A meeting planner is a professional tasked with the preparation and organization of meetings of various types. The meeting planner will normally do their job by first arranging for all the services that are going to be used in the meeting, and then coordinating all the attendants to ensure there aren’t any hitches in the preparation. It’s usually up to the meeting planner to secure the location of the meeting and prepare it accordingly. Meeting planners can work either for companies on a permanent basis, or on their own, freelancing.
Many meeting planners are able to get their jobs without a higher degree than a high school one, though there are some exceptions of companies which require much higher qualifications from potential candidates for the position, and will typically demand a Bachelor’s degree related to business or management in some way. A strong, organized personality and the ability to make fine adjustments to plans while still ensuring they go smoothly are required, and the job can also be quite demanding at times.
A meeting planner can earn between $45,000 – $63,000 a year, mostly depending on their place of employment (or the flow of their clients, in case of a self-employed planner). Other factors that can influence the salary of a meeting planner include their performance (which can be a very strong deciding factor in some cases, actually), as well as the frequency of meetings that need the meeting planner’s services. Those who have to travel on their jobs usually earn more as well.