Individual and corporate clients hire a special events coordinator to plan and execute their events. Those in this position are often in charge of supervising other service workers, including contract employees, and are responsible for all of the fine details of an event. A degree or other specialized training is sometimes required for this type of job, while others only require verifiable experience and a strong reputation for delivering quality results.
Weddings, receptions, corporate meetings, banquets, and private parties are some of the events or activities that a special events coordinator, also known as an event planner, may be called upon to facilitate. While some event coordinators run their own businesses, the majority work as salaried employees for large corporations and institutions. In a corporate setting, coordinators are frequently used as part of a public relations or marketing team.
During the same time period, a self-employed special events coordinator may be asked to coordinate multiple events. As a result, to ensure that the details of each event are satisfactorily handled in a timely manner, a coordinator must be adept at hiring and delegating tasks to other professionals working in a support capacity. During the event, he or she must also keep track of expenses, prepare client invoices, and maintain constant communication with the client, event staff, and all outside vendors.
Special event coordinators must be capable of collaborating with others and managing multiple tasks at the same time. Most are expected to communicate with and hire outside vendors to decorate a venue and ensure that equipment, such as lighting and sound, is securely in place at the time of an event. They must also be adept at negotiating agreements with outside vendors in order to keep an event’s costs under control.
The average salary for this position varies depending on the coordinator’s level of expertise and experience, as well as the region in which they work. The type of clientele served and the types or number of events coordinated per year will all affect a coordinator’s pay. Salaries for freelance event planners or those who run their own special events coordinator business can vary depending on what the client charges and how much support staff must be paid. Staff members’ salaries, on the other hand, tend to average out at a set rate.