Event Manager Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of an event manager. Feel free to use our job description template to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as an event manager.
Who is an Event Manager?
Event management is a professional venture that involves the development, coordination, and organization of occasions and events such as concerts, conferences, conventions, trade shows, weddings, and festivals. Would you like to organize a retreat for workers? Do you have what it takes to plan a street fair in your vicinity? Do you get excited by the prospect of coordinating a small or large-scale event in your neighborhood? If your response to the aforementioned question is yes, read on to decipher if being an event manager is the right career for you. Also, you will be introduced to details about the job description, needed qualifications, and skills to mention but a few.
In broad terms, event management comprises the application of specific aspects of project management to the creation and development of personal or corporate events. The process of event management involves studying the brand, identification of the target audience, devising the event concept, and coordinating the technical aspects before actually launching the event. The process of planning and organizing events is termed event planning; event management ranges from mega-events like the Olympics to smaller events such as breakfast meetings. Organizations, charitable enterprises, interest groups, and celebrities hold events to market their brand, raise funds, celebrate achievements, and build business relationships. Although each event is different, most events generally involve drafting a budget, site or venue selection, scheduling, and acquiring necessary permits. It also includes coordination of transportation and parking, provision of security, catering, and arranging décor.
An individual or group of individuals responsible for event management is called an event manager. Event managers plan and execute the event and take responsibility for the logistical, creative, and technical elements of event management. The scope of their tasks includes marketing, communication, and brand building; they also arrange audio-visual production, budgeting, negotiation, scriptwriting, and client service. The role of an event manager has been reported to be a challenging and exciting career path due to the complexities involved, the rapidly changing environment, and the extensive body of knowledge needed. An event manager must ensure that the target audience is engaged and the message of such an event is properly marketed. Arguably, events play huge roles in the success of a firm, brand, or company. The event manager can coordinate exhibitions, seminars, parties, and corporate incentive trips as well. Additionally, an event manager is involved in the entire process of the event; from the planning stage to running the event, and finally carrying out post-event evaluation. You might be required to work as part of a team or hands-on based on the nature of the event and firm.
Importantly, the event managers work and liaise with the customer or the client to figure out the purpose of the event. This is an essential aspect of the job. You don’t want to be planning for a food festival when the client intends to hold a musical concert. Also, a needs assessment is crucial in managing events; the event manager needs to meet the client to assess what they want and what they hope to achieve from the event. Notwithstanding, the event manager must work within the confines of the budget and take note of the clients’ budgetary control; hence, the importance of the client manager’s relationship. If the manager is leading a team of event planners, then he/she must state clearly the duties of each team member without ambiguity. After financial management and setting an objective, the event manager should be willing to regularly meet with vendors, organizers, specialists, and everyone with a role to play to develop an agenda.
Event managers might be required to travel to several locations to visit sponsors, clients, venues, partners, and other suppliers. In relation, the event managers may need to work outside to deliver some events like an outdoor festival or concert for example. An advantage of being an event manager is that you can become self-employed and a freelancer once you’ve accrued enough experience and an established network of customers. A new event manager will need to work with experienced colleagues or mentors to enhance their knowledge and skills. Crucially, there are numerous opportunities for professional development for event managers. You will need an excellent track record of managing successful events and quickly building your skills to progress rapidly in your career. Remember, event management is a highly competitive field. With experience, an event manager can take on responsibility for large-scale events which can be complex to manage.
Event Manager Job Description
Below are the event manager job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write an event manager job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
An event manager must have the ability to bring suggestions that can enhance the event as well as be willing to plan the event from start to finish according to requirements, objectives, and target audience. Thus, the general job description of event managers is enumerated below regardless of the nature of the event;
- Establish and maintain relationships with vendors and venues.
- Keep a working knowledge of the complex needs of a wide variety of events.
- Work within the confines of the budget.
- Plan and prepare for potential circumstances that can impact the integrity of the event.
- Address and manage potential problems and challenges that may arise before or during the event.
- Create reliable financial reports and collect payments on time.
- Pay attention to details and arrange event seating, guests, and dining.
- Brainstorm and implement event plans, concepts, innovations, processes, and ideas.
- Handle budget and invoices.
- Negotiate sponsorship deals, handle logistics, and create rapport with clients.
- Update senior management and develop event feedback surveys.
- Obtain necessary permits and prepare post-event reports in detail.
- Liaise with clients to pinpoint their exact event requirements and objectives.
- Manage a team of staff and give them a full briefing.
- Coordinate supplies, handle customers’ queries, and troubleshoot on the day of the event to make sure that everything runs smoothly.
- Write detailed event proposal covering budget, staffing, suppliers, timelines, venue, and legal obligations.
- Research, negotiate and hire venues, contractors, and suppliers.
- Cooperate with marketing and sales units to promote and advertise the event.
- Arrange facilities for car parking, security, traffic control, first aid, media, and hospitality.
- Source for opportunities for new events and clients.
- Ensure that all event décor is dismantled, cleared, and removed from the venue effectively.
- Ensure that health, safety, legal, and insurance obligations are strictly adhered to.
- Approve all aspects of the event before the day.
- Be in charge of hiring workers, disc jockeys, or security for the event.
- Monitor the event as it is taking place and resolve issues that arise.
Qualifications
An event manager should be a good financial manager since working within a tight budget is an important part of the position. The following are the qualifications for becoming an event manager;
- Education: A Bachelor of Science degree in event management is perfect for the role of an event manager. Thankfully, there are a growing number of universities and institutions which offer education and training in event management in the form of both undergraduate and graduate degrees. A Bachelor of Science degree in event management covers the core areas of the position with emphasis on hospitality, tourism, guest service, accounting, marketing, lodging operations, and event management. Other degrees in a related field can also suffice.
- Training: Training in sales, promotion, information technology, event marketing and copywriting, customer care, project management, design, risk management, health and safety, finance, and catering is an advantage.
- Additional certification: Candidates with degrees in business administration, public relations, or marketing can augment their educational qualifications with relevant professional certification. Examples of some available certifications include certified meeting professional, certified in exhibition management, certified trade show marketer, a certificate in meeting management, certified professional in catering and events, certified event designer, certified special event professional, and certified quality event planner.
- Experience: Relevant work experience either paid or voluntary and knowledge of the industry is essential and desirable to break into this competitive field. Some degree courses have an optional year in the industry and this can be a great avenue to develop relevant experience and make industry contact. Relatively, make the most of your time at the university to organize events for a student body or for charities, or other clubs you have links with. Experience in the hospitality industry or a sales, marketing, or customer service position is useful as well.
Essential skills
Typically, the event managers perform tasks that require hard and soft skills including writing and technology applications like social media management and they also rely on the expertise in applying a range of additional skills as well.
Budgeting and financial skills: An event manager must have good budgeting skills not just for drafting budgets but to work within a given budget. Invariably, every event comes with a cost; it is, therefore, the responsibility of the event manager to keep those costs within the allocated budget. This will require a degree of financial skill as well as the ability to create accurate reports.
Planning skills: The hallmark of every successful event is in its planning. Planning an event should be done in three main phases; the initiation phase, the middle phase, and the conclusion phase. The initiation phase involves adequate preparation and planning before the event. This may involve meetings with clients, vendors, and everyone involved. The middle phase includes planning and organizing for the event day. Here, the event manager must ensure that all that is required to make the event successful is put in order. Finally, the conclusion phase involves preparation and arrangements to clear, dismantle, and organize the venue after the event.
Logistics: Everything in an event from the setting to the entertainment must be set up in a practical and useful manner for guests and attendees. To accomplish this, the event manager must possess an array of skills in logistics to properly plan the details and anticipate potential pitfalls that may arise. For instance, an event manager must calculate the cost of hiring a venue, the cost of transportation of musical equipment, or the activities involved in hosting guest artists and performers for a musical festival. Logistics is undoubtedly an essential component of event management.
Decision-making skills: The ability to make quick decisions under pressure or analyze all aspects of a decision are two crucial skills that event managers should have to be successful in their careers. For example, if something goes wrong during an event, such as a guest speaker not showing up or an instrument malfunction, the event manager needs to be able to make quick decisions about how to proceed with the event. In addition, adaptability when making choices is another strong quality that event manager often possesses.
Public speaking skills: Another aspect of communication, the ability to articulate announcements and speak to large crowds is something event managers should be skilled with. While addressing audiences at an event may not always be part of their roles, event managers may use public speaking to engage customers or business clients as a form of branding. For example, an event manager for a large marketing company who organizes and hosts a networking event may greet and address the professionals or clients who attend. Similarly, the ability to apply pragmatics to different situations when interacting with others is another skill that event managers should have.
Other related skills include leadership skills, creative thinking, time management, and networking skills.
How to Become an Event Manager
There is no standard qualification or procedure to become an events manager but most have degrees in event management, public relations, marketing, or hospitality management. However, follow the following steps to become an event manager;
- Complete a Bachelor of Business in Event management which is usually full-time for 3-4 years. Alternatively, complete a diploma in event management; a full-time course for one year.
- Explore opportunities to further your careers such as completing a Master of management in tourism and event to work towards senior roles in festival and event management.
- Look for entry-level positions to get training, experience and harness your skills.
- Create a website and online profile to attract recruiters.
Where to work
Event managers can be employed in the private, profit, or public sectors for companies and firms. Also, there is the option of working as a freelance event manager. Industries that employ event managers include
- Conference and exhibition centers.
- Charities and universities
- Large commercial organizations
- Music, literary, and theatre festivals.
- Hotels and event venues.
- Local authorities and public attraction climes.
- Special event management consultancies.
- Public relations agencies
- Sports clubs and organizations
- In-house organizations.
Event Manager Salary Scale
In the United Kingdom, the salary scale for entry-level event managers is approximately 18000GBP to 22000GBP per year. With relevant experience, the salary ranges between 23000GBP and 27000GBP annually. In relation, event managers with master’s degrees and years of experience can expect to earn around 33,000GBP yearly. However, it is important to note that salaries vary depending on the employer, location, and industry.
Furthermore, the average salary of an event manager in the United States of America is 25.75USD per hour. An early career event manager in France with 1-4 years of experience earns an average total compensation of 33,350FRANC.