What does an Event Planner do?
Event planners develop, plan, and execute a variety of both internal and external events. They oversee all aspects of event planning and management, including identifying and working with a variety of external venues/facilities, negotiating contracts with vendors, and maintaining and managing event budgets. Event planners often manage all logistics on-site, which leads them to work long and non-traditional hours.
Event planners generally have a Bachelor's degree in hospitality management. Additionally, the best event planners have strong organizational, budgeting, and time management skills.
- Manage all aspects of an event from pre-planning, determining resource needs, pre-event marketing, and on-site coordination, to post event follow up
- Order supplies needed for events and ensure items arrive in a timely fashion
- Assist in site and vendor selection and negotiating the best possible rates and terms
- Develop effective and collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders
- Supervise staff at events, assign duties, and provide general direction
- Conduct post-event data and strategic analysis to inform future events
- Plan and execute pre-event marketing
- Bachelor's degree, preferably in Hospitality Management, Marketing, Business, or Communications
- 2-3 years experience planning and executing events of varying sizes
- Ability to manage external vendor resources and relationships
- Demonstrated project management skills
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Ability to multi-task and adapt to changing priorities and duties
- Strong Microsoft Office skills
Event Planner Salaries near Canada
Average Base Pay
Event Planner Career Path
Learn how to become an Event Planner, what skills and education you need to succeed, and what level of pay to expect at each step on your career path.
Years of Experience Distribution
Event Planner Insights
Streamlined Communications“directly leadership was good but anyone hire took day and weeks to respond to any and all requests”
Goodwill Projects“Not having weekends but that was a given for an event and market manager role.”
British Institute of Radiology“The younger staff were clicky and pretty much bullied me in my role so I left.”
Arlettie“Experience helped elevate me in my career and got me a far better opportunity than working here.”
Glue Up“it was difficult to balance work and personal life because you work at a global scale and have to assist everyone 24/7”
Oriflame“The people working with me were very nice so I totally enjoyed working with them.”
Hyatt“Salary is not comparable to being in the same position in the tech industry versus the hospitality industry.”
Icecube Event Management“I'm always grateful to Team Icecube for giving me such a great opportunity as a beginner.”
Frequently asked questions about the role and responsibilities of event planners
The typical day of an event planner includes taking a client's vision and turning it into an event. An event planner is responsible for planning, organizing, and coordinating all aspects of an event. Important tasks may include hiring vendors, overseeing staff, and ensuring that all aspects come together on the day of the event.
The best part about working as an event planner is that they're in demand in many industries. Working conditions are often versatile too, as professionals may spend traditional work hours meeting with clients and vendors but nights and weekends overseeing events.
Event planners have the opportunity to make a good salary. The average salary for an event planner is $66,632 per year in Canada. Event planners who work with larger businesses planning large events in luxury spaces may earn even more, sometimes up to $123,527 per year.
Working as an event planner can be a stressful job at times, as the client expects them to meet their goals while also maintaining the company budget. One challenge of being an event planner is that they must also maintain good relationships with vendors and have strong problem-solving skills in order to overcome common challenges.