Event Coordinator Job Description Template for Hiring

Hiring an Event Coordinator in 2025 starts with a clear, compliant job description. It should set expectations on scope, skills, pay, and schedule.

This guide provides a copy-ready Event Coordinator job description template. You'll also get responsibility banks, salary benchmarks, KPIs, and an interview toolkit you can use today to shorten time-to-hire and improve candidate quality.

What Does an Event Coordinator Do? (Quick Definition)

An Event Coordinator plans logistics, manages vendors and timelines, and runs day-of execution so events launch on time, on budget, and on brand.

They translate goals into checklists, run-of-show documents, floor plans, and clear communications for venues, suppliers, and stakeholders.

Think of them as the operational lead who ensures the right people, materials, and approvals are in the right place at the right time.

Titles may vary (Event Specialist, Event Planner, Event Production Coordinator), but the core is logistics, coordination, and quality control from planning through post-event wrap.

Copy‑Ready Event Coordinator Job Description Template (Compliant for 2025)

Use this template as-is or customize for your organization, event types, and location. Include pay transparency and EEO/ADA language to stay compliant in many U.S. jurisdictions and to set clear expectations for applicants.

Job Summary

We’re seeking an Event Coordinator to plan and execute high-quality events that achieve business goals and deliver a great attendee experience.

You’ll own timelines, vendor coordination, registration/ticketing workflows, on-site operations, and post-event reporting.

The ideal candidate is detail-obsessed, calm under pressure, tech-savvy with event software, and comfortable collaborating across marketing, sales, operations, and finance.

You will report to the [Event Manager/Marketing Director/Operations Lead] and support events ranging from [internal meetings] to [customer conferences/trade shows/fundraisers].

Key Responsibilities

Plan and manage event timelines, budgets, run-of-show, floor plans, and staffing plans.
Source, negotiate, and manage venues and vendors (catering, A/V, décor, transportation, security).
Coordinate registration/ticketing, guest lists, seating assignments, and on-site check-in.
Oversee permits, COIs, risk assessments, and compliance (ADA, fire code, alcohol, data privacy).
Manage on-site setup, rehearsals, live show flow, vendor calls, and strike/teardown.
Track expenses, reconcile invoices, and report budget variance and ROI metrics.
Collect attendee feedback and performance data; produce post-event recap and improvements.
Support sponsorship deliverables, signage/branding, swag, and speaker/exhibitor logistics.
Collaborate with marketing on event communications, websites/apps, and attendee updates.
Maintain SOPs, templates, supplier lists, and a clean project file system.

Qualifications and Requirements

1–3 years in event coordination, hospitality, marketing operations, or related role; internship/volunteer experience considered for entry-level.
Strong project management, vendor negotiation, and written/verbal communication skills.
Proficiency with event or project software and MS/Google productivity tools.
Ability to lift up to 30 lbs, stand for extended periods on event days, and travel as needed.
Nice to have: experience with virtual/hybrid events, A/V basics, or certifications (CMP, CSEP).

Tools and Technologies

Must-have: project/PM tools (Asana, Trello, Smartsheet, or Airtable), spreadsheets, slide tools, and shared drives.
Registration/ticketing: Eventbrite, Cvent, Bizzabo, or Splash.
Virtual/hybrid platforms: Zoom Events, Microsoft Teams, Webex, or Cvent Attendee Hub.
A/V and production coordination: knowledge of run-of-show, comms headsets, stage management; familiarity with OBS/vMix is a plus.
CRM/email and analytics: HubSpot or Salesforce basics; survey tools; Google Analytics/UTMs.
AI/assist: content and checklist drafting, caption/transcript tools (e.g., Otter, Grammarly).

Compensation, Benefits, and Pay Transparency Note

Expected base salary range: [$X–$Y] annually, plus [bonus/OT eligibility]. The posted range reflects our good-faith estimate for [location] as of 2025 and may vary based on experience and skills.
Benefits: [medical/dental/vision], 401(k) with match, paid time off, [commuter/travel per diem], and professional development (MPI/PCMA/ILEA events).
Where required by law, we include pay ranges in job postings. Final offers consider experience, certifications, and market data.

Schedule, Travel, and Work Environment

Schedule: Full-time with flexibility; events may require evenings, early mornings, and some weekends.
Travel: Approximately [10–30%], depending on event calendar.
Physical demands: Ability to lift/move event materials (up to 30 lbs), stand/walk for 6–10 hours on event days, and navigate venues safely.
Work setting: Hybrid/onsite as needed for venue walkthroughs, vendor meetings, and live events.

EEO/ADA and Application Instructions

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.
Reasonable accommodations: If you need assistance during the application or interview process, contact [HR email/phone].
To apply: Submit your resume and a brief note highlighting your most complex event and your role, plus any portfolio/run-of-show samples.

Event Coordinator Duties and Responsibilities (Expanded Bank)

Use these modular bullets to tailor your Event Coordinator responsibilities section for your specific event mix. Select the items that match your event types, scale, and internal workflows so candidates see a realistic scope.

Pre‑Event Planning and Logistics

Translate event goals into timelines, work-back schedules, and task owners; maintain risk and issue logs.
Build run-of-show, floor plans, seating charts, and production schedules.
Manage registration/ticketing setup, discount codes, confirmations, and badge printing.
Develop staffing plans, volunteer schedules, and briefing packets.
Coordinate travel/hotels, ground transport, and room blocks; manage rooming lists and attrition dates.

Vendor, Venue, and Budget Management

Source venues and suppliers; run RFPs, compare bids, negotiate terms, and secure COIs.
Conduct site visits, BEO reviews, load-in/load-out plans, and union/vendor rules.
Track budgets, POs, deposits, change orders, and final reconciliations.
Oversee catering counts, menu selections, dietary needs, and service timing.
Manage sponsorship deliverables (booths, signage, lead capture) and exhibitor services.

On‑Site / Day‑Of Execution

Lead setup, signage, registration desks, rehearsals, and stage management.
Run vendor/vendor captain calls and cue the run-of-show with A/V and talent.
Triage issues (late deliveries, weather pivots, VIP changes) with calm, clear comms.
Monitor attendee flow, accessibility, safety, and housekeeping.
Close out: supervise strike, confirm returns, secure storage, and conduct venue walk-through.

Post‑Event Evaluation and Reporting

Reconcile invoices, tips, and incidentals; report budget variance and savings.
Collect attendee/sponsor feedback, NPS/CSAT, and lead/sales outcomes.
Compile recap with wins, issues, photos, and recommendations; update SOPs.
Maintain data hygiene (consents, PII removal schedules) and archive project files.

Risk, Compliance, and Permits

Secure permits (special event, fire, tent, street closure, alcohol, health, amplified sound).
Verify insurance (general liability, additional insured endorsements, liquor liability, workers’ comp).
Build a risk register (weather, crowd, power, medical, data) with mitigations and owners.
Ensure ADA accessibility, emergency egress, and incident reporting procedures.
Align vendor agreements with cancellation, force majeure, and union requirements.

Virtual/Hybrid Event Coordination

Configure platforms (registration, streaming, chat/Q&A, breakout rooms, captioning).
Run speaker tech checks, content uploads, and moderator guides.
Monitor live analytics (attendance, drop-off, engagement) and support queues.
Manage privacy settings, consent language, and recording storage policies.

Skills and Qualifications: What Great Coordinators Have

Hiring for strengths beats hiring for years alone. Screen for habits that prevent last‑minute surprises, protect budgets, and keep stakeholders aligned.

Core Soft Skills

Communication: concise briefs, clear vendor emails, and confident show-calling.
Organization: checklist discipline, version control, and deadline ownership.
Problem-solving: calm triage, escalation judgment, and resourcefulness.
Negotiation: vendor terms, concessions, adds/offs without scope creep.
Resilience: stamina for event weeks and positive, professional demeanor.

Technical Skills and Tool Proficiency

Project tools: Asana/Smartsheet/Airtable; shared calendars and file systems.
Registration/ticketing: Eventbrite/Cvent/Bizzabo/Splash; badge printing.
A/V literacy: run-of-show, stage management, mics, comms, basic livestream terms.
Data and reporting: Excel/Sheets, survey tools, GA/UTMs, simple dashboards.
AI/automation: draft comms and checklists, transcribe sessions, summarize feedback.

Education, Certifications, and Experience Levels

Education: bachelor’s preferred or equivalent experience in events/hospitality/marketing.
Certifications: CMP (Events Industry Council), CSEP (ILEA), DES (PCMA, for digital events) are valued signals.
Levels:
Entry (0–1 year): supports tasks, owns discrete workstreams with supervision.
Mid (2–4 years): runs small/mid events end-to-end; mentors interns/volunteers.
Senior (5+ years): leads complex programs, budgets, and vendor ecosystems.

Salary and Compensation Benchmarks (2025)

Pay varies by market, scope, and sector. Use ranges, not absolutes, and refresh annually. Publish ranges up front to widen your talent pool and meet pay transparency rules where they apply.

National Ranges and Factors that Move Pay

As of late 2024/early 2025, typical U.S. base pay for Event Coordinators lands around $45,000–$68,000, with medians near the low–mid $50Ks; high-cost metros run higher.
Factors: location, event complexity/scale, certifications, A/V/virtual fluency, and sector (tech, finance, nonprofit, venue).
Benchmark from multiple sources (BLS “Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners,” Glassdoor, Payscale, ZipRecruiter) and your internal equity.

By Experience Level and Employment Type (FT/PT/Contract)

Entry: $40,000–$50,000 base or $20–$26/hr; often non-exempt with OT.
Mid: $50,000–$65,000 base; occasional bonuses tied to event KPIs.
Senior/Lead Coordinator: $65,000–$85,000+; may include travel stipends.
Contract: $25–$50/hr or $350–$700/day; add per diem and travel reimbursement.
Venue/attractions roles may skew hourly/non-exempt; agencies and tech often pay higher.

How to Set a Transparent Range in Your JD

Start with a geo-adjusted midpoint; apply ±20% bands for entry/senior skill.
Example: Base range $55,000–$70,000 in [City, State]; “This range reflects our good‑faith estimate for this posting and may vary based on experience and skills.”
Include bonus/OT eligibility and benefits summary; avoid open-ended “DOE” language where pay transparency laws apply.

Coordinator vs Planner vs Manager vs Producer: Who You Actually Need

Titles blur, but scope and decision rights should not. Match the role to budget, complexity, and internal expertise to prevent mis-hiring and rework.

Role Scope and Reporting Lines

Event Coordinator: executes logistics, vendors, and schedules; reports to Planner/Manager.
Event Planner: designs program, agenda, experience; owns vendor selection and budget inputs; may manage coordinators.
Event Manager: accountable for event/business outcomes, budget authority, cross-functional leadership.
Event Producer: leads technical production, show flow, stage/crew; often agency/freelance; partners with Manager/Planner.

When to Hire Each Role (With Budget/Complexity Signals)

Coordinator: < $150K budget, single-day, low A/V complexity; you have a manager/planner in-house.
Planner: $150K–$500K, multi-vendor, content/speaker strategy, sponsorships to wrangle.
Manager: $500K+ programs, multi-day/multi-track, revenue targets, executive stakeholders.
Producer: high A/V complexity, live stream/broadcast, union houses, celebrity/VIP elements.
Outsource to agency if your internal bandwidth is thin or spikes seasonally.

Industry‑Specific Variations You Can Copy

Tune your Event Coordinator job summary and bullets to your sector for better candidate fit. Use the language your candidates expect and the workflows they’ll own.

Corporate / Conference

Own speaker logistics, breakout scheduling, lead capture workflows, and sales alignment.
Manage exhibit hall ops, sponsor fulfillment, and session evaluations.

Nonprofit / Fundraising

Coordinate donor cultivation events, auctions, pledge drives, and volunteer teams.
Track in-kind donations, compliance for raffles, and impact storytelling.

Wedding / Social

Client consultations, vendor curation, timelines, rehearsals, and family/VIP management.
Emergency kit mastery, décor placements, and etiquette guidance.

Venue / Attractions

Respond to inquiries, conduct tours, issue BEOs, and coordinate in-house vendors.
Enforce house rules, load-in windows, and security/safety protocols.

Sports / Experiential / Marketing

Permitting for public spaces, brand activations, mobile tours, and safety plans.
Crowd management, credentialing, radio comms, and incident logging.

Remote/Virtual Coordinator

Platform builds, run-of-show with moderators, live chat support, and accessibility (captions).
Time-zone planning, speaker tech checks, and on-demand content workflows.

KPIs and a 30–60–90 Day Plan for Event Coordinators

Make success measurable early so your new hire ramps fast and confidently. Align KPIs with budget, attendee goals, and compliance to avoid surprises.

Sample KPIs/OKRs and Scorecard

Deliverables on time: ≥95% milestone hit rate.
Budget variance: ≤5% over plan; track savings and concessions.
Attendee satisfaction: NPS or CSAT ≥ target; complaint rate ≤ threshold.
Registration funnel: conversion and show rate targets by event type.
Vendor performance: on-time delivery and issue resolution SLAs.
Safety/compliance: zero permit misses; incident rate tracking with corrective actions.

30–60–90 Day Onboarding Milestones

0–30 days: complete tool access and SOP training; shadow one event; document supplier list; draft a run-of-show template.
31–60 days: own a discrete workstream (registration or vendor track); deliver a site visit; lead a weekly vendor call; hit first KPI report.
61–90 days: run a small event end-to-end; reduce budget variance; publish a post-event recap with actionable improvements; propose two SOP upgrades.

Interview and Assessment Toolkit

Structured hiring reduces bias and predicts performance better than unstructured chats. Use a consistent rubric and practical exercise to compare candidates fairly.

Structured Interview Questions by Competency

Planning: “Walk me through your timeline for a 500-person conference. What’s on your critical path?”
Vendor management: “Describe a negotiation where you secured savings or concessions.”
Day-of execution: “Tell me about a crisis on show day and how you resolved it.”
Budgeting: “How do you track expenses and manage last-minute adds without overruns?”
Virtual/hybrid: “Which platforms have you used and how do you prep speakers?”
Compliance: “What permits/insurance have you handled and how did you manage deadlines?”
Collaboration: “How do you set expectations with marketing/sales and avoid rework?”

What to listen for: clarity, structure, stakeholder savvy, and specific outcomes/metrics.

Practical Exercise and Portfolio Review Criteria

Exercise: Provide a brief to build a one-page run-of-show, a basic budget, and a top-10 risk register with mitigations.
Portfolio: Review scale/complexity, documentation quality (ROS, floor plans, comms), vendor references, and measurable results (NPS, budget savings, registrations).

Legal and Compliance Checklist for Your JD

Set expectations clearly and reduce risk for both parties. Always consult counsel for your jurisdiction to validate required notices and wage classifications.

Permits, Insurance, and Risk Notes by Event Type

Common permits: special event, alcohol/ABC, fire/tent/heater, health/food, amplified sound, street/park use, pyrotechnics.
Insurance: general liability with additional insured, liquor liability, workers’ comp, auto, event cancellation/force majeure riders.
Risk: ADA access, capacity and egress, weather plans, medical/EMT, data privacy (GDPR/CCPA), photo/video consent.

EEO/ADA Boilerplate and Pay Transparency

EEO: “We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibit discrimination of any kind…”
ADA: “We provide reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities during application and employment.”
Pay transparency: Many jurisdictions (e.g., CA, CO, NY, WA) require posting salary ranges and sometimes benefits. Include a good-faith range, bonus/OT notes, and where to ask questions.

Overtime, Travel, and Union Venues

Classification: Many coordinator roles are non-exempt under FLSA; state OT rules may be stricter.
Travel: Clarify per diem, travel time pay, and reimbursement policies.
Union venues: Respect work rules (IATSE, Teamsters), minimum calls, and OT rates; coordinators should not perform restricted labor.

How to Collaborate with Your Event Coordinator

Smooth collaboration reduces last-minute costs and stress. Set decisions, cadence, and escalation paths early so teams stay aligned.

Briefing Template and Communication Cadence

Kickoff brief:
goals
audience
budget
headcount
date/time
venue
VIPs
success metrics
constraints
Cadence:
weekly project standup
vendor call biweekly (weekly inside 30 days)
written status report with risks and asks

Cross‑Functional Roles and Escalation Paths

Define who approves budgets, creative, speakers, and sponsor deals.
Set escalation for scope, safety, and spend thresholds; document RACI so decisions don’t stall.

Tools and Tech Stack Recommendations

Right-size the stack to your event mix and team skills; prioritize reliability over novelty. Favor integrations that reduce manual handoffs and data errors.

Planning/PM, Ticketing/Registration, CRM

PM: Asana, Smartsheet, or Airtable; Google/Office suites; Lucidchart for diagrams.
Registration: Eventbrite (simple/public), Splash (marketing), Cvent/Bizzabo (complex/conference).
CRM: HubSpot or Salesforce integrations for leads and post-event follow-up.

Virtual/Event Platforms and A/V

Platforms: Zoom Events, Webex, Teams, Cvent Attendee Hub, Bizzabo.
Diagramming/floor plans: Social Tables, Allseated.
A/V workflows: run-of-show docs, comms (Clear-Com-like), streaming tools (OBS/vMix), recording storage policies.

AI, Analytics, and Reporting

AI: draft briefs, timelines, and vendor comms; generate captioning and summaries.
Analytics: UTMs, GA4, CRM campaign attribution, survey/NPS; dashboards by event type.
Data privacy: minimize PII, use SSO/SOC 2 vendors where possible, and define retention windows.

FAQs

What’s a day‑of Event Coordinator job description? Focus on setup, vendor load-in, registration, show-calling support, issue triage, attendee flow, and strike; less emphasis on long-range planning.
How do pay transparency laws affect postings? In states like CA, CO, NY, and WA you must include a good-faith salary range and often benefits; include range, bonus/OT eligibility, and location basis.
What nights/weekends/travel are fair to expect? Many coordinators work 5–15 event days with evenings/weekends per quarter and 10–30% travel; specify this and on-call windows in the JD.
What permits and insurance do coordinators handle? Special event, fire/tent, alcohol, health, sound, and venue COIs with additional insured; confirm lead times and responsible parties in the JD.
Event Coordinator vs Event Planner? Coordinators execute logistics; planners shape program/design; managers own outcomes/budget; producers run technical show flow.
What KPIs in the first 90 days? On-time deliverables, budget variance, vendor SLAs, attendee satisfaction, and clean post-event reporting.
Remote/hybrid responsibilities? Platform setup, speaker tech checks, live moderation/escalation, captioning/accessibility, and data/privacy management.
Tool proficiency by level? Entry: PM and registration basics; Mid: budget tracking, A/V literacy, CRM; Senior: complex registration, production cues, analytics, and vendor negotiations.
How do I set salary bands by geography and experience? Start with national medians, apply geo factors (e.g., 0.85–1.25), and band by level; publish a good-faith range and revisit annually.
When to hire a Coordinator vs rely on a venue coordinator or agency? Hire in-house for repeatable brand events; rely on venue coordinators for space/catering only (they don’t manage your vendors or goals); use agencies for spikes or high-Complexity programs.