, event twitter campaigns and in-booth think leadership presentations.
   • Prepare meeting details for SMERF, corporate, and government markets such as set-up, menus and audio-visual needs.
   • Coordinate all aspects of educational meetings for medical specialty associations, including requirements for approval of CME accreditation.

   More meetings & events manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the meetings & events manager job description is a good way to get more applicants. A meetings & events manager salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a meetings & events manager in Idaho may be lower than in Connecticut, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level meetings & events manager. Additionally, a meetings & events manager with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average meetings & events manager salary

   $46,029yearly

   $22.13 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level meetings & events manager salary

   $34,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 21, 2026

   Average meetings & events manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$56,874	$27
   2	California	$56,762	$27
   3	California	$56,757	$27
   4	California	$56,751	$27
   5	Washington	$56,626	$27
   6	California	$54,464	$26
   7	California	$54,457	$26
   8	California	$54,456	$26
   9	California	$54,426	$26
   10	New York	$54,188	$26
   11	California	$54,119	$26
   12	California	$53,686	$26
   13	District of Columbia	$53,360	$26
   14	Massachusetts	$52,695	$25
   15	Massachusetts	$52,648	$25
   16	New York	$52,629	$25
   17	Maryland	$49,969	$24
   18	Illinois	$49,661	$24
   19	Illinois	$49,539	$24
   20	Texas	$49,439	$24

   Average meetings & events manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	AstraZeneca	$82,277	$39.56
   2	Institute of Food Technologists	$57,213	$27.51
   3	Smith & Nephew	$50,371	$24.22
   4	SmithBucklin	$50,200	$24.13
   5	UMiami Health System	$50,174	$24.12
   6	Highgate Hotels	$49,180	$23.64	7
   7	Marriott International	$48,621	$23.38	194
   8	IRI	$48,547	$23.34
   9	Benchmark Group	$46,936	$22.57
   10	Cornell University	$45,839	$22.04
   11	Brunswick	$45,398	$21.83
   12	CBRE Group	$44,466	$21.38	14
   13	Medpace	$44,049	$21.18
   14	CB Richard Ellis Memphis LLC	$43,983	$21.15
   15	Network After Work	$43,981	$21.14
   16	Maritz	$43,918	$21.11	4
   17	Industrious	$43,900	$21.11
   18	DaVita Kidney Care	$43,220	$20.78
   19	Ulta Beauty	$42,135	$20.26
   20	Edwards Lifesciences	$41,724	$20.06

4. Writing a meetings & events manager job description

   A good meetings & events manager job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a meetings & events manager job description:

   Meetings & events manager job description example

   Responsible for selling event business from all markets within an arrival date range, while maximizing revenues for all areas of the hotel. Assists in the overall efficient operation of the Sales Department, manages accounts to achieve guest satisfaction and solicits new and past business to ensure revenue goals are met or exceeded.
   
   The Marriott Owings Mills Metro Centre was awarded the AAA 4 Diamond Award in its first year of operation joining the ranks of below elite Baltimore 4 D hotels and one of only ten 4 D hotels in Maryland!
   ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS :
   
   Responds in a timely manner to incoming group/catering business opportunities. Ensures that all business is booked within hotel parameters. Conducts hotel site inspections and client presentations. Create contracts and other related booking documentation as required. Manage and maintain client account files. Prospect for new business - participate in sales blitzes, cold calling and contacting former clients to solicit new business and attends industry events/programs as needed. Builds and maintains strong client relationships. Detail events to include all food & beverage, set up and audio-visual needs. Ask appropriate questions of the clients and make suggestions to ensure the details meet the group and the hotel's needs. Create group resumes and communicate client needs to all departments of the hotel. Ensure hotel staff follows through on all requests. Use negotiating skills and creative selling abilities to close on business and negotiate contracts.
   
   REQUIRED SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
   
   Must have the ability to communicate in English. Self-starting personality with an even disposition. Maintain a professional appearance and manner at all times. Can communicate well with guests. Must be willing to "pitch-in" and help co- workers with their job duties and be a team player. Knowledge of a hotel structure and how all departments interact. Ability to effectively communicate with customers in a friendly and positive manner, in order to solicit business, meet client needs and resolve complaints. Ability to move throughout the hotel to conduct site inspections.
   
   Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
   
   The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right meetings & events manager for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your meetings & events manager job on Zippia to find and recruit meetings & events manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit meetings & events managers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 meetings & events manager

   Once you've selected the best meetings & events manager candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the 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 meetings & events manager. 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 meetings & events manager?