Mechanics of Higher Earnings
Why Planners’ Salaries Are Too Low & How To Make More
While the factors that influence the salary paid to meeting planners today may vary, one factor continues to remain constant—with each successful meeting or event, planners can prove their worth. Karen Cobuluis, meeting and marketing coordinator for the National Emergency Management Association, said, “Conferences add to an organization’s bottom line.” Cobuluis explained that a successful conference can translate into a successful planner.
But, are meeting professionals getting paid what they’re worth? “It’s better, but it’s still not what it should be,” Cobuluis said.
“I think planners are generally compensated horribly,” said Joan Eisenstodt of Eisenstodt Associates LLC and a Convention Industry Council Hall of Leaders inductee agreed. “I’ve found that in D.C., most associations pay between $30,000-$45,000 for even upper-level planners. There are of course exceptions, but not enough. Even in the corporate sector, I’ve found that most planners are not making anything near what they should, assuming they are skilled and know their stuff.”
Eisenstodt said salaries for knowledgeable planners should start at a base of $55,000 and offered four reasons she believes meeting planner salaries are too low:
- “Many planners, especially women, came from the administrative/secretarial ranks and, thus, it’s viewed as a profession that anyone can do.
- “Planners are not good at showing their worth to their organization.
- “Organizations and companies do not understand that it’s not just calling a hotel to book space—that far more is involved.
- “We are our own worst enemies. We make it look easy and cover any errors before others see them, even covering the errors of others.
“The work is complex, and we are between a rock and a hard place in showing that it is,” Eisenstodt said. “On the one hand, if we make it look so complex, those who are managers may be bored hearing it. After all, it is ‘our job’ to just do it. On the other hand, if we don’t show our worth in terms of dollars saved, return on investment from content and attendance, and so much more, we are doing a disservice.”
Likewise, Christopher Greenslade, director of marketing and business development for Mt. Pleasant, S.C.-based event planning firm Planning the Globe, said the average pay rate for meeting professionals does not properly compensate for the level of skill and dedication required for the job. “Considering the amount of work, stress and hours spent on programs, as well as the level of expectation that the client puts on the modern day planner to be perfect, the salary is no where
near adequate.”
Similar to Eisenstodt’s theory that the profession is viewed as a job that “anyone can do,” Greenslade said the industry has failed to show its worth. “One of the main problems with our industry is that we still are suffering an identity crisis, which is a direct cause of the industry not really being recognized as a respected and worthwhile profession.”
Greenslade said organizations must realize the importance of their meetings and events and the importance of the meeting planner’s role. “I can honestly say at Planning the Globe, that due to our work ethic and the unique way we approach a client’s business, the majority of our clients get it—that we are an integral part of their marketing efforts, and the success of any company initiative, especially in the sales and marketing arena, is due in part to how effective the meeting planning component is. This is vital, as most companies when looking at their meeting schedule and allocation of money to budget, tend to look at the meeting company as an afterthought and not as major partner.”
The Gender/Experience Gap
According to salary surveys by both ASAE and MPI, women are being compensated even less than men. ASAE’s 2006 salary survey reported that there’s a wage gap between male and female meeting professionals. The report found male meeting/convention chiefs earn significantly higher pay, earning a median compensation of $90,385 in 2006. Women in this role, on the other hand, earned a median of $71,750. In 2004, the median total compensation for the same position was $82,500 for men and $64,818 for women.
While more than three-quarters of MPI members are women, the association’s salary study echoed the gender gap in meetings industry compensation. MPI reports the average base salary for male meeting planners in the United States is $73,833 as compared to $57,394 for female planners—a 29 percent difference.
According to MPI, this gender-based pay gap widens with seniority, starting at 6 percent for meeting planners with three to five years of experience and increasing to 55 percent for those with 20 years of experience.
Education, industry certification and a more strategic focus may influence this pay gap with MPI’s study finding that men typically hold a more formal education, take more hours of continuing education each year, and are more likely to have an industry certification, such as the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) or Global Certification in Meeting Management (CMM). The men who responded were also more likely to have risen to higher ranks within their organization and to spend less time on meeting logistics. Only 26 percent of male respondents said they devoted all their time to meeting planning activities, compared to 40 percent of female respondents. A significantly higher percentage of men reported that they planned sales, incentive, management and board meetings, while women were significantly more likely to plan social events.
Mean salaries for women who had not graduated college was $55,545, while mean salaries for women with college degrees were higher at $57,626, according to MPI.
Eisenstodt said the real gap in pay is less about gender and more about how the profession is viewed. “I’m not sure there is as much of a gender gap in the salaries of men and women planners,” she said. “I think there is a professional gap—that we are not viewed as professional—even those of us who consult have a heck of a time justifying experience, scope of work and, thus, fees.
Ann Godi, CMP, president of meeting planning firm Benchmarc360º Inc., has also made a name for herself as an industry leader. She believes other factors are at play when it comes to the gap in pay between male and female planners. “While many salary surveys do show women making less than men, often what is missing is an understanding of what is driving the data. What appears to some as a gender bias may in fact be more of a reflection of experience, job title and responsibility, and other salary-relevant factors. The meetings business has wide-open opportunities for women to succeed. Many Fortune 500 corporations have meetings executives who are women, and women are achieving general manager positions in hotels at record numbers.”
Pushing Ahead To Reach Goals
Godi said both men and women should take active roles in industry associations such as MPI to achieve greater success. “Industry involvement is one way to keep current in an ever-changing business to keep a competitive edge. Professionals who understand the language of business and the objectives of business are typically more successful in this industry regardless of gender.”
Eisenstodt said along with staying active in industry associations, planners should know their strengths. She shared some of her strengths that have led to her achievements. “I have worked hard in this industry to educate myself and to best use my strengths. I’m a learner, which I think has contributed most to what I do.”
And, in the way of proving worth, Eisenstodt offered this tip. “Planners should document to a file all that they have done—and use it at reviews and during informal conversations. In all honesty, no one else is going to praise us.”
National Business Travel Association (NBTA) Foundation’s Ellen Keszler also noted that it’s important to research salary reports like the one conducted by the NBTA Foundation because they give industry professionals the opportunity to “benchmark their job responsibilities and compensation levels.”
Negotiating On Your Own Behalf
So, do you feel you’re worth more than you’re getting paid? Is it time for you to ask for a raise? Roger Dawson, author of “Secrets of Power Salary Negotiating,” which hit the stores last fall, and a national speaker on enhancing negotiating skills, also spoke with ConventionSouth about the various ways to earn more pay.
“I’ve been a professional speaker for 28 years, and I’ve seen a lot of meeting planners create excellent meetings. They know their jobs and they have the ability to make their organization successful,” Dawson said. “My new book provides insight for professionals such as meeting planners on how to negotiate and increase their pay.”
Dawson advises planners that when it’s time for a performance review, they should use their negotiating skills to get a healthy raise. Here are a few of his suggestions:
- Develop Options: Line up some other potential job opportunities and project to your boss that you have other options.
- Be Prepared To Walk Away: In negotiating a raise, this is the number one power point you have. You have to be prepared to leave your job, or you have little power in raise negotiating. But you should have other options lined up first.
- Reach High & Don’t Concede Easily: Request a higher raise percentage than you expect to get. If you’re offered less, ask for a little more or ask for another review in 90 days.
- Use Non-Verbal Communication: Act shocked when offered a cost of living raise, flinch and give visible signs that you are not satisfied with the amount. Don’t be too theatrical, but often bosses react to non-verbal communication better.
- Watch Your Language: Don’t be confrontational or finger point. Use professional language like “I understand your position, but…”
- Don’t Fall In The Gender Gap: Women who come to my seminars often say they are at a disadvantage, but they are only if they think they are. Most large companies are completely unbiased when it comes to gender and women have the ability to intimidate more than men, something they can use when asking for a raise.
- It’s About Your Performance: Don’t say you need a raise because you just got married or had a baby. Those excuses are not viable anymore. And, don’t think you can’t make more because of lack of education. Degrees and certifications may help you get a job, but they are less important once you’re hired. Prove to your company that you do a great job and no one else can replace you.
- Be Prepared: Learn about the various aspects of the negotiating game. Know the moves and be prepared for what you will say and how you will react.
