Meetings & events manager vs event manager

The differences between meetings & events managers and event managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a meetings & events manager and an event manager. Additionally, an event manager has an average salary of $51,117, which is higher than the $46,029 average annual salary of a meetings & events manager.

The top three skills for a meetings & events manager include event management, event planning and site inspections. The most important skills for an event manager are customer service, event logistics, and event planning.

Meetings & events manager vs event manager overview

	Meetings & Events Manager	Event Manager
Yearly salary	$46,029	$51,117
Hourly rate	$22.13	$24.58
Growth rate	18%	18%
Number of jobs	4,660	8,230
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 82%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	2	2

What does a meetings & events manager do?

Meeting and Events Managers are responsible for overseeing virtual or live events and meetings for a company or private individuals. Their duties include implementing event strategies, assist in event venue research, create vendor networks, and conduct contract negotiations for event support services. They are also involved in handling pre-event activities, facilitating post-event reviews, monitoring event budgets, preparing management reports, setting project milestones, and tracking event team performance. Meetings and events managers also work closely with clients to identify individual needs and assist in staff development programs.

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.

Meetings & events manager vs event manager salary

Meetings & events managers and event managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Meetings & Events Manager	Event Manager
Average salary	$46,029	$51,117
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $62,000	Between $33,000 And $77,000
Highest paying City	Half Moon Bay, CA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Connecticut	New Jersey
Best paying company	AstraZeneca	VMware
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Technology

Differences between meetings & events manager and event manager education

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

	Meetings & Events Manager	Event Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 82%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	San Diego State University	San Diego State University

Meetings & events manager vs event manager demographics

Here are the differences between meetings & events managers' and event managers' demographics:

	Meetings & Events Manager	Event Manager
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 14.6% Female, 85.4%	Male, 36.2% Female, 63.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.1% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 6.1% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	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%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between meetings & events manager and event manager duties and responsibilities

Meetings & events manager example 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.

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.

Meetings & events manager vs event manager skills

Common meetings & events manager skills

Event Management, 15%
Event Planning, 15%
Site Inspections, 7%
Client Satisfaction, 6%
Cost Savings, 5%
Event Logistics, 5%

Common event manager skills

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

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Meetings & Events Manager
Meetings & Events Manager vs Event Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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