Event Planner Job Descriptions, Average Salary, Interview Questions

The purpose of this position is to coordinate events for [Your Company Name]. This is accomplished by coordinating activities with staff and third-party vendors and assisting staff and participating in the planning, preparation, and execution of events. Other duties may include assisting with determining event costs and diagramming event configurations. To be considered an ideal candidate for this role, you should have good planning skills, relationship-building skills, and have great time management. Ideally, you’ll have at least one to three years of team management experience in order to attain this role.

Typical duties and responsibilities

• Maintaining and establishing relationships with venues and vendors
• Planning event details and all the aspects that go along with the event including seating, dining, and guests
• Sticking to a budget and striving to stay under budget 
• Thinking ahead and planning backup plans in case anything doesn’t go according to plan on the day of the event 
• Understanding the complex needs of a wide variety of events 
• Addressing any issues or problems that arise during or before the event

Education and experience

• High school diploma or GED required 
• Bachelor’s degree in a related field such as event planning or marketing is preferred 
• Some companies will work with a few years of on-the-job experience

Required skills and qualifications

• Must have great time management skills 
• Must have great interpersonal skills and be extremely organized
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written  
• Ability to make good decisions quickly
• Must be reliable and punctual

Preferred qualifications

• Previous experience with event planning 
•  Ability to make sound decisions and think critically
• Adaptable, takes initiative, able to think on their feet

Responsibilities

• Conduct research and develop feasibility studies to identify new fundraising and outreach events opportunities in all country offices
• Maintain a calendar of events and implement a system that enables and anticipates long-term planning and effective event management for the organization’s fundraising events
• Lead members of the local committees from country offices in planning, budgeting, and overall management of fundraising events
• Maintain strict budget controls for all events; manage all income/expense reporting and prepare appropriate reports
• Oversee procurement and purchasing with regard to catering, audiovisual, security, and rental needs for events
• Work closely with the organization’s communication and donor relations staff on sponsorship arrangements and identify potential revenue streams for all major events
• Work with communication staff to develop brand and marketing tools for events as required and to ensure that events receive optimal media coverage
• Manage all event data to ensure the names of attendees are captured and recorded in the Coptic Orphans CRM tool
• Serve as the primary Coptic Orphans contact for volunteer fundraising; cultivate Coptic Orphans loyalty among volunteers; educate and update volunteers on Coptic Orphans program goals and activities
• Conduct post-event debriefing sessions
• Develop and execute all necessary follow-ups with sub-contractors, sponsors, and client groups
• Trouble-shoot and smooth issues relating to the successful execution of the event program
• Work with other development, field, and program staff to implement plans to create a presence for Coptic Orphans in new cities and regions
• Travel to various fundraising events around the country as necessary; nights and weekend hours are highly required

Knowledge, education, experience, and skills

• University degree or college diploma in business, marketing, or a related field
• 5 years of experience in Event planning or related field is requested
• A passion for the organization that can be communicated to others
• Excellent presentation and communication skills
• Must be willing to travel and able to handle multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced team environment
• Ability to develop professional relationships in all aspects of the position that result in stable, consistent, reliable, and courteous communication when dealing with other organizations
• Excellent organization, planning, and project management skill
• Proficiency in Arabic is a plus
• Ability to identify strengths and weaknesses in a process and make recommendations and adjustments
• Ability to work with minimal supervision; work well in a team and independently

Job responsibilities

• Implement foundation events and special activities involving: the community, board members, employees, medical staff, volunteers, contributors, vendors, and other projects
• Recruit, train, and manage all volunteers and committee members in order to plan theme, fundraising strategy, and format of events, establish and monitor budgets
• Manage all event logistics, negotiate contracts (with assistance from the legal department) and arrange all vendor contracts and ensure appropriate event vision to meet the organization’s standards of excellence; close out all events to include the full spectrum of on-site cleanup, internal finance and payment of invoices, and guest/sponsor stewardship
• Plan and prepare budgets and provide progress reports to the Director of Events for each event project. Track all event finances
• Propose and implement new ideas to improve the event planning and implementation process
• Work collaboratively with the development team and Director of Events on all strategic fundraising efforts to ensure the financial success of the event, and the proper position of the organization in the community, and foster strong relationships with donors
• Collaborate with the development team and internal marketing and communications department as needed for events

Knowledge, skills, and abilities

• Must be organized and demonstrate knowledge and level of expertise to organize events from inception to completion
• Strong communication skills – written and verbal, experience managing more than one event at a time
• Highly motivated self-starter who is engaging, resilient, and resourceful with the ability to work independently, as well as part of a team
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously and perform in a fast-paced environment to meet deadlines
• Ability to liaise in a professional manner with all levels of staff, management, donors, and external contacts
• Willing to work evenings and weekends as events may require
• Excellent vendor management skills

Responsibilities

• Partner with teams to develop requests for proposals for small meetings, work with third parties on sourcing, developing recommendation parameters and guidance on contract terms. Responsible for tracking all small meeting bookings and maintaining a travel log for the Village to ensure ample support is provided
• Negotiates hotel/venue agreements with acceptable contract terms and conditions
• Manages relationships, hotel accommodations, ground transportation, special events and functions, food and beverage, high-level service excellence, etc. Ability to manage and delegate tasks as needed
• Manage financial/budget decisions, dissemination of materials, event metrics & reporting, registration records, and responses to attendee inquiries
• This position will manage the dissemination of awards, track all data, and manage the award library
• Arrange the availability of audio-visual equipment, transportation, displays, and other needs
• Read trade publications, attend seminars, and consult with other learning management and meeting management professionals in order to keep abreast of standards and trends

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred
• A minimum of two (2) year’s event planning/coordination experience required
• Hotel experience preferred
• Intermediate computer skills and proficiency in MS Office suite including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook
• Previous experience with registration software required (SignUp4, Cvent, RegOnline, or comparable software)
• Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) Accreditation is a plus
• Travel Required, approximately 30-50%
• Has the authority to make an independent choice free from immediate direction or supervision
• Ability to negotiate and manage over 100 vendor contracts in a year
• Must be able to perform in a fast-paced, continuously evolving environment
• Must be able to help us fulfill our vision of being torchbearers for learning, the company culture, and our company values
• Ability to manage heavy correspondence. Ability to craft and communicate responses to inquiries in a time-sensitive manner, escalate issues as necessary, and inform the team of communication status