A special events coordinator plans and executes events for individual and corporate clients. Responsible for all of the minute details of an event, those in this position often supervise other service workers, including contract employees. Sometimes a job description for this type of career will require a degree or other specialized training, while others only require verifiable experience and a strong reputation for delivering quality results.
Also known as an event planner, some of the events or activities a special events coordinator may be called upon to facilitate include weddings, receptions, corporate meetings, banquets and private parties. A coordinator may own her or his own event coordination business, but many are salaried employees for large companies and institutions. Coordinators working within a corporate setting are often relied upon as part of a public relations or marketing team.
A self-employed special events coordinator may be required to coordinate several events during the same time period. Therefore, a coordinator must be adept at hiring and delegating tasks to other professionals working in a support capacity to assure that the details of each event are satisfactorily handled in a timely fashion. At the same time, he or she must also track expenditures, prepare client invoices and remain in constant communication with the client, event staff and all outside vendors for each event.
Special events coordinators must be skilled in working well with others and in handing multiple tasks at once. Most are expected to communicate with and contract outside vendors in order to decorate a venue and assure that 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 assure that an event’s costs stays within budget.
The average salary for this job will vary based on the coordinator’s level of expertise and experience, as well as the region where the coordinator works. A coordinator’s salary will also depend on the type of clientele being serviced and the types or number of events coordinated per year. Salaries for freelance event planners or those who operate their own special events coordinator business may fluctuate according to what the client is charged and the amounts that need to be paid to support staff. The salaries of those employed in staff positions, however, tend to average at a set rate.