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Pay: The median pay of an event planner in the Seattle area is $52,208, with most making from $45,298 to $63,295, according to salary.com
Demand: Employment of meeting and convention planners is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations over the 2006-16 decade. Opportunities will be best for individuals with a bachelor's degree and some meeting-planning experience.
As businesses and organizations become increasingly international, meetings and conventions become even more important. Industries that are experiencing high growth tend to experience corresponding growth in meetings and conferences.
Demand for corporate-meeting planners is highly susceptible to business-cycle fluctuations because meetings are usually among the first expenses cut when budgets are tight.
Need to know: Many employers prefer applicants who have a bachelor's degree, but this is not always required. The proportion of planners with a bachelor's degree is increasing because the work and responsibilities are becoming more complex.
Planners have backgrounds in a variety of disciplines, but some useful undergraduate majors are marketing, public relations, communications, business and hotel or hospitality management. Individuals who have studied hospitality management may start out with greater responsibilities than those with other academic backgrounds.
Several universities offer bachelor's or master's degrees with majors in meetings management. Additionally, meeting and convention-planning continuing-education programs are offered by a few universities and colleges.
These programs are designed for career development of meeting professionals as well as for people wishing to enter the occupation. Some programs may require 40 to more than 100 classroom hours and may last anywhere from one semester to two years.
Most of the training is done informally on the job. Entry-level planners, depending upon their education, generally begin by performing small tasks under the supervision of senior meeting professionals. They may start by planning small meetings, such as committee meetings. Those who start at small organizations have the opportunity to learn more quickly since they will be required to take on a larger number of tasks.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
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