What Planners Like Most About Their Jobs

Author: Casey Gale       

In the annual Convene Salary Survey, we asked readers a number of opened-ended questions, including “What do you like least about your job?” One is six responses included some aspect of working with others. But here’s a nice twist — when we asked what readers like best about their jobs, the most popular response, by far, was the people they work with and meet. Readers also liked the constant challenges that arise on the job and the perks of travel. Here’s what you said you like most about your job.

1. The people. Many of you gave shout outs to clients, vendor partners, hotel partners, volunteers, and trusted team members. “I’ve been here for nearly 22 years and they are like a second family to me,” wrote one reader. Wrote another: “All of the wonderful people I’ve met and with whom I work, be they colleagues, service partners, event staff in each city where we’ve had our conference, members, attendees, [and] speakers” are the best part of meeting planning.

[pullquote]”I like my to-do list, as it seems to never end.”[/pullquote]

2. The challenge of planning a successful meeting. When asked what they like least about their job, many readers noted their sky-high levels of stress. But many respondents also love the thrill of a good challenge, citing the fast-paced nature of the job, a variety of responsibilities, and complete autonomy what’s best about what they do. “I like my to-do list, as it seems to never end,” wrote one reader. Respondents also fondly reflected on the daily opportunities to fix problems and think critically.

3. Variety. No two conferences are the same, which means every workday is different from the day before. “No day is the same; there is always something/someplace new to learn about,” wrote one respondent. Another succinctly wrote: “Not boring at all.”

4. The travel opportunities. Planners fly all over the world for their jobs, experiencing new destinations and cultures on a regular basis. Many readers agreed that it can be a pretty sweet gig. “I travel the world, stay at five-star hotels, and am paid to do it!” wrote one respondent.

5. The satisfaction of seeing events come to life. After months or years of planning, seeing the rewards of all that hard work finally come together and “reflected on the faces of members and customers” is one of the most rewarding parts of being a meeting professional. According to one reader, the best part of their job is “the personal satisfaction I get from watching all of the preparation and hard work come to fruition when an event kicks off.”

Click here to download the PCMA Convene Salary Survey Report in PDF format, including salary information segmented by years of experience, title, geographic region, and other factors.

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