Hire the Best Event Planners

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Laura F.

Retalhuleu, Guatemala

$15/hr
5.0
11 jobs

I support travel agencies and event planners with the operational coordination behind seamless trips and well-executed events. From itineraries and reservations to vendor coordination and logistics management, I help ensure travel programs and events run smoothly from planning through execution. With 4+ years of experience in hospitality, travel and events, I specialize in coordinating the details behind travel planning, destination events, and group programs. Travel Coordination • Flight, hotel and transportation research & booking • Detailed itinerary creation and travel documentation • Reservation tracking, confirmations and travel updates • Coordination with hotels, suppliers and transportation providers Event & Program Coordination • Vendor communication and logistics coordination • Event timelines and operational planning • Support for destination events, weddings and group programs

  • Travel Planning
  • Travel Itinerary
  • Event Management
  • Events & Weddings
  • Logistics Coordination
  • Vendor Management
  • Project Management
  • CRM Software
  • Travel & Hospitality
  • Google Sheets
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Asana
  • Slack
  • Canva
  • Social Media Marketing
Shubhangi S.

Makati City, Philippines

$8/hr
4.6
48 jobs

Hello! I’m Shubhangi, with over 5 years of experience as a Virtual Assistant. I do more than admin support. I help keep the day-to-day moving while also assisting with implementation work across operations and marketing. Here’s how I can support your business: ⭐️ Administrative Support: Inbox and calendar management, scheduling, travel coordination, meeting support, follow-ups, reports, research, SOPs, trackers, documentation, team coordination, and keeping priorities moving ⭐️ Project Management: ClickUp, Asana, Trello, Monday, Notion, timelines, check-ins, owner follow-ups, status tracking, and helping make sure nothing falls through the cracks ⭐️ Funnels, Websites, and Marketing Support Landing pages, sales pages, website updates, online course platforms, membership setup, email campaigns, automations, CRM updates, content scheduling, and light tech implementation ⭐️ Social Media Management: Content creation and profile management, Design posts and visuals with Canva and Figma, Manage campaigns and strategy development ⭐️ Meta Ads Support Campaign setup assistance, creative coordination, ad launching support, monitoring, reporting, light optimisation support, and helping keep ad operations organised and moving ⭐️ Graphic Design: Expertise in Canva, Figma, and Adobe Creative Suite Creating presentations, planners, and infographics

  • Virtual Assistance
  • Data Management
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Scheduling
  • Organizational Plan
  • Statistical Analysis
  • Calendar Management
  • Data Entry
  • Figma
  • Editorial Design
  • Layout Design
  • Formatting
  • Color Theory
  • Social Media Management
  • Landing Page
Angelea B.

Quezon City, Philippines

$15/hr
5.0
11 jobs

𝐄𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 | 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 | 𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐕𝐀 | 𝐏𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐲 & 𝐕𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 Hi, I'm Angelea. I help business owners stay organized, save time, and deliver exceptional client experiences. With over 𝟭𝟬 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆, I bring a unique combination of administrative expertise, project coordination, client management, and operational support. What makes me different from a typical Virtual Assistant is that I've worked behind the scenes of events for years and understand the complete client journey from initial inquiry to final delivery. Throughout my career, I've supported wedding planners, event professionals, photography studios, videography teams, and business owners by managing the day-to-day operations that keep projects moving forward. While every company uses different systems and software, most event businesses follow similar workflows. Because of my industry experience, I'm able to quickly adapt to new platforms and become productive with minimal training. 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐈 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞: ✔ 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 & 𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 • Vendor coordination • Client communication • Timeline creation and management • Proposal preparation • Event logistics support • Research and planning • Contract and booking administration ✔ 𝐏𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐲 & 𝐕𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 • Inquiry management • Lead follow-up • Calendar management • CRM management • Gallery management and migration • Client onboarding • Planner and vendor communication • Timeline preparation • Invoice tracking and administrative support ✔ 𝐄𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 & 𝐀𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 • Inbox management • Calendar management • Data entry and reporting • SOP creation • Research projects • Process documentation • Task and project coordination ✔ 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 & 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 • Content scheduling and posting • Community engagement • Caption writing • SEO keyword optimization • Hashtag research • Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok management • Canva content creation • Influencer outreach and partnership coordination One of my strongest skills is troubleshooting and problem-solving. In the events industry, unexpected issues happen every day. Whether it's missing information, timeline conflicts, vendor delays, communication gaps, scheduling changes, or workflow bottlenecks, I take initiative to identify solutions and keep projects moving without constant supervision. 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐞: • Proactive and dependable • Strong communication skills • Detail-oriented and highly organized • Quick learner who adapts easily to new systems • Experienced in handling client-facing responsibilities • Able to work independently with minimal supervision I am also open to paid test projects before long-term commitments. I understand that every business operates differently, and I welcome the opportunity to demonstrate my skills, communication style, and work ethic before we officially move forward. If you're looking for someone who can support your business beyond basic administrative tasks and truly become part of your operations team, I'd love to connect. 𝐋𝐞𝐭'𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞! Feel free to check out my Upwork portfolio to see examples of my work and experience. Let's discuss how I can help support your business and help run things smoothly behind the scenes.

  • Event Planning
  • Data Entry
  • Virtual Assistance
  • Project Management
  • Canva
  • Microsoft Office
  • Customer Service
  • Social Media Management
  • Content Creation
  • Email Management
  • Presentations
  • Sales Management
  • Video Editing
  • Photo Editing
Austin T.

Atlanta, Georgia

$50/hr
4.3
81 jobs

Check out my portfolio on Upwork! I am a highly motivated, client-centric project manager with 10+ years of experience in maintaining long-term client relationships in the event and production space with expertise in medical, technology, finance, non-profit, ngo, government and experiential marketing. I'm well versed in developing and maintaining excellent client relationships with stakeholders and SME's and executing flawless events! Virtual Meeting Platforms: ✅Zoom ✅MSTeams ✅WebEx ✅GoToWebinar ✅GoToMeeting ✅Global meets ✅Hangouts ✅Zoom ✅Adobe connect ✅Intrado ✅and more! Conference Platforms: ☑️Airmeet ☑️Remo ☑️Gather.town ☑️Hopin ☑️Blue Jeans ☑️Accelerants ☑️On24 ☑️Vconnect ☑️Zoom (meetings and webinars) ☑️ZoomGov ☑️Buzzabo ☑️Vfairs ☑️Spotme ☑️Social Live ☑️Socio ☑️Whova ☑️Cvent ☑️Attendify ☑️Eventbrite ☑️and more! I have demonstrated in-depth knowledge of conference and meeting platforms, tools, and procedures related to live and online meetings, workshops, and training sessions. Check out my portfolio on Upwork! Current/Ongoing Clients: Verizon (Wireless) Leader Academy (Ongoing) Contemporary Leadership Academy (Ongoing) Everwest Real Estate Investors (Ongoing) PPS International (Ongoing) Alvin Ailey Dance Theater (Ongoing) Boxer Advisors (Ongoing) S Factor (Ongoing) Head and Neck Association GoDaddy CorpEdGroup.com/ (Corporate Education Group) / Virtual Classroom Producer (Ongoing) Institute for Mental Health Research (Ongoing) Commercialexcel.com (Comm Ex Consulting) / Production Staffing Provider Global Force for Healing Insulent List of current and former clients on request!

  • Event Planning
  • DaVinci Resolve
  • Adobe Connect
  • Zoom Video Conferencing
  • Citrix Systems GoToMeeting
  • Final Cut Pro
  • Event Management
  • Microsoft Teams
  • Conference
  • Hosting Online Meetings
  • Learning Management System
  • Video Editing
  • Video Editing & Production
  • Program Management
  • Project Management
  • Apple iMovie
  • Event Photography
  • Meeting Agendas
  • Adobe Captivate
Kaitlin S.

Mooresville, North Carolina

$45/hr
5.0
10 jobs

Canva Designer | Digital Content & Brand Design I help brands, creators, and small businesses turn ideas into polished, scroll-stopping digital designs using Canva. From branded content and digital products to books, journals, and marketing assets, I create clean, professional visuals that feel aligned, intentional, and easy for clients to use and scale. With a strong eye for layout, storytelling, and brand consistency, I specialize in: • Canva design (fully editable + client-friendly) • Digital products (journals, planners, workbooks, templates) • Branding & visual identity • Social media & marketing graphics • Amazon KDP interiors & covers • PDFs, lead magnets, and printable assets I’m detail-oriented, communicative, and collaborative — I listen first, design intentionally, and deliver work that actually works for your audience. If you need a designer who understands both creativity and clarity, I’d love to help bring your vision to life.

  • Events & Weddings
  • Brand Development
  • Logo Design
  • Branding
  • Presentations
  • Business Presentation
  • Presentation Design
  • Branding & Marketing
  • Brand Management
  • Print Design
  • Digital Design
  • Event Marketing
  • Voice Talent
  • Administrative Support
Jessa Lyn S.

Pulilan, Philippines

$16/hr
5.0
89 jobs

Need an 𝙀𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙩 𝘾𝙖𝙣𝙫𝙖 𝘿𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙚𝙧? 🌟 Creative Visual Storyteller 🌟 Scroll-stopping, on-brand graphics 🌟 Designs that help your brand stand out Let’s bring your ideas to life! 👇👇👇 💎 𝙋𝙄𝙏𝘾𝙃 𝘿𝙀𝘾𝙆𝙎 » I design data-driven, narrative-focused pitch decks in Canva, integrating visual hierarchy, typographic scale, and infographics to ensure stakeholders quickly comprehend KPIs and projections. 💎 𝙍𝙀𝙋𝙊𝙍𝙏𝙎 / 𝙒𝙃𝙄𝙏𝙀 𝙋𝘼𝙋𝙀𝙍𝙎 » I translate complex data into structured reports or white papers, using charts, grids, and typographic hierarchy to communicate insights efficiently. 💎 𝙀𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙆𝙎 / 𝙂𝙐𝙄𝘿𝙀𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙆𝙎 » I create professional eBooks and guidebooks in Canva with clean layouts, strong typography, and engaging visuals, tailored to your brand guidelines. Transforming your content into polished, reader-friendly digital products for lead magnets, courses, and downloads, optimized for readability and conversion. 💎 𝙎𝙊𝘾𝙄𝘼𝙇 𝙈𝙀𝘿𝙄𝘼 𝙂𝙍𝘼𝙋𝙃𝙄𝘾𝙎 » I design scroll-stopping Canva creatives for Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, aligned with brand guidelines, color systems, and campaign messaging to boost engagement metrics. 💎 𝙋𝙍𝙊𝘿𝙐𝘾𝙏 𝘾𝘼𝙏𝘼𝙇𝙊𝙂𝙎 / 𝘾𝙊𝙈𝙋𝘼𝙉𝙔 𝙋𝙍𝙊𝙁𝙄𝙇𝙀𝙎 » I design product catalogs and company profiles in Canva with modular layouts, consistent typography, and hierarchy to highlight products and services effectively. 💎 𝙍𝙀𝙐𝙎𝘼𝘽𝙇𝙀 𝘾𝘼𝙉𝙑𝘼 𝙏𝙀𝙈𝙋𝙇𝘼𝙏𝙀𝙎 » I build on-brand Canva templates with reusable components, grids, and editable elements so teams can scale content efficiently. Don’t 𝙬𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 hunting for someone to elevate your brand, 𝙡𝙚𝙩’𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙣. All designs are delivered as 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝘾𝙖𝙣𝙫𝙖 𝙛𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙨, so your team can easily update, reuse, and scale them whenever needed. 🎨 𝘾𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝘿𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙨 👉 𝙀𝙭𝙚𝙘𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 & 𝙄𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧 𝙈𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙡𝙨 ✦ Pitch Deck Designs ✦ Investor & Business Presentations ✦ Sales Decks ✦ Board & Executive Presentations 👉 𝘽𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝘿𝙤𝙘𝙪𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 ✦ White Papers ✦ Annual Reports ✦ Business Reports ✦ Research Papers ✦ Case Study ✦ Lead Magnets ✦ eBooks & PDF Reports 👉 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 & 𝘽𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘼𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙩𝙨 ✦ Social Media Graphics (Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook) ✦ Social Media Carousel & Campaign Creatives ✦ Social Media Imagery ✦ Infographics ✦ Product Catalogs ✦ Brochures & Flyers ✦ Marketing One-Pager ✦ Company Profile ✦ Canva Website ✦ Creative Ads ✦ Branded Canva Templates ✦ Print Design ✦ Layout Design ✨ 𝙒𝙝𝙮 𝘾𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙒𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙈𝙚 I focus on strategic visual communication, not just aesthetics. 🎯 𝙈𝙮 𝙂𝙤𝙖𝙡 Create visual assets that are clear, professional, and impactful, helping businesses communicate ideas more effectively. 🛠 You have a preference for which 𝙩𝙤𝙤𝙡𝙨, 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙨 or 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙨 to use? 𝙄 𝙜𝙤𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪. 👉 𝘿𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣 ➙ Canva Pro ➙ Figma ➙ Affinity Designer 👉 𝙒𝙚𝙗 & 𝘿𝙞𝙜𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙡 ➙ WordPress ➙ Elementor ➙ Canva Website 👉 𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙏𝙤𝙤𝙡𝙨 ➙ Slack ➙ Trello ➙ Asana ➙ ClickUp ➙ Google Workspace (Google Drive, Sheet, Slides, Docs, Gmail) ➙ ChatGPT 🤝 𝙇𝙚𝙩'𝙨 𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚 If you’re looking for 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝘾𝙖𝙣𝙫𝙖 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨, 𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙨, 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙡𝙨 𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙢𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙖, I’d be happy to help. 📩 Send me a message and 𝙡𝙚𝙩’𝙨 𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧, 𝙥𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙙, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙞𝙜𝙝-𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙩 𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙨.

  • Canva
  • Graphic Design
  • Pitch Deck
  • Presentation Design
  • Ebook Design
  • Infographic
  • Layout Design
  • Print Design
  • Business Presentation
  • Social Media Imagery
  • Lead Magnet
  • Digital Marketing
  • Brochure Design
  • Social Media Graphic
  • LinkedIn Marketing
  • Instagram Post
  • Editorial Design
  • Branding Template
  • Facebook
  • Etsy

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How to Hire the Best Event Planner for Your Needs

How To Hire the Best Event Planner for Your Needs

Who doesn’t love a good party? Or, at minimum, a gathering of like-minded people to share ideas and make connections.

Many organizations host in-person and virtual events as an effective way to generate leads, build customer relationships, and motivate employees. To do this, they rely on event planners - that rare breed of extroverts who can think both logistically and creatively, improvise quickly, and add just the right splash and dash needed to make a get-together dazzle. 

Event planners can be an asset for any organization. This guide will help you understand the value an event planner can bring to your business. We’ll explore what to look for in an event planner, helpful information to know before you hire an event planner, and how to hire the best event planner for your needs.

What does an event planner do?

Most of us think of event planners as people who plan a wedding or maybe even a milestone birthday bash. And many event planners are available on Upwork to bring these types of events to life. But did you know that businesses often hire event planners to plan everything from an annual expo at a large convention center to an invitation-only gathering for C-suite clients?

Event planners help organizations plan, organize, coordinate, and host events as an important way to attract, engage, and convert clients with the goal of driving business revenue. Organizations that hire event planners often look for professionals with creative vision, budget experience, and organizing skills. The best of the best also solve problems under pressure and execute a flawless event in the midst of chaos.

Writing an event planner job post

The best way to attract interest from a qualified event planner is to create an effective job post. Consider the details we cover below to write a compelling job post that clearly states your needs.

Job post title

Create an effective job post title by describing exactly what you’re looking for using clear, straightforward language. Identify keywords that your ideal candidate is likely to type into a job search bar, for example:

  • Event planner. Event planner needed to plan parties and weddings for an event planning business.
  • Meeting and event coordinator. Meeting and event planner needed to organize, coordinate, and host quarterly events for a mid-sized corporation.
  • Conference planner. Conference planner needed to support our in-house team as we produce our twice-annual trade show.
  • Special events manager. Special events manager needed to plan concerts and events for a small entertainment business.

Project description

Write an effective event planner project description by covering the following areas:

  • Scope of work. List all the deliverables you’ll need from an event planner, including planning, coordinating, and management required to create successful events.
  • Project length. Indicate whether the project is small or large in scope, quantifying as much detail as possible around milestones and timeline.
  • Background. Mention the type of event planning experience you’d like the person to have and information about prior experience you’d like them to share with you.
  • Budget. Set a budget and include your payment preference, whether hourly rate, percentage based, or a fixed-price contract.

Event planner job responsibilities

Add details about event planning job responsibilities. Common responsibilities include:

  • Client management. Meet with clients to outline expectations, goals, vision, timeline, and budget. Provide clear and timely communication for smooth decision making. 
  • Vendor management. Have strong relationships with vendors and an ability to negotiate contracts, including for venues, caterers, entertainers, and equipment rental companies.
  • Project planning. Be adept at the systems and schedules needed to build comprehensive project plans and timelines, find staff, and coordinate needs.
  • Day-of management. Be excellent at day-of comprehensive on-site event management.

Event planner skills and qualifications

Share specific qualifications you’d like the event planner to have. Qualities to ask for can include:

  • Exceptionally well organized. Seeking an event planner who can organize complex details and flawlessly coordinate multiple vendors, clients, and staff on time and within budget.
  • Problem-solving ninja. Event planner must have strong on-the-fly problem solving skills, from technology glitches to no-show vendors.
  • Collaborative. Seeking an event planner with strong interpersonal skills who enjoys innovating ideas with clients, vendors, and staff, and who is also a relationship builder.

Helpful information to know before you hire an event planner

Make an informed choice when hiring an event planner by understanding the role, demand, and costs associated with selecting a candidate. Consider the following information before hiring.

The role of an event planner

Successful event planners not only create an event; the best event planners deliver an experience. When you hire an event planner, skills to ask about include:

  • Creative direction. An event planner is capable of creating the concept or theme for an event, the design and scenery, the agenda, programming, and general atmosphere.
  • Project management. Event planners are skilled project managers, navigating all aspects of the project, from ideation to budgeting to vendor coordination.
  • Logistics. An event planner is skilled at logistics, including event flow and floor plans, coordinating equipment delivery, transportation needs, and all other details. 
  • Troubleshooting. An event planner can solve problems quickly and troubleshoot issues as they arise.

Event planner hiring demand in 2024

Event planning is on the rise. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects the demand for event planners to increase between now and 2032 at a growth rate of 8%. This rate is double the average rate of growth when compared to other jobs.

According to Research and Markets, the business and corporation segment represents the highest revenue in the event planning market, as hosting events is an effective way to meet objectives. Event planners specializing in producing sustainable events and hybrid events (pairing in-person with virtual event options) are expected to be in high demand in the coming years.

The most common projects for event planners

Event planners are hired to work on a variety of event types. Popular events event planners are hired for include:

  • Conferences. Event planners are hired to handle programming, speakers, vendors, and logistics for large and small professional conferences. 
  • Weddings. Event planners are always needed to plan weddings.
  • Corporate events. Event planners are hired to plan and execute company parties, awards dinners, and related events.
  • Festivals. Event planners plan festivals for food, music, community, and cultural themes.
  • Galas and fundraisers. Event planners are hired to organize galas and fundraisers for nonprofits.

Industries hiring event planners

Many industries hire event planners to help achieve important goals like fundraising, connecting to industry colleagues, or building their client base. Top industries hiring event planners include:

  • Hospitality. The hospitality industry hires event planners to organize conferences, trade shows, and guest entertainment.
  • Convention centers. Convention centers hire event planners as in-house experts who attract and support organizations that hold conventions, conferences, exhibits and other consumer-driven, large-scale shows.
  • Corporations. Event planners are hired by corporations to create events, meetings, executive summits, and holiday parties.
  • Educational institutions. Universities, colleges, and education groups hire event planners for commencements, seminars, fundraisers, and campus events.

Average cost of hiring event planners in 2024

Rates and payment models for hiring event planners can vary. Event planners can be paid by the hour, with a fixed price that reflects the size of the event, or up to 5% of the total event budget. Event planners are often compensated with a bonus or tip depending on the success of the event. On Upwork, event planners are typically paid by the hour or by the event at a fixed price.

Be sure to ask the event planner for details about prior event planning experience. Find out if they have experience planning events similar to the event for which you are hiring them.

Don’t be thrown off by an event planner’s hourly rate, as costs will vary:

  • An experienced event planner may require higher fees but also bring specialized expertise and deliver a higher-quality event.
  • A less experienced event planner may still offer exceptional skill but offer competitive pricing as they build a client base.

A median hourly rate for event planners on Upwork in 2024 falls at about $60 per hour. Hourly rates can go as high as $125+ especially for large events or when the event planner charges by percentage. Typical rates charged by event planners on Upwork are:

  • Entry-level. $30 per hour
  • Intermediate. $65 per hour
  • Expert. $125+ per hour

Hire an event planner today

Consider hiring an event planner to produce an event that will help you generate the interest you are looking for. Take a moment to understand what an event planner does, research cost, get clear on your own unique event needs, and write a job description that will attract the person most likely to help you achieve your goals.

No matter which qualities and kinds of experience you’re looking for, you’ll find the professional you need on Upwork. The process is personalized, easy, and fast. Sign up and post a job today to find an event planner who’s right for you.