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Career

Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners

Typical education: Certificate or apprenticeshipHigh pressure Bright Outlook

What they do

Coordinate activities of staff, convention personnel, or clients to make arrangements for group meetings, events, or conventions.

Kinds of work

  • Enterprising: Leading, persuading, selling and starting new projects or businesses.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.
  • Social: Helping, teaching, caring for and supporting other people.

High pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $61,160 Median per year · $29.41/hr Most earn $36,830–$101,700

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Design and implement efforts to publicize events and promote sponsorships.
  • Review event bills for accuracy and approve payment.
  • Review event bills for accuracy and approve payment.
  • Promote conference, convention and trades show services by performing tasks such as meeting with professional and trade associations, and producing brochures and other publications.
  • Hire, train, and supervise volunteers and support staff required for events.
  • Meet with sponsors and organizing committees to plan scope and format of events, to establish and monitor budgets, or to review administrative procedures and event progress.

Job outlook

Bright Outlook Rapid Growth

United States
6% more jobs by 2035, faster than average · about 16,800 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Self-employed (their own business)10.1%
  • Colleges, universities, and professional schools7.0%
  • Other support services5.7%
  • Promoters of performing arts, sports, and similar events4.3%
  • Local government, excluding education and hospitals3.7%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Certificate or apprenticeshipExperience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Meeting, convention, and event planning is a career you can start with a certificate or on-the-job training, not necessarily a four-year degree. Most people spend about 1 to 2 years in entry-level event support before they are doing the planning themselves.

  1. High school diploma or equivalent

    4 years

    Build strong communication, math, and organization skills, and get experience with people and schedules, which all show up in event work.

  2. Certificate in meeting and event planning or hospitality

    6-12 months

    A short certificate teaches vendor contracts, budgeting, venue logistics, and event software, which are the basics employers look for.

  3. Event Coordinator or Events Assistant

    1-2 years

    You help run events, manage vendors and guest lists, and handle on-site problems, learning how a full event comes together before leading one.

  4. Meeting, Convention, and Event Planner

    Ongoing

    You plan and coordinate meetings, conferences, or events from start to finish, working with clients, staff, and vendors.

Where it can lead

  1. Senior Event Planner

    3-5 years of experience first

    You take on larger, more complex events, manage bigger budgets, and often lead other planners or coordinators.

  2. Director of Events

    5-8 years of experience first

    You set the events strategy for an organization or venue, oversee a whole team, and answer for total event budgets and results.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Join a planning committeeHelping organize school dances, fundraisers, or club events gives you hands-on practice with budgets, schedules, and teamwork.
  • Take business, math, or speech classesBudgeting, public speaking, and communication classes build the skills planners use with clients and vendors every day.
  • Get a customer-service jobWorking at a restaurant, store, or front desk teaches you to stay calm, solve problems quickly, and keep people happy.
  • Volunteer at community eventsHelping at festivals, charity runs, or local fairs shows you how events are set up and run behind the scenes.

In college

  • Take hospitality, communications, or business coursesA major or minor in hospitality management, communications, or business gives you a base in event operations, marketing, and budgeting.
  • Work at a hotel, venue, or catering companyPart-time work on event staff teaches you how real events run and gives you contacts for future jobs.
  • Apply for a campus events internship or jobWorking with a student union, alumni office, or conference office gives you experience planning real meetings and events.
  • Earn an event planning certificateA short certificate, often offered through community colleges or professional groups, adds a credential to your resume alongside your degree or work experience.
  • Lead a student organization's eventsOrganizing a club's conference, trip, or big event lets you practice budgeting, vendor work, and leading a team.

Tips for getting started

  • Look for part-time or seasonal jobs at hotels, convention centers, caterers, or venues. Real event experience counts for more than most classes when you apply for your first job.
  • Learn basic spreadsheet and scheduling tools now. Planners use them every day to track budgets, guest lists, and timelines.
  • Keep a simple portfolio of anything you organized, such as a school dance, fundraiser, or club trip, with the numbers and results. It helps you show what you can do in an interview.

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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