If you like attending events with your family or friends within your city or province, whether it’s the launch of the latest iPhone model or a fundraising concert that raises money for cancer research and awareness, did you ever wonder how it all comes together? However, it’s common that when you pop into an event, say an album launch of your favourite artist, you pay little attention to the big picture. After all, you’re there to enjoy what you came for, and hopefully meet like-minded individuals who share similar interests with you.

However, there’s painstaking work behind every special event, and an important individual who makes sure everything is in place before, during, and after the event is the special events coordinator. Read on to understand more about this exciting profession, and if this is something you can consider if you’re looking into a career that offers excitement and spontaneity.

Special Events Coordinator – What You Need to Know

Special event coordinators are mainly responsible for overseeing the full life cycle of special events from its inception to implementation. The special events can range from private events like conferences for CEOs of large-scale companies or birthday parties for a prominent member of a community or a high-ranking official. It can also be a public event like a trade show or a charity event.

Special event coordinators play a key role in planning the event, but often in collaboration with their own company, a particular client, and their team. They make major decisions from the event’s concept or theme up to the clean-up committee or media coverage following the event. In addition, they hold the responsibility of finding entertainment, catering, and venues, ensuring that every item is in line with the company’s timelines and budget. Special event coordinators also take on other tasks including sampling food, deciding on the decorations and floral arrangements, and finalizing the guest list and seating arrangements. For high-profile company events such as a fundraising event with special dignitaries as guests, special events coordinators also take charge of promotional and marketing duties to ensure it gains media and public attention.

Salary

According to PayScale.com, special events coordinator can earn up to an average of C$42,765 a year, with bonus and profit sharing earning potential.

Skills

As the main tasks of special events coordinator revolve around planning and organizing, it’s required to have strengths in time management and organization. In addition, since they often work with a team or have staff members working for them, it’s also a must for a special event coordinator to have excellent leadership abilities and collaborative skills. They also need to be outstanding in analytical and critical thinking as they must always ensure they keep to an established schedule and budget. As the profession is often under time constraints, special events coordinator must be able to handle pressure well and be someone who’s quick on their feet for resolving conflicts.

To kick off a career as a special events coordinator, an Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in any related field such as Business Administration or Public Relations is required, plus experience in customer service and/or public relations with at least one year at a supervisor level can be a huge advantage.

Pros and Cons

Working as a special events coordinator can be an exciting one. It’s definitely spontaneous and not monotonous as with other professions as you have the authority to handle a special event in any way you want, which means you can make it different every time.

Due to budget or time constraints, however, being in charge of special events can mean a lot of pressure and stress. You also have to have the stamina to keep up with the tasks and sometimes you may be required to work beyond office hours or even weekends just to meet requirements for a special event.

However, what will keep you going is the excitement that each event has to offer.

SOURCES:

What Does an Event Coordinator Do?

https://www.bizcommunity.com/Job/196/40/358799.html

https://www.payscale.com/research/CA/Job=Special_Events_Coordinator/Salary