How to become Event and Communication Manager ?

The event and communication manager organizes events linked to the company's communication strategy: customer days, product or service launch events, anniversaries, open days, site visits, etc. He/she is the event's conductor, from the design to the realization and evaluation of the event.

Function and missions of the Communication and Events Manager

The event and communication manager is, as the title suggests, a specialist in event-based communication. In order to achieve different communication objectives, he/she will propose, adapt and design customized events.

He/she can work internally in a company or within an event agency. In both cases, he/she will be in contact with the company's management and/or communication department in order to define an event strategy according to the different target audiences and the needs of the brand or company in terms of image: gaining notoriety, building a brand image, launching a product, announcing a promotion, etc. He can also intervene in the framework of the company's internal communication to federate the employees by conceiving on-boarding days, or seminars and team-buildings.

The Event and Communication Manager stages the company's brand image and uses the meetings and press coverage generated by an event for promotional purposes. He/she has a perfect command of the different types of events to be engaged according to the communication strategy and the sector of the company for which he/she works. For example:

  • Partnering in a meeting, a sports competition, sponsoring a team, creating a sports or cultural event. This presence allows to benefit from the attention of the public of the event and from the positive image linked to it.
  • To make an impact by designing a multi-venue event program for a product launch: promotional events in major cities and large conferences, for example. 

The Event and Communication Manager has to be creative, to propose different innovative ideas that will make the buzz, but also to know how to adapt to the situation and the context. He/she can innovate by the chosen locations, the themes, the use of different types of service providers from the entertainment world, etc. In order to be effective, the event he creates must be able to surprise enough to be remembered.

The Event and Communication Manager: an expert in project management

The Event and Communication Manager is responsible for the entire project:

  • Definition of needs and objectives and design 
  • Planning and budget management
  • Search for service providers
  • Search for partners, sponsors and/or associates,
  • Coordination of the different actors
  • Communication around the event (website, publications, posters, information, press relations) in order to give it the most visibility possible
  • Presence on site on D-day, management of the event and teams (service providers, security services) and operational follow-up,
  • Analysis of the impact 

The qualities and skills of the Event and Communication Manager

The two main qualities sought for this type of position are creativity and organizational skills.These qualities are combined with numerous skills and personality traits that enable the manager to carry out his or her event project in the best possible way:

  • Ability to design and adapt a coherent strategy in conjunction with management
  • Excellent command of project management
  • Multitasking
  • Technical skills in communication
  • Knowledge of technical and artistic service providers, etc. 
  • Great flexibility and availability
  • Reactivity and practicality, ability to find solutions 
  • Good resistance to stress and pressure
  • Good interpersonal skills
  • Financial management

What training is required to become an Event and Communication Manager? 

The qualifications required for an Event and Communication Manager are generally from Bac + 3/ Bachelor to Bac + 5/ Master or Mastère (depending on the candidate's experience), specialized in communication and events. These courses can be taken at university (Information-communication, Master's degree in event, cultural and organizational communication), as well as in private communication schools (Bachelor's and specialized Master's degrees). The major business schools also offer courses that are very well known for their hybrid training combining management, marketing and project management.

Paris School of Business offers, in addition to its Grande École program, various programs leading to the position of communication and event manager:

  • A 3-year Bachelor's degree with a specialization in communication and marketing in the 3rd year through a specific program and work-study, the best way to quickly gain skills and enrich your CV with real business experience.
  • Master's degree : After a Bac + 4 in the field, students can access a Master's degree specialized in Luxury Marketing, which allows them to aim for positions as communication and event managers in renowned companies or agencies that use events to promote themselves. As well as the Specialized Master in Arts and Culture which allows students to master different aspects of communication through art, events and entertainment in a more advanced way.

Career and remuneration

In France, the salary levels observed for this position are between 30 and 40,000 euros per year for a junior, then exceed 45,000 euros per year to evolve according to the company and the specificities of the missions. ( average in US : 54 000 dollars, UK : £34,754)

The position of Event and Communication Manager can be exercised within a large company, but also within different sizes of agencies specialized in event communication. It is also possible to create your own company. It is possible to evolve through the various communication functions towards management positions: marketing communication, customer portfolio management, key accounts, etc.