Guide to an Event Manager’s Career
Explore our guide to starting a career as an Event Manager — complete with duties, salaries and frequently asked questions.
What Is an Event Manager?
An Event Manger is a professional who creates and executes corporate, promotional and social events for their clients.
They often work for hotels, venue halls, corporations and event management companies. While some tasks are universal to all Event Managers, their complete list of duties can vary from employer to employer.
What Does an Event Manager Do?
An Event Manager is responsible for organizing events from conceptualizing an idea to running the event and ensuring that everything goes according to plan.
Some of their main responsibilities include:
- Meeting with clients to understand their vision
- Making concepts for the event in coordination with the client
- Organizing logistics, including venue selection, staffing and budgeting
- Setting a timeframe for the event and ensuring adherence
- Helping the clients choose the appropriate vendors and ensuring their cost aligns with the budget
- Managing vendors and staff at the day of the event
- Conducting post-event surveys to collect feedback and recognize areas for improvement
Top 5 Skills of Successful Event Managers
Organizing a successful event is no easy task.
Since Event Managers oversee plenty of moving parts — like guests, staff and vendors — only the best ones can ensure that the event goes smoothly and according to plans.
To see an event through and leave clients satisfied, thriving Event Managers must possess a combination of the following skills.
1. Organizational skills
Strong organizational skills are necessary to develop and maintain a successful Event Manager career.
The success of an Event Manager is heavily dependent on their ability to stay organized and on track with projections.
This includes sticking to budgets, timeframes, scheduling and facilitating meetings and keeping your team informed about any changes.
Without strong organization, individuals striving to succeed in this role might find it overwhelming.
2. Communication
Event Managers must communicate with everyone involved in organizing an event.
They must communicate with clients, donors, executives, vendors, staff and more.
Strong communication skills are therefore a must to ensure that everyone is on the same page and there is no confusion prior to or on the day of the event.
3. Negotiation and budgeting
Organizing an event is like a careful dance in which every participant must move within their designated path in terms of time and budget.
It is the Event Manager’s job to negotiate the best possible terms when it comes to venues, staff, sponsors or other participants in the event.
They are also responsible for ensuring that each party involved doesn’t ask for too much compensation and that the event is kept within the budget.
To optimally perform in an Event Manager role — which is to minimize costs and stick to the budget — strong bargaining and negotiation skills are a plus.
4. Multitasking
Given the dynamic nature of the Event Manager role, the ability to effectively multitask is essential.
Coordinating with clients and vendors, while handling logistics and resolving unexpected issues on the day of the event is a challenging task.
As such, only individuals who are capable of working well under pressure and taking on multiple challenges at once can become top Event Managers.
5. Creativity
Creativity is an essential skill of every successful Event Manager.
Even though individuals working in this role must align the venue, budget and timelines with the client’s expectations, it doesn’t mean that there’s no room for creativity.
In fact, the best Event Managers will find a way to create unique and memorable events within the budget and other constraints.
How To Become an Event Manager
You can become an Event Manager by taking several steps.
First, you can obtain a college degree in event management, hospitality, business or similar.
Afterward, you can gain first-hand experience by networking, meeting individuals in the industry and volunteering. This will give you valuable experience, necessary to perform well in the Event Manager’s role.
Lastly, you can explore certifications and courses that would help further prove your expertise in event management.
Education and Certification Programs for Event Managers
Individuals who wish to start and advance their career in the Event Manager role can consider obtaining a bachelor’s degree.
While this is not necessary for all positions, some employers do prefer their Event Managers to have formal education.
Some of the programs to consider include:
- Event management
- Hospitality management
- Business
Considering the wide scope of the Event Manager’s profession, you might also benefit from getting a degree in marketing or finance, which will help with promotions or budgeting of the various types of events.
If you are hesitant to dedicate four years of your life to obtain a degree, you can also consider taking a shorter program or course.
Certification programs that would help prove your expertise as an Event Manager include:
- Certified Meeting Professional
- Certified Special Events Professional
- Certified Professional in Catering & Events
Event Manager Salary and Earning Potential
Event Managers working in the United States earn an average annual salary of $78,729.
However, the actual salary you would be offered as an Event Manager would vary depending on factors such as where you work.
Different cities offer different average salaries, which means that Event Managers working in New York City earn a different salary from Event Managers working in Miami, for example.
Additionally, not only do their salaries vary city to city, but also from state to state.
The reason for this is that some states have booming event industries and thus a higher need for Event Managers.
To that end, Event Managers in California and New York tend to earn higher salaries than those working in the likes of Alabama and Tennessee..
You can explore the complete list of Event Manager salaries across the U.S. in the table below:
| State | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $44,335 |
| Alaska | $61,763 |
| Arizona | $55,672 |
| Arkansas | $46,453 |
| California | $69,517 |
| Colorado | $56,816 |
| Connecticut | $57,818 |
| Delaware | $54,098 |
| Florida | $52,247 |
| Georgia | $53,453 |
| Hawaii | $57,971 |
| Idaho | $54,499 |
| Illinois | $59,452 |
| Indiana | $47,154 |
| Iowa | $48,307 |
| Kansas | $55,153 |
| Kentucky | $51,624 |
| Louisiana | $55,993 |
| Maine | $55,069 |
| Maryland | $61,115 |
| Massachusetts | $62,720 |
| Michigan | $56,598 |
| Minnesota | $56,363 |
| Mississippi | $61,475 |
| Missouri | $51,846 |
| Montana | $59,495 |
| Nebraska | $48,097 |
| Nevada | $56,971 |
| New Hampshire | $55,323 |
| New Jersey | $62,487 |
| New Mexico | $56,917 |
| New York | $67,042 |
| North Carolina | $55,639 |
| North Dakota | $49,756 |
| Ohio | $52,982 |
| Oklahoma | $51,567 |
| Oregon | $56,570 |
| Pennsylvania | $55,305 |
| Rhode Island | $60,590 |
| South Carolina | $54,137 |
| South Dakota | $45,705 |
| Tennessee | $50,090 |
| Texas | $56,048 |
| Utah | $51,713 |
| Vermont | $57,945 |
| Virginia | $57,689 |
| Washington | $66,009 |
| West Virginia | $54,189 |
| Wisconsin | $54,808 |
| Wyoming | $54,905 |
| District of Columbia | $65,286 |
Event Manager Work Environment
Event Managers are tasked with organizing various events.
The list includes conferences, weddings, fundraisers, team buildings and more.
As such, the work environment of an Event Manager can vary based on their what type of events they specialize in and whether they work for an employer or on a freelance basis.
Some of the common organizations that employ Event Managers include:
- Event management companies
- Corporate offices
- Hotels and resorts
- Event venues
- Nonprofit organizations
As mentioned, Event Managers can also work as freelancers, meaning they have the freedom to choose their projects based on availability and preferences.
Given their job is all about creating events at various venues, many Event Managers are constantly traveling to different cities or even states.
This creates another dynamic element to the Event Manager’s role, offering individuals exciting opportunities to work in various locations and settings.
Pros and Cons of an Event Manager Career
Below are the lists of some common pros and cons for Event Managers.
Pros of Working as an Event Manager
- Opportunity to be creative: While your clients will dictate the budget and preferences of the event, that doesn’t mean that you won’t get to be creative. In fact, the most successful Event Managers can manage to remain creative and authentic while coordinating with clients and bringing their vision to life.
- Varied events and clients: Working as an Event Manager includes working on different types of events for a diverse group of clients. This provides aspiring Event Managers with many opportunities to network and hone their people skills.
- Developing transferable skills: Successfully preforming in the Event Manager’s role means understanding budgeting, projections, management and more. Thriving as an Event Manager means developing numerous skills that can be applied and beneficial in many careers beyond that of an Event Manager.
- Flexible education requirements: Although some employers require a bachelor’s degree, many Event Managers start their career with only a high school diploma and then learn relevant skills through hands-on experience.
Cons of Working as an Event Manager
- Intense work hours: Many Event Managers, Planners and Coordinators work unconventional hours, often more than 40 per week. The number of required hours only increases as the event approaches, so this is not a career that can be taken lightly.
- Experience required: While not all employers have strict education requirements, most still require a portfolio of event you’ve organized before. This means that starting a career as an Event Manager might be challenging if you have no relevant prior experience.
- Job instability: The job stability for this role can change drastically throughout the year. While holiday season can have multiple, other parts of the year may not be as eventful, leading to a slow season for Event Managers.
Quiz: Is Event Manager the Right Role for You?
Unsure whether you have the skills to become a top-tier Event Manager?
Answer the questions below and find out.
Results
#1. Are you creative?
#2. Can you multitask?
#3. Do you have a keen eye for detail?
#4. Are you comfortable working in a fast-paced environment?
#5. Do you feel comfortable negotiating terms and conditions with clients?
#6. Do you find budgeting easy?
#7. A client asks you to make a last minute change. What do you do?
#8. How do you like traveling for work?
#9. Are you comfortable working more than 40 hours a wee?
#10. When managing an event, do you:
Event Manager Career FAQ
No, it is unlikely that you will get a job as an Event Manager without prior experience.Most employers and potential clients will look for a portfolio of work, so it’s best to gain hands-on experience and build a strong portfolio through volunteering or by starting your career as an Assistant to an Event Manager and moving up.
Yes, working as an Event Manager can be stressful.Dealing with clients, vendors, staff and other individuals involved in putting together an event requires multiple hard and soft skills.However, as you start your career and gain experience, you will slowly learn how to multitask, communicate, budget, and perform the role of an Event Manager while knowing how to handle the amount of stress it entails.
Some of the most common tasks for an Event Manager include:
- Coordinating with clients to create an event according to their preferences
- Ensuring adherence to budget and timeframes
- Handling the logistics of an event
- Ensuring the event runs smoothly
Although an Event Planner’s role is similar to that of an Event Manager, there is a difference.An Event Planner might focus more on the vision, planning and conceptualization of an event, whereas an Event Manager will also oversee the event on the day of, making sure that everything runs smoothly.Even though there is a practical difference between the two roles, some employers (and clients) will still use these terms interchangeably. That said, it’s best to check the job description of the Event Manager position you’re applying for.