Successful event planning and coordination require hard work, dedication, and a wide range of skills. Whether you’re vying for a position at a top events company or trying to attract more clients, your resume should include these skills.Â
So, what are the top skills event coordinators need? More importantly, why and how should you include them in your event coordinator resume?Â
You’ll find all the answers right here, in this guide to the must-have skills for your event coordinator resume.Â
Why Is an Event Coordinator Resume Important?
Before we address what you should put in your resume, let’s consider why an event coordinator's resume is so important. A well-written resume is the sign of an experienced event coordinator or event planner. If you’re applying for a job with an events company, you’ll need a strong resume.Â
But even if you’re self-employed and happy to remain so, your clients will likely ask about your experience and credentials. You can increase their trust and confidence in your abilities by showing them your resume.
Essential Elements of an Event Coordinator Resume
There are the essential components that every event coordinator resume needs:Â
Personal and Contact Information
Include your full name, contact number, and email address. Also include a resume summary (optional, but we recommend it). This is a brief profile of you and your abilities. More about this in a moment.
Employment History and Industry Experience
This section will list your previous jobs in the industry, or solo experience working in the event management industry. If you have worked for an events company, and been self-employed in the industry, mention both.
Education/Certifications
This does not have to include every educational achievement. Rather, it should include all industry-related qualifications such as online event planning courses and certifications. If you don’t yet have any certification in this field, list your highest educational qualification.
Skills and Competencies
Again, focus only on those that are relevant to event planning and coordination and related industries. Refrain from including hobbies, interests, and other such information. They will only serve to distract the reader from your more crucial skills and competencies.
ReferencesÂ
This is where you will supply the names and contact details of your last employer, or if necessary, clients who have agreed to be references. Remember to state what their relation to you is, for example, a manager at your former employer or a private client.Â
Links
This is where you can link to your LinkedIn bio or similar social pages. If you have been self-employed in event planning, coordination, or management and have a website, you can link to it here. If you don’t have anything like this, you can leave it out.
The 5 Must-Have Skills to Highlight on Your Event Coordinator Resume
Event companies scan resumes looking for very specific skills.Â
These are the five key skills that event planners and coordinators need to achieve the best results. Highlight these skills on your event coordinator resume, and offer examples of how you have used them to greatest effect:
1. Organizational Skills
Strong organizational abilities should always feature in the list of skills in an event coordinator resume. Event planning and coordination require attention to detail at every stage, from choosing the perfect venue to delegating tasks and managing workflows.
It has long been known that event coordination is one of the most stressful jobs. There's just so much to plan and do, and if things go awry it can have far-reaching consequences. But when you have good organizational skills, you’ll stay calm under pressure.Â
Can you coordinate events big or small, corporate or private, but also delegate effectively if you can’t handle something alone? Have you honed your organizational skills to manage any type of event, from college events to weddings? Mention these crucial skills in your resume.
2. Communication Skills
Communication skills are vital for any type of business, including event management. That makes them essential for an event coordinator, too. When you have good communication skills, it shows you can listen to and correctly interpret what the client wants for their events.Â
Communication skills are also essential for negotiating with venue managers, caterers, etc, and for collaborating with event planning teams. This is one of those skills that makes every stage of event planning and coordination easier.Â
Are your client communication skills your strongest asset? Have previous employers and colleagues typically found it easy to communicate with you on event coordination issues? Name these all-important communication skills in your resume.
3. LogisticsÂ
Efficient event coordination calls for an understanding of event logistics and on site coordination at the event venues.Â
Event logistics include choosing the perfect venue, setting it up with the right decor and equipment, procuring event merchandise, enabling event technology, and so much more. With so much to do on a fixed schedule, you’ll need to have mastered the arts of time management and multitasking, too.
Are you an expert multitasker, and able to deliver results to a tight deadline? These are the skills that event companies know they can rely on. Remember to highlight these skills in your resume, under skills and competencies.Â
4. Negotiation Skills
Negotiation skills are also important on an event coordinator's resume. Your clients need to know that you can effectively negotiate venue arrangements, catering requirements, etc at the right price. Although this usually occurs at the planning stage, last-minute changes often fall to the event coordinator to manage.
Do you excel at negotiating the best deal on a venue or event space? Are you known for always getting the best catering at the best price? These are valuable skills and deserve a mention in your event coordinator resume.
Negotiation skills are closely linked to communication and logistical skills. Yet they are a skillset all of their own, too. The art of negotiation is what secures all that is necessary for a successful and memorable event.
5. Creativity
Creativity is just as important as administrative and technical skills. Event planners need it to create memorable experiences and for event promotion. But event coordinators, too, need a good dose of creativity. An example is last-minute venue changes. These often need creative solutions.
Do you have a proven track record of choosing ideal venues, from rooftop bars to historic buildings? Can you do this even when the client’s brief is very complicated or worse still, very vague? These are the skills that events companies and clients look for. Highlight your creative approach in your resume summary.Â
Using the Right Tools to Compliment Your Skills
Even the most skilled event planner or coordinator can always use a little help.Â
Use the right tools to complement your range of event planning and coordination skills. This is especially helpful to event coordinators with less experience. The right event management software will streamline every step of event coordination.Â
However, one of the most important aspects of seamless event execution is venue selection. This entails finding and choosing venues that are appropriate for the events planned. They should have the capacity for the number of guests, offer the necessary amenities, and meet designated event budgets.Â
The Perfect Venue Marketplace is an invaluable resource for event planners and coordinators. It helps you search for listed venues, and filter your search results to find the perfect venue, every time. So you’ll have even more successes to list in your resume.
Best Practices for Perfecting Your Resume
These are our best practices for building a strong event coordinator resume.
1. Start Out Strong
Start your resume with a brief resume summary. This should be brief, listing your years of experience in the field of event planning and/or coordination, and your most relevant skills and strengths, backed up with numbers and specific examples.
Not sure how to do this? Look through a few event coordinator resume examples online if you need some inspiration. Include the highlights from this summary in your listings on social media platforms like LinkedIn.
Resume Summary Example
To get you started, here’s a quick resume summary example:
“Event coordinator with 7 years of experience managing 50+ events, including corporate and social gatherings. Skilled in budget management and vendor negotiations, saving clients up to 20% on costs. Clients include Fortune 500 companies and celebrities, with a 98% satisfaction rate.”
2. Be Specific
When listing your skills and experience, avoid vague statements and focus on quantifiable achievements. Including numbers, statistics, or key performance indicators (KPIs) provides concrete proof of your abilities and the results you've achieved.
For example, instead of saying: “Organized several corporate events successfully,” say:
“Planned and executed 15+ corporate events with budgets exceeding $100,000, achieving a 98% client satisfaction rate.”
Or:
“Coordinated a wedding with 300+ attendees and managed vendor negotiations to save the client 15% on expenses.”
Employers value specificity because it demonstrates a results-oriented mindset. Whenever possible, highlight your accomplishments using measurable outcomes, such as the number of events, budget sizes, attendance figures, or percentage increases in revenue or client satisfaction.
3. Highlight Various Types of Events
Clients looking for corporate event coordination will be more interested in your expertise in corporate events. The same will be true of clients who are looking for private event planning. They will be most interested in your experience related to private social events.Â
This is why it is advantageous to have experience in both and mention this in your resume. Of course, you don’t have to mention every single event that you have ever worked on. This could make your resume look too cluttered. It’s also unnecessary, as your most recent achievements are more relevant.
That said, it’s a good idea to mention the most successful events (and the most prestigious clients) in different event categories. This will show that you are talented, skilled, and versatile enough to take on all types of event projects.
4. Offer Social Proof of Your Proven Track Record
If you’ve worked for an events company before, you’ll be listing them as a reference. But what if you have worked on events alone, or run your own small events company, until now? Who do you list as a reference?
Don’t be afraid to ask clients for reviews and referrals. If they are pleased with your event planning and event coordination skills, most will happily do so. Include quotes from reviews and referrals in your resume, if and where appropriate. This offers social proof that you’re as skilled as you claim.
5. Never Stop Learning
Look for professional development opportunities, and specialized training relevant to event planning. Consider certifications like the Certified Special Events Professional (CSEP) or Certified Meeting Professional (CMP). Our guide to certifications will help you choose what’s right for you.
Both events companies and clients are more likely to trust in the abilities of a certified special events professional. So, include mentions of any appropriate certifications or licenses in your event coordinator resume summary.Â
If you are still in the process of obtaining a relevant qualification, you can mention this in your resume, too. Highlight that you’re always looking for opportunities to learn more and deliver a better service.
6. Update Frequently
Make a habit of reading through and refreshing your event coordinator resume. Update any changes in your contact details as well as your references’ contact details as soon as they occur. An out-of-date resume will do you no favors.
Also, make any necessary changes to your listed qualifications and skills. You don’t have to redo your entire resume. Just revise and update it frequently, so that your most recent successes, achievements, and professional qualifications are listed.Â
Boost the Event Planning Skills on Your Resume With Perfect Venue
With the right skills listed on your event coordinator resume, you’ll be poised for success. You’ll stand a better chance of being hired for top event company jobs. You’ll attract top clients. And with the right venues, you’ll be better able to impress them and add to your future resume’s list of successful events.Â
So give your reputation and your resume a boost, by choosing the perfect venue for every occasion. Start using the Perfect Venue Marketplace today.Â
