How To Become A Meetings Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a meetings manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A meeting manager is an individual who is responsible for managing live or virtual meetings and events for an organization, a school, or individuals. These professionals work to plan meetings or conferences, and conduct research on venues, estimate meeting budgets and costs, and interface with vendors and clients. They conduct contract negotiations for venue support staff, manage meeting advertising and press releases, and ensure that audio-visual media are functional and in place.

A meetings manager typically works in an office environment but may travel in researching venues and meeting locations. They are also responsible for managing event budgets, taking post-event surveys, monitoring meeting event budgets, preparing reports, setting milestones, and tracking event team performance. Meetings managers also work closely with clients to identify individual needs and assist in staff development programs. These individuals should possess strong communication, organizational, and multitasking skills and be adept at coordinating with several different groups such as vendors, caterers, and meeting attendees.

An advanced degree is not necessarily a requirement to land a position as a meeting manager, but experience in the managing and coordinating of events is often a requirement. A meetings manager can make up to $59,000 a year, and in the US, the job market for this field is expected to grow 7% by 2028.

ScoreMeetings ManagerUS Average

Salary

5.0

Avg. Salary $63,589

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 5.93%

Black or African American 11.45%

Hispanic or Latino 16.08%

Unknown 4.71%

White 61.59%

Gender

female 81.10%

male 18.90%

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 meetings manager

Explore meetings manager education requirements

Most common meetings manager degrees

Bachelor's

75.9 %

Associate

12.0 %

Master's

5.8 %

Start to develop specific meetings manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Client Facing	16.70%
Cost Savings	11.66%
Vendor Contracts	10.92%
Site Selection	10.85%
Event Budgets	9.08%

Complete relevant meetings manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New meetings managers 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 meetings manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real meetings manager resumes.

Gain additional meetings manager certifications

Meetings manager 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 meetings manager certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

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

More About Certifications

Research meetings manager duties and responsibilities

Manage of hotel master accounts and organize VIP services for client leadership and celebrity guests.
Manage relationships with vendors, hotel staff and DMC's to ensure delivery of services as defined by senior management.
Design metrics to analyze and improve return on investment (ROI).
Assist all clients with booking hotel guest rooms and offer discount when applicable.

Prepare your meetings manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your meetings manager 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 meetings manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable meetings manager resume templates

Build a professional meetings manager 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 meetings manager resume.