What Type of Event Planner Should I Be

One press picks a kind of event planner to look into, with what that planner arranges.

What Type of Event Planner Should I Be

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  1. Walkathon organizerRuns a sponsored walk where people collect pledges for walking a set distance.

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How it works

Want to plan events for a living but not sure which ones? The list runs from wedding planner to tournament director, by way of conventions, festivals, charity runs and cruises.

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What every planner does

Whatever the event, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the same duties: meet the client to learn the purpose of the event, plan its time, location and cost, ask venues and service providers for bids, inspect the venues, coordinate rooms, transportation and food, and approve the bills.

Who hires planners

The bureau’s largest employers of planners in 2025 were religious, grantmaking, civic and professional organizations (14 percent), arts, entertainment and recreation (12), accommodation and food services (12) and administrative and support services (11). One planner in ten was self-employed.

  • Coordinating university or volunteer events and shadowing a working planner both count as useful experience, the bureau says.

Questions and answers

What are the different types of event planners?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics groups them as meeting planners, convention planners, event planners and exhibition organizers. Within those it names corporate, healthcare, association, wedding and nonprofit planners, and convention service managers, who work for hotels and convention centers.

What degree do you need to be an event planner?

Planners typically need a bachelor’s degree, the Bureau of Labor Statistics says. Some colleges offer programs in meeting and event management; other common fields are business, communications and social science. Certifications exist and are voluntary.

Do event planners work weekends?

Often. Most planners work full time and many work more than 40 hours a week, the bureau reports, with extra hours as a major event approaches. During meetings or conventions they may work on weekends.

What is the difference between a wedding planner and an event planner?

A wedding planner is an event planner who works on one kind of event: the design, planning and management of a client’s wedding. Other event planners coordinate anniversaries, reunions, product launches, galas and award ceremonies.

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All 45 kinds of event planner

Weddings and family celebrations 7

  • Bar and bat mitzvah planner Plans the celebration of a bar or bat mitzvah, a coming of age ritual in Judaism.
  • Class reunion organizer Brings former classmates together, often at or near their old school.
  • Destination wedding planner Plans a wedding that the guests travel to, where the paperwork can be complicated.
  • Family reunion organizer Gathers an extended family for a meal, some recreation and discussion.
  • Quinceañera planner Plans the celebration of a girl’s 15th birthday, a coming of age in Latin American cultures.
  • Social event planner Coordinates celebrations such as anniversaries, reunions and other large social events.
  • Wedding planner Assists with the design, planning and management of a client’s wedding.

Conferences and business events 14

  • Association planner Organizes annual conferences and trade shows for professional associations.
  • Convention planner Plans conventions and conferences for organizations.
  • Convention service manager Works for a hotel or convention center as the link between the venue and outside planners.
  • Corporate entertainment planner Sets up retreats, holiday parties and team-building for a company’s staff and clients.
  • Corporate event planner Coordinates corporate events, including product launches, galas and award ceremonies.
  • Corporate planner Organizes internal business meetings and meetings between businesses, in person or online.
  • Exhibition organizer Plans, promotes and produces a display; also called an exhibit manager or show manager.
  • Healthcare meeting planner Organizes meetings and conferences for healthcare professionals.
  • Hybrid event planner Combines a live, in-person event with an online part for people who cannot travel.
  • Incentive travel planner Organizes trips that companies give as rewards to employees, clients or partners.
  • Job fair organizer Brings employers, recruiters and schools together to meet job seekers face to face.
  • Meeting planner Plans large meetings for organizations.
  • Professional conference organizer Handles a large academic meeting on behalf of the scientific society that holds it.
  • Virtual event planner Runs events where people meet online, often several sessions of webinars and webcasts.

Festivals, fairs and shows 15

  • Agricultural show organizer Runs a public show of the equipment, animals and sports of farming.
  • Arts festival director Curates a festival that can mix music, dance, film, fine art, literature and poetry.
  • Benefit concert organizer Puts on a concert that is held for a charitable purpose.
  • Fan convention organizer Runs an event where fans of one topic gather for discussions and activities.
  • Film festival programmer Selects the films a festival shows from those that filmmakers submit.
  • Food festival organizer Runs a festival with food, often produce, as its central theme.
  • Literary festival organizer Gathers writers and readers, typically once a year in one city.
  • Music festival organizer Stages a community event of live music, often built round one genre or theme.
  • Parade organizer Arranges a procession along a street, often with costumes, marching bands and floats.
  • Production manager Manages and coordinates the production of a live event, including its technical departments.
  • Promoter Markets and promotes live events, such as concerts, festivals and sports events.
  • Science festival organizer Puts on a festival that shows science and technology to the general public.
  • Stage manager Organizes and coordinates an event or theatrical production so that it runs smoothly.
  • Street fair organizer Sets up a fair on a neighborhood’s main street, with booths that sell goods and food.
  • Tour manager Oversees the logistics, finances and communications of a concert tour.

Charity and sport 6

  • Charity auction organizer Hosts an auction that raises funds for a charity, often in the form of a formal gala.
  • Fun run organizer Sets up a friendly race, usually held to raise funds for a charity.
  • Nonprofit event planner Plans large events that raise donations, such as banquets, charity races and food drives.
  • Race director In motorsport, oversees all operations of a race, including safety.
  • Tournament director Organizes the brackets or pairings, tracks scores and declares that competition may begin.
  • Walkathon organizer Runs a sponsored walk where people collect pledges for walking a set distance.

Travel 3

  • Cruise director Is responsible for all the hospitality, entertainment and social events on a cruise ship.
  • Destination management planner Uses local knowledge to design events, activities, tours and transport in one place.
  • Tour operator Combines places to stay, meals, sightseeing and transport into a package tour.