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Convention Planners Job Overview

Conventions are organized to bring people together for a common purpose, and convention planners work to ensure that this purpose is achieved flawlessly. Convention planners coordinate every detail of meetings and conventions, starting from the speakers and meeting location to arranging for printed materials and audio-visual equipment. The first step is to determine the purpose, message or impression that the sponsoring organization wants to communicate. Planners focus on how meetings affect the goals of their organizations and then choose speakers, entertainment and content and arrange the program to present the organization’s information in the most effective way.

Convention Planners Schools and Degrees

Employers generally prefer applicants with a bachelors degree, but this is not always required. The number of planners with a bachelor’s degree is increasing as the work and responsibilities are becoming more specialized and complex. Marketing, communications, public relations, business and hotel or hospitality management are useful undergraduate majors for planners. Most of the training is done informally on the job. The Convention Industry Council offers the Certified Meeting Professional diploma, a voluntary certification for convention planners. For this, the candidates must have a minimum of 3 years of convention management experience, full-time employment in a convention management capacity and proof of accountability for successfully completed meetings. Those who qualify must then pass an examination that covers topics such as adult learning, financial management, facilities and services, logistics and meeting programs. The Society of Government Meeting Professionals offers the Certified Government Meeting Professional credential.

Job Requirements

Convention planners must have excellent written and verbal communications skills, interpersonal skills, organizational skills and the ability to multi-task effectively. They are also required to meet deadlines and maintain composure under pressure. Quantitative and analytical skills are necessary aids in devising and following budgets. The ability to speak multiple languages and knowledge of computers are added advantages. Convention planners should understand the organization’s goals for a meeting so that those needs are clearly communicated to meeting site staff and other suppliers. Work aspects vary depending on the type of organization the planner works for. Corporate planners usually have less time to prepare for their meetings. Convention planners in small organizations perform a wider range of duties. In large organizations, they are more likely to specialize in a particular aspect of meeting planning.

Nature of Work

The work of convention planners may be considered either stressful or energizing, but it is surely fast-paced and demanding. Planners look after multiple operations at a time, face numerous deadlines and coordinate the activities of different groups of people. They spend the majority of their time in an their office, but they work on-site at hotels, convention centers or other meeting locations during meetings. Work hours can be long and irregular, and planners might have to work for more than 40 hours in weeks leading up to a meeting, and fewer hours after finishing a meeting. They may get to travel to beautiful hotels and interesting places and meet speakers and delegates from all around the world as well.

Convention Planners Jobs and Outlook

According to recent research, convention planners held about 51,000 jobs in the US. Employment is the highest in the following industries:

• Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations
• Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools
• Local Government
• Other Support Services
• Traveler Accommodation

Employment of convention planners is expected to grow by 20 percent during the next ten years. The mean hourly wage for convention planners in the US is about $22.68, while the mean annual wages are around $47,180.

Job Numbers and Growth

Nationally, there are 51,000 convention planners. The occupation is characterized by a low joblessness level. The unemployment rate for employees was 3% in 2008.

Area Job Conditions

Looking at convention planners per capita, Brockton (Massachusetts), Washington (District of Columbia), and Hot Springs (Arkansas) rise to the top of the list. Omaha (Nebraska), Knoxville (Tennessee), and Little Rock (Arkansas) have the fewest per capita.

The highest salaries for workers are in and around Bridgeport (Connecticut), New York (New York), and San Francisco (California). The lowest-paying areas are Killeen (Texas), Shreveport (Louisiana), and Sioux Falls (South Dakota).

Training and Education

Successful employees find it useful to have a bachelor's degree. According to recent surveys, 67% of convention planners had received a degree. Workers with some schooling beyond high school, but not a college degree, total about 22%. A high school degree was all that was needed for 11% of employees. Recommended schools are shown in the column to the right; request information from them to help you decide which if any could help you with this career.

Part-Time Work and Self-Employment

Convention planners working less than full time, whether by design or chance, were 14% of the total. If you have this occupation and work on your own rather than for another company, you are part of the 6% of workers who do so.

Convention Planners by Metropolitan Area (city and its surroundings)

In the table below, a Job Density near 0% means the area has an average number of people in this occupation, for its population. A higher or lower Job Density (e.g., +22% or -45%) tells you there are that many more or fewer workers of that type there than in the average US metro area. So, the higher the number, the more common the occupation.

Alabama

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Birmingham	$48,000	170	-16%
Huntsville	$56,000	70	-16%
Montgomery	$48,000	30	-54%

Alaska

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Anchorage	$52,000	50	-25%

Arizona

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Phoenix	$48,000	790	+8%
Tucson	$50,000	140	+0%

Arkansas

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Fayetteville	$41,000	100	+23%
Little Rock	$45,000	80	-43%

California

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Bakersfield	$57,000	40	-62%
Fresno	$40,000	40	-69%
Los Angeles	$47,000	1,780	+6%
Modesto	$53,000	40	-35%
Napa	$47,000	30	+29%
Oakland	$54,000	430	+4%
Oxnard	$55,000	90	-26%
Riverside	$47,000	280	-44%
Sacramento	$50,000	410	+14%
Salinas	$49,000	160	+152%
San Diego	$49,000	700	+29%
San Francisco	$60,000	1,010	+145%
San Jose	$59,000	310	-17%
San Luis Obispo	$49,000	30	-15%
Santa Ana	$52,000	680	+12%
Santa Barbara	$58,000	120	+80%
Santa Cruz	$49,000	40	+21%
Santa Rosa	$60,000	70	+1%

Colorado

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Boulder	$59,000	110	+81%
Colorado Springs	$43,000	170	+66%
Denver	$52,000	750	+45%
Fort Collins	$41,000	50	+2%

Connecticut

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Bridgeport	$58,000	250	+43%
Danbury	$43,000	40	+57%
Hartford	$51,000	150	-37%
New Haven	$50,000	80	-28%
Norwich	$45,000	70	+46%

Delaware

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Wilmington	$49,000	150	+13%

District of Columbia

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Washington	$60,000	3,740	+269%

Florida

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Cape Coral	$44,000	30	-61%
Deltona	$51,000	40	-34%
Fort Lauderdale	$52,000	370	+28%
Gainesville	$40,000	60	+27%
Jacksonville	$42,000	310	+25%
Miami	$47,000	510	+25%
Naples	$46,000	40	-8%
Orlando	$42,000	950	+125%
Pensacola	$32,000	60	+2%
Sarasota	$41,000	60	-40%
Tallahassee	$44,000	120	+88%
Tampa	$50,000	530	+12%
West Palm Beach	$47,000	170	-20%

Georgia

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Atlanta	$41,000	2,260	+135%
Columbus	$45,000	40	-7%
Savannah	$45,000	70	+19%

Hawaii

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Honolulu	$53,000	190	+5%

Idaho

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Boise	$33,000	40	-62%

Illinois

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Champaign	$44,000	30	-24%
Springfield	$43,000	90	+116%

Indiana

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Evansville	$38,000	50	-27%
Indianapolis	$44,000	350	-6%

Iowa

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Des Moines	$44,000	160	+19%

Kansas

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Lawrence	$31,000	50	+223%
Manhattan	$44,000	40	+111%
Topeka	$37,000	50	+17%
Wichita	$33,000	60	-49%

Kentucky

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Lexington	$35,000	180	+85%
Louisville	$43,000	280	+12%

Louisiana

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Baton Rouge	$44,000	90	-41%
New Orleans	$46,000	310	+42%

Maine

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Portland	$37,000	80	-1%

Maryland

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Baltimore	$49,000	700	+28%
Bethesda	$56,000	600	+151%

Massachusetts

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Barnstable Town	$49,000	50	+31%
Boston	$57,000	1,270	+75%
Framingham	$63,000	110	+70%
Lowell	$65,000	50	+7%
Peabody	$52,000	40	+2%
Springfield	$55,000	130	+7%
Worcester	$53,000	90	-12%

Michigan

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Ann Arbor	$47,000	140	+110%
Battle Creek	$43,000	30	+59%
Detroit	$51,000	200	-28%
Flint	$36,000	40	-22%
Grand Rapids	$52,000	90	-42%
Lansing	$47,000	90	+13%
Saginaw	$35,000	30	-4%
Warren	$44,000	370	-17%

Minnesota

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Minneapolis	$47,000	1,040	+40%

Mississippi

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Jackson	$36,000	50	-51%

Missouri

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Columbia	$47,000	30	-1%
Kansas City	$48,000	470	+11%
St Louis	$46,000	570	+3%

Montana

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Billings	$33,000	60	+88%
Missoula	$34,000	30	+57%

Nebraska

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Lincoln	$32,000	60	-6%
Omaha	$45,000	120	-38%

Nevada

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Las Vegas	$49,000	320	-9%
Reno	$47,000	120	+57%

New Hampshire

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Nashua	$49,000	40	-26%

New Jersey

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Atlantic City	$50,000	60	+5%
Camden	$51,000	130	-40%
Edison	$57,000	420	-2%
Newark	$54,000	310	-25%
Trenton	$53,000	80	-13%

New Mexico

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Albuquerque	$53,000	80	-49%
Santa Fe	$49,000	30	+30%

New York

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Albany	$51,000	240	+29%
Binghamton	$42,000	30	-32%
Buffalo	$43,000	210	-8%
Ithaca	$45,000	30	+106%
Kingston	$64,000	30	+34%
Nassau	$51,000	350	-34%
New York	$59,000	4,070	+88%
Poughkeepsie	$71,000	160	+60%
Syracuse	$45,000	100	-22%
Utica	$38,000	30	-39%

North Carolina

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Asheville		70	-1%
Charlotte	$44,000	280	-21%
Durham	$60,000	320	+185%
Greensboro	$41,000	110	-25%
Raleigh	$44,000	170	-20%
Wilmington		40	-26%
Winston Salem	$44,000	50	-41%

North Dakota

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Fargo	$30,000	40	-16%

Ohio

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Akron	$36,000	70	-47%
Canton	$32,000	30	-55%
Cincinnati	$52,000	310	-26%
Cleveland	$41,000	330	-22%
Columbus	$44,000	320	-16%
Dayton	$41,000	90	-43%
Toledo	$38,000	50	-58%

Oklahoma

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Oklahoma City	$35,000	140	-41%
Tulsa		140	-21%

Oregon

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Eugene	$40,000	70	+26%
Portland	$45,000	490	+15%
Salem	$36,000	100	+69%

Pennsylvania

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Harrisburg	$44,000	230	+76%
Philadelphia	$53,000	930	+17%
Pittsburgh	$41,000	310	-35%
Scranton	$39,000	40	-62%
State College	$47,000	40	+72%
York	$59,000	50	-29%

Rhode Island

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Providence	$51,000	190	-18%

South Carolina

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Charleston	$48,000	100	-15%
Columbia	$42,000	130	-9%
Greenville	$39,000	120	-2%
Myrtle Beach	$38,000	40	-6%

South Dakota

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Rapid City	$31,000	30	+27%
Sioux Falls	$29,000	80	+46%

Tennessee

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Chattanooga	$35,000	50	-46%
Knoxville	$46,000	60	-56%
Memphis	$43,000	210	-18%
Nashville	$53,000	330	+7%

Texas

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
College Station	$45,000	180	+409%
Corpus Christi	$43,000	30	-58%
Dallas	$48,000	1,040	+19%
El Paso	$37,000	50	-55%
Fort Worth	$44,000	330	-8%
Houston	$44,000	1,010	-8%
San Antonio	$45,000	300	-17%
Tyler	$32,000	70	+103%

Utah

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Ogden	$33,000	110	+37%
Provo	$36,000	70	+3%
Salt Lake City	$51,000	210	-17%

Vermont

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Burlington	$39,000	70	+61%

Virginia

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Charlottesville	$43,000	60	+82%
Richmond	$45,000	410	+61%
Roanoke	$45,000	40	-35%
Virginia Beach	$44,000	260	-17%

Washington

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Bellingham	$44,000	50	+80%
Olympia	$47,000	40	+5%
Seattle	$48,000	740	+27%
Spokane	$40,000	60	-27%
Tacoma	$52,000	50	-54%

West Virginia

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Wheeling	$35,000	40	+65%

Wisconsin

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Eau Claire	$33,000	70	+151%
Green Bay	$44,000	40	-40%
Madison	$42,000	260	+88%
Milwaukee	$41,000	270	-22%
Wausau	$23,000	50	+102%