How to hire a special events coordinator

How to hire a special events coordinator, step by step

Here's a step-by-step special events coordinator hiring guide:

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

What does a special events coordinator do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your special events coordinator 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 special events coordinator 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 special events coordinator's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, special events coordinators 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.

   Here's a comparison of special events coordinator salaries for various roles:

   Type of Special Events Coordinator	Description	Hourly rate
   Special Events Coordinator	Meeting, convention, and event planners coordinate all aspects of events and professional meetings. They arrange meeting locations, transportation, and other details.	$12-28
   Event Internship	Events interns work directly with development staff to help event coordinators in event planning and promotion. They have varied responsibilities that include communicating with vendors to move event logistics, attending meetings of the planning committee as needed, and organizing and purchasing materials and supplies... Show more	$11-17
   Meeting Planner	A meeting planner makes professional decisions in all areas of meeting preparation and presentation. They plan meetings, establish meeting objectives, schedule meetings, budget expenses, inspect meeting sites, negotiate with suppliers, and create a speaker lineup... Show more	$19-37

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Event Planning
   • Press Releases
   • Event Logistics
   • Event Management
   • PowerPoint
   • Alumni
   • Promotional Materials
   • Event Budgets
   • AV
   • Fine Dining
   • Event Vendors
   • Facebook
   • Event Production

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Work closely with MDA families, volunteers, sponsors and fellow staff to achieve MDA objectives.
   • Maintain business website and manage Facebook account.
   • Manage reservations and priority seating for VIP diners to ensure customer satisfaction and encourage repeat business.
   • Compile programs and PowerPoint presentations for day of event.
   • Check RSVP lines and provide attendee list for day of event.
   • Create promotional flyers, brochures, and PowerPoint presentations for multiple target markets.

   More special events coordinator duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your special events coordinator job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A special events coordinator salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a special events coordinator in South Carolina may be lower than in New Jersey, and an entry-level special events coordinator usually earns less than a senior-level special events coordinator. Additionally, a special events coordinator with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average special events coordinator salary

   $40,063yearly

   $19.26 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level special events coordinator salary

   $26,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average special events coordinator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$54,591	$26
   2	California	$49,862	$24
   3	District of Columbia	$49,839	$24
   4	Maryland	$44,409	$21
   5	Pennsylvania	$44,268	$21
   6	Washington	$42,892	$21
   7	Texas	$42,706	$21
   8	Virginia	$41,932	$20
   9	Nevada	$38,601	$19
   10	Oklahoma	$38,552	$19
   11	Florida	$38,464	$18
   12	Colorado	$38,421	$18
   13	Oregon	$38,143	$18
   14	Utah	$36,508	$18
   15	Ohio	$36,140	$17
   16	Michigan	$36,080	$17
   17	Illinois	$34,489	$17
   18	Iowa	$32,035	$15

   Average special events coordinator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Smithsonian Institution	$67,662	$32.53
   2	American Ballet Theatre	$64,150	$30.84
   3	UCSF Health	$61,982	$29.80
   4	The Culinary Institute of America	$61,718	$29.67	1
   5	AEG	$60,522	$29.10	12
   6	SUNY Empire State College	$58,591	$28.17
   7	Sotheby's	$58,265	$28.01
   8	Loyola Marymount University	$57,864	$27.82	2
   9	Georgetown University	$57,035	$27.42	10
   10	Buffalo Bill Center of the West	$56,495	$27.16
   11	Ilitch Holdings	$53,988	$25.96
   12	Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine	$53,707	$25.82
   13	Cintas	$52,845	$25.41	3
   14	National Football League	$51,494	$24.76
   15	BayCare Health System	$49,087	$23.60	11
   16	TASER Self-Defense	$48,284	$23.21	3
   17	Marine Corps Heritage Foundation	$48,119	$23.13
   18	Western Washington University	$46,607	$22.41
   19	Douglas County	$45,448	$21.85
   20	Anheuser-Busch	$44,757	$21.52

4. Writing a special events coordinator job description

   A special events coordinator job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a special events coordinator job description:

   Special events coordinator job description example

   Based on Experience; $17.00 to $18.00

   SUMMARY

   Valet Park of America is seeking a friendly, outgoing, and energetic individual to be responsible for planning, overseeing, and executing valet parking and shuttle services for private events.

   This is a full-time position located in our corporate office in Springfield, MA. The hours will be Monday through Friday, 9 am to 4 pm (other hours, including parent's hours, can be discussed), and some weekend hours may be required in busy times. Candidate must have their own transportation.

   This is a position that will require extensive communication with potential clients, event planners, and current clients planning weddings, and private events at their homes or off-site venues that are considering our services. Professionalism and attention to detail, while treating each event with the utmost importance are all essential to this position.

   A large portion of this position will involve coordinating travel arrangements with clients hiring our shuttle and parking service, preparing directions, scheduling staff, etc.

   PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

   • Sales and planning of private transportation services and valet parking services for private events
   • Attend trade shows and events to showcase our service as needed
   • Work closely with sales and marketing team to achieve goals
   • Communication for staffing and site visits if needed with regional managers on any private event in their location.
   • Generate leads and drive sales
   • Answering sales calls for new and existing clients and coordinating their services
   • Complete Special Projects as assigned by the Director of Special Events
   • Ideas and insight for social media posts to promote special event services
   • Assist with Marketing and Sales Materials as needed
   • Assist in other areas as needed

   
   

   SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS

   Customer Service, Written and Verbal Communication Skills, Organizational Skills, Research Skills, Presentation Skills, Client Relations, Driving Sales, Self-Confidence, Multi-Tasking, Basic Knowledge in Microsoft Office, Teams, Social Media Knowledge

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find special events coordinators for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting special events coordinators requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   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 special events coordinator

   Once you've found the special events coordinator candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is 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 special events coordinator?