A special events coordinator plans and executes events for individuals and corporations, overseeing other service professionals and communicating with clients and vendors. They may own their own business or work for a company, and must be skilled at multitasking and negotiating. Salaries vary based on experience, location, and type of clientele.
A special events coordinator plans and executes events for individual and corporate clients. Responsible for all the minute details of an event, those in this position often oversee other service professionals, including contract employees. Sometimes a job description for this type of career calls for a degree or other specialized training, while others just require verifiable experience and a strong reputation for delivering quality results.
Also known as an event planner, some of the events or activities that a special event coordinator may be called on to facilitate include weddings, receptions, corporate meetings, banquets and private parties. A coordinator may own their own event coordination business, but many are salaried employees of large companies and institutions. Coordinators working in a corporate environment are often considered part of a public relations or marketing team.
It may be necessary for a self-employed special events coordinator to coordinate multiple events during the same period. Therefore, a coordinator must be able to hire and delegate tasks to other professionals working in a support capacity to ensure that the details of each event are handled satisfactorily in a timely manner. At the same time, he or she must also track expenses, prepare client invoices, and remain in constant communication with the client, event staff, and all external vendors for each event.
Special event coordinators must be skilled at working well with others and multitasking. Most are expected to communicate with and contract outside vendors to decorate a venue and ensure equipment such as lighting and sound equipment is securely in place at the time of an event. They must also be skilled at negotiating agreements with outside vendors to ensure that an event’s costs stay within budget.
The average salary for this job will vary based on the coordinator’s level of knowledge and experience, as well as the region in which the coordinator works. A coordinator’s salary will also depend on the type of clientele served and the types or number of events coordinated per year. Salaries for freelance event planners or those operating their own special events coordinator business can vary based on the client billing and the amounts that need to be paid to support the team. The wages of employees in jobs, however, tend to average at a set rate.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
