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The differences between meetings & events managers and lead event specialists 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 a lead event specialist. Additionally, a meetings & events manager has an average salary of $46,029, which is higher than the $34,064 average annual salary of a lead event specialist.
The top three skills for a meetings & events manager include event management, event planning and site inspections. The most important skills for a lead event specialist are customer service, food safety guidelines, and facebook.
| Meetings & Events Manager | Lead Event Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $46,029 | $34,064 |
| Hourly rate | $22.13 | $16.38 |
| Growth rate | 18% | 18% |
| Number of jobs | 4,660 | 13,919 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 82% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
A Lead event specialist is responsible for providing clients a proposal or a plan to make an event successful. Most of the time, they are the person who continually interacts with their clients to determine what they need, from the planning stage down to the implementation phase. Meaning this will also be how they can promote their brand or business and generate an income from it. Additionally, they are the ones who organize a promotional event and interacts with potential clients.
Meetings & events managers and lead event specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Meetings & Events Manager | Lead Event Specialist | |
| Average salary | $46,029 | $34,064 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $62,000 | Between $23,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | Half Moon Bay, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | - |
| Best paying company | AstraZeneca | - |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | - |
There are a few differences between a meetings & events manager and a lead event specialist in terms of educational background:
| Meetings & Events Manager | Lead Event Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 82% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | San Diego State University | San Diego State University |
Here are the differences between meetings & events managers' and lead event specialists' demographics:
| Meetings & Events Manager | Lead Event Specialist | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 14.6% Female, 85.4% | Male, 37.7% Female, 62.3% |
| 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, 11.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 5.9% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |