Overview of the Event Coordinator Role
An Event Coordinator is someone who takes on clients who need help planning an event. An Event Coordinator will provide the client with options that fit with their theme or requirements and organise the entire event from start to finish. This includes location scouting, contacting vendors such as Chefs or Caterers, decorating the location, and making sure that everything runs smoothly on the day of the event.
You will need to have good organisational, communication, and time management skills to succeed in this role. Your working hours will need to be flexible, and you will need to keep the client informed of all aspects, changes, or issues related to the event as they occur.
Dress Code
As an Event Coordinator, you will want to focus on professionalism. This means well-fitted suits for men and tailored dresses, blouses with trousers or skirts for women, often in neutral colours.
Event Coordinator Duties
It is an Event Coordinator’s duty to set goals for an event and make sure that these targets are met on time in preparation for an event. To do this, you will need to communicate with vendors and clients, set budgets, and make sure there are no issues on the event day.
Event Coordinator Tips
Focus on improving your communication skills for speaking with clients, vendors and staff to make sure the event runs smoothly.
Learn how to manage budgets efficiently to work with many different clients with different needs.
It is important to have the ability to project manage to be proficient in this role and have a level head to oversee all aspects of the event.
Key Skills of an Event Coordinator
An Event Coordinator must be able to organise all aspects of events and coordinate with vendors, staff and clients. They will also need to stay within a budget while being creative and adhering to the client’s needs.
Organisation & Multitasking
It is part of an Event Coordinator’s duties to organise the whole event for the client. They are required to find vendors, staff and locations, amongst other things, and they will need to contact all the involved parties on a regular basis, making sure the vendors are all available on the same day and keeping them up to date with the progress of the event.
This requires a great deal of multitasking, and an Event Coordinator will have to document all exchanges, appointments and details for each person.
Creativity & Attention to Detail
An Event Coordinator will deal with many different types of clients, some who will know exactly what they want and others who are open to suggestions. It is important to be creative and give your input to make the event perfect for the client.
Pay close attention to detail when understanding the client’s needs. Understand what might benefit the event within the budget set by the client and consider all possible avenues to find the right theme for the brief.
Budgeting & Forecasting
Event Coordinators must work within a budget, which means everything involved with the event, including location, decorations, food, entertainment, and staff, will all need to meet the budget. It is important to always keep spending costs in mind, and where necessary, let the client know if they should change or replace anything to meet their costs.
As an Event Coordinator, you should be able to use your knowledge, experience and analytical skills to predict future aspects of the event, including guest numbers and potential changes to the client’s needs.
Event Coordinator Job Responsibilities
An Event Coordinator’s responsibilities are primarily planning and organising an event from start to finish, which includes coordinating with suppliers and clients.
Planning & Organising Events
While planning an event, the Event Coordinator will need to set goals for the event, select a suitable venue, market, plan the budget, coordinate vendors and oversee the entire process from start to finish to make the event an enjoyable experience for both the client and their guests.
The Event Coordinator will also need to be there on the day to solve any problems that might arise and to oversee the whole event.
Coordinating with Suppliers & Clients
It is useful to have a catalogue of suppliers who are reliable and can work within a client’s budget. It is the Event Coordinator’s job to make deals with suppliers for their services, this can include bakers, location managers, and stores that sell decorations. An Event Coordinator must be able to communicate with these suppliers, giving them precise details and instructions that are important for the event.
It is also important to keep in constant contact with the client. The coordinator should keep them up to date with all aspects of the event planning and answer any questions they might have, as well as cater to any changes they might request.
Event Coordinator Career Progression and Advancement
After gaining a good portfolio and enough experience, it is possible to progress into Event Manager or Director roles, or if you intend to continue as an Event Coordinator, there are opportunities to move on to Corporate Events or Wedding Planning.
Advancing to Event Manager or Director Roles
An Event Director will oversee larger-scale events, taking on more strategic responsibilities and leading a team of Event Managers.
To become an Event Manager, you will need a lot of experience in specific aspects of events, such as organising vendors. You will also need to lead teams or coordinators, so be sure to improve your leadership skills. An Event Manager will do all of this on a larger scale, they will also manage budgets and oversee the overall vision of the event.
Corporate Events and Wedding Planning Opportunities
Corporate events and Weddings take on a much larger scale and usually have bigger budgets and bigger time frames. To be responsible for these kinds of events, you will need a lot of event planning experience and a large portfolio of reliable vendors to choose from.
It is important to be able to work under pressure, as clients will have specific requests that might need more research, or vendors may need to be replaced if they drop out.
FAQs on Becoming an Event Coordinator
Can Event Coordinating Be Done Part-Time?
Yes, especially when focusing on smaller events. There are also opportunities to take on a limited number of clients, but it will be important to be flexible with hours, especially around the time of the event itself.
What Are the Busiest Times of Year for Event Coordinators?
The busiest times of the year for Event Coordinators are holidays, peak travel seasons and special occasions. This includes New Year’s Eve, Valentine’s Day, Weddings and Birthdays.
How Much Do Event Coordinators Earn?
An Event Coordinator can expect to earn around £26,000 per year on average. This amount increases with experience and depends on your location.
What Does an Event Coordinator Do?
An Event Coordinator’s responsibilities include planning, organising and executing all aspects of an event. This includes picking venues, coordinating logistics and ensuring customer satisfaction.
