Conference and Event Planners

(NOC 1226)

in All Business, Finance, and Administration

Conference and event planners plan, organize, and coordinate conferences, conventions, meetings, seminars, exhibitions, trade shows, festivals and other events. They work for tourism associations, trade and professional associations, convention and conference centres, governments and by conference and event planning companies, or they may be self-employed.

Job Outlook

Average

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  • Estimate Moderate growth employment change, 2021-2023
  • Estimate 45 openings due to growth and retirements, 2021-2023
  • Estimate Moderate rate of unemployment in 2022

Compared to: All Business, Finance, and Administration

  • Estimate 3555 employment change, 2021-2023
  • Estimate 9370 openings due to growth and retirements, 2021-2023
  • Estimate rate of unemployment not available for these occupation.

Hourly Pay

$14.50

Minimum

$22.91

Median

$28.87

Maximum

Annual Pay

$3,585

Minimum

$27,286

Median

$67,455

Maximum

Compared to: All Business, Finance, and Administration

Hourly Pay

$15.00

Minimum

$23.00

Median

$38.50

Maximum

Annual Pay

$6,754

Minimum

$36,515

Median

$70,271

Maximum

About the job

Nature of work

Conference and event planners plan, organize, and coordinate conferences, conventions, meetings, seminars, exhibitions, trade shows, festivals and other events. They work for tourism associations, trade and professional associations, convention and conference centres, governments and by conference and event planning companies, or they may be self-employed.

Job duties

Conference and event planners:

  • Meet with trade and professional associations and other groups to promote and discuss conference, convention and trade show services.
  • Meet with sponsors and organizing committees to plan scope and format of events, to establish and monitor budgets and to review administrative procedures and progress of events.
  • Coordinate services for events like accommodation and transportation for participants, conference and other facilities, catering, signage, displays, translation, special needs requirements, audio-visual equipment, printing and security.
  • Organize registration of participants, prepare programs and promotional material, and publicize events.
  • Plan entertainment and social gatherings for participants.
  • Hire, train and supervise support staff needed for events.
  • Make sure required by-laws are met.
  • Negotiate contracts for services, approve suppliers' invoices, maintain financial records, review final billing submitted to clients for events and prepare reports.

Sample job titles

  • conference organizer
  • conference planner
  • convention and special events planner
  • event coordinator
  • event planner
  • festival organizer
  • meeting planner
  • trade show organizer

Skills

  • You need excellent communication, organizational, and negotiation skills. You must have initiative and be willing to accept new ideas and take risks. The ability to analyze detailed information accurately and quickly is necessary to make decisions.

Job requirements

  • A university degree or college diploma in business, tourism or hospitality administration is usually required.
  • Certification relating to special events, meetings or conference management may be required.

Other considerations

  • Several years of experience in hospitality or tourism administration or in public relations are usually required and may substitute for formal education requirements.

By the numbers

Quick look

540

employed in 2016

77.1%

employed full-time

10.1%

self employed

69.7%
Icons/female Created with Sketch.
30.3%
Icons/male Created with Sketch.
33.4

median age

Compared to: All Business, Finance, and Administration

63,775

employed in 2016

78.4%

employed full-time

6.6%

self employed

73.4%
Icons/female Created with Sketch.
26.6%
Icons/male Created with Sketch.
47.9

median age

Where will I likely work?

68.5%

Halifax

$38,485 median annual income
11.1%

North Shore

$11,224 median annual income
8.3%

Cape Breton

$5,823 median annual income
6.5%

Annapolis Valley

N/A
5.6%

Southern

$24,293 median annual income

Compared to: All NS Occupations

47.0%

Halifax

15.6%

North Shore

12.9%

Annapolis Valley

12.7%

Cape Breton

11.8%

Southern

Top Industries of Employment

20.3%

Other services (except public administration)

18.9%

Arts, entertainment and recreation

16.2%

Educational services

12.2%

Accommodation and food services

6.8%

Professional, scientific and technical services

What is the age of Employment?

33.0%

25-34

20.0%

15-24

16.0%

45-54

13.0%

35-44

12.0%

55-64

6.0%

65+

Compared to: All Business, Finance, and Administration

26.3%

45-54

22.6%

55-64

19.4%

35-44

16.7%

25-34

7.5%

65+

Top levels of education

45.0%

Bachelor

$35,173 median annual income
19.3%

High school

$14,123 median annual income
17.4%

College Diploma

$46,420 median annual income
6.4%

Trade Certification

$16,578 median annual income
4.6%

Master

N/A

Compared to: All Business, Finance, and Administration

33.8%

College Diploma

$36,304 median annual income
23.8%

High school

$32,903 median annual income
22.8%

Bachelor

$41,755 median annual income
5.8%

Trade Certification

$34,807 median annual income
4.9%

Less than high school

$23,174 median annual income

Education & training

Business Administration and Management

College, Trades, or University Program

These programs prepare students to plan, organize, direct, and control the functions and processes of a firm or organization. They include courses in management theory, human resources management and behaviour, accounting and other quantitative methods, purchasing and logistics, organization and production, marketing, and business decision-making.

Institutions providing this program

Maritime Business College

Lower Sackville, NS

Academy of Learning Career College - Halifax

Halifax, NS

Acadia University

Wolfville, NS

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS

Mount Saint Vincent University

Halifax, NS

Universite Sainte-Anne

Pointe-de-l'Église, NS

St. Francis Xavier University

Antigonish, NS

Saint Mary's University

Halifax, NS

Cape Breton University

Sydney, NS

Dalhousie University Faculty of Agriculture

Truro, NS

Nova Scotia Community College

Various, NS

Hospitality Administration/Management

College or University Program

These programs prepare students to serve as general managers and directors of hospitality operations on a system-wide basis, including both travel arrangements and promotion and the provision of traveller facilities. These include courses in principles of operations in the travel and tourism, hotel and lodging facilities, food services, and recreation facilities industries, hospitality marketing strategies, hospitality planning, management and coordination of franchise and unit operations, business management, accounting and financial management, hospitality transportation and logistics, and hospitality industry policies and regulations.

Institutions providing this program

Mount Saint Vincent University

Halifax, NS

Cape Breton University

Sydney, NS

Nova Scotia Community College

Various, NS

Meeting and Event Planning

College or Trades Program

These programs prepare students to plan, budget, and implement conferences, meetings, and other special events in the public or private sectors. They include courses in principles of meeting and event planning, special event management, budgets and finance, site selection, contracts, vendors, and negotiations, marketing and promotions, food and beverage management, audio-visual basics and meeting technology, and hospitality law.

Institutions providing this program

Nova Scotia Community College

Various, NS

Tourism and Travel Services Management

College or University Program

These programs prepare students to manage travel-related enterprises and related convention and/or tour services. They include courses in travel agency management, tour arranging and planning, convention and event planning, travel industry operations and procedures, tourism marketing and promotion strategies, travel counselling, travel industry law, international and domestic operations, and travel and tourism policy.

Institutions providing this program

Cape Breton University

Sydney, NS

Nova Scotia Community College

Various, NS

Employment requirements & contacts

No regulating bodies were found under this occupation profile

Contacts

Canadian Society of Professional Event Planners
Whitby, ON

Additional resources

There are no additional resources for this occupation.