You may become a conference coordinator by gaining hands-on experience in organizing meetings and events or you may engage in formal conference coordinator training. After obtaining adequate training and experience, you may begin to apply for positions advertised for conference coordinator careers. You can also become a conference coordinator by opening your own event planning business.
Before becoming a conference coordinator, it is necessary to either obtain formal training or direct experience. In many instances, specific conference coordinator requirements dictate that you have both training and experience before being allowed to work. It is not unusual for a person to become a conference coordinator after time spent working in another position while being asked to organize meetings and other smaller events. Many people who begin their careers in this way also eventually engage in certification programs to learn more about becoming a conference coordinator.
Some professional conference coordinators, however, have a college degree in related fields such as public relations, marketing or hospitality. Employers sometimes require proof of formal training and, while not all require a college degree, many prefer applicants who have completed a college degree. Though training is offered at several universities, many trade schools and two-year colleges also offer programs to help you become a conference coordinator.
Working with a catering service or an event planner may also help you gain the experience needed to become a conference coordinator. While specific conference coordinator duties vary, working with an event planning agency is likely to expose you to a number of vendors and hotel staff persons, which will help you gain a better understanding of the networking involved in coordinating conferences. These contacts may even be useful for when you actually become a conference coordinator.
In addition to training and experience, some of the specific qualities you need to become a conference coordinator are the ability to work well with others, strong organizational skills and the ability to handle multiple tasks at the same time and meet various deadlines. Coordinators must also have pleasant personalities, possess patience and assertive abilities, as well as be able to forge and maintain good working relationships with a variety of different people and organizations. In order to become a conference coordinator and experience a good level of success, you must also be adept in creating and maintaining sound budgets and have strong negotiating skills.
