What an event coordinator actually does

A coordinator works across three time frames, each with its own tasks. Beforehand it is about production preparation, supplier planning and the run sheet. During the event it is about delivery, course corrections and communication. Afterwards it is about wrapping up, settling suppliers and evaluation.

Beforehand, the coordinator takes over the run sheet from the event manager. They call the suppliers, set up the build schedule, create the minute-by-minute plan for the event day and brief the team. Reckon on 40 to 80 hours of preparation for a mid-sized event (150 to 400 guests).

On the day, the coordinator is the only person who keeps the overview. They see whether the band is on time and whether catering is overrunning. They hear whether the speaker asks for a change to the technical set-up. Every decision with no strategic consequence they make themselves. Anything above that escalates to the event manager or client. Afterwards the coordinator arranges the breakdown, the supplier settlement and the evaluation with the team.

Not every event calls for a separate coordinator. A drinks reception for 50 people a senior marketing manager can comfortably handle on the side. But the moment one or more of the following factors comes into play, a coordinator is not a luxury but a necessity.

There are three signals. The first: more than four external suppliers on a single day — think catering, technical production, entertainment, transport and hosts. The second: more than 150 guests, of whom at least one group gets VIP treatment. The third: a programme with more than four substantive switches between stage, workshop and networking moment. Each of those three makes the logistics too complex to do on the side.

A fourth signal is softer but just as important. If the client themselves wants to be present as host, they cannot direct at the same time. The coordinator then stands in for their attention. Without that role, the client cannot be present at their own event.

There are three ways to find a coordinator, each with its own pros and cons: freelance, in-house through your own staff, or through an events agency.

A freelance coordinator works per project. Day rate between €600 and €1,200, excluding preparation hours. Reckon on 3 to 5 days of preparation plus the event day itself. Upside: flexible, often experienced. Downside: no production team to fall back on if something shifts.

In-house coordination works if you run several events a year and the investment in knowledge pays off. An event coordinator on the payroll costs €50,000 to €75,000 gross per year. Upside: the knowledge stays in-house and grows with the company. Downside: one person cannot cover every moment.

Through an events agency you get the coordinator within a team. The agency coordinator works alongside a producer, a content director and a creative. We wrote a separate guide on the choice between freelance and agency. At an agency the backup sits right next to the coordinator. That makes it resilient to drop-out.

A coordinator for a one-day event costs between €2,500 and €7,500. That range covers preparation hours plus the event day. The price depends on complexity, group size and the seniority of the coordinator.

Indicative prices by event size:

• Small events (50-100 guests, 1 venue, max 3 suppliers): €2,500 to €3,500
• Mid-sized events (100-300 guests, 4-6 suppliers): €3,500 to €5,500
• Large events (300-800 guests, 7+ suppliers, multiple rooms): €5,500 to €9,000
• Multi-day events or conferences with full production: €8,000 to €18,000

Add to that: travel and accommodation costs for venues outside the region, extra assistance for groups above 400, and overtime for events that run past midnight. We wrote a complete guide on how the total costs of an events agency are made up.

Before you hire a coordinator, ask three questions. Those three questions separate the good from the mediocre very quickly.

Question one: can you name three events you have recently delivered, comparable in size and format? Anyone without three concrete cases has too little portfolio experience to handle this event.

Question two: what do you do if the keynote speaker is an hour late? A good coordinator immediately gives three options, ranked by impact. Anyone who hesitates or lists a process instead of a solution cannot decide quickly under pressure.

Question three: which suppliers have you brought with you from earlier events, and why? Experienced coordinators have a fixed pool of technical production, catering and entertainment. That pool is their quality guarantee. Anyone fully dependent on your contacts has no track record of their own to fall back on.

We create events for companies between 100 and 10,000 employees. From Heijmans and Carglass to SAP. Our coordinators are never separate from the production. They always work in a team with an event manager, a producer and a creative.

At Live Impact we start with a conversation about the goal of the event. After that we set up the production team, in which the coordinator is involved from week one. That makes the day itself a delivery, not an improvisation. The coordinator knows the suppliers. The suppliers know the coordinator. Those small differences make the big differences on the day.

Call 085 401 40 14 or email hello@live-impact.nl to get acquainted. Seriously fun.