.jpg)
July 15, 2025
Planning an event is one of the most stressful situations, especially with little to no experience. Whether it’s planning a conference or a festival, it requires dedication, patience, and creativity to ensure it’s a successful event. When it comes to event planning, many tend to get confused between the role of an event planner and an event manager. Therefore, we’re here to explain the difference between event management and event planning.
An event planner is an individual who plans and designs the entire event. They typically gather the requirements from clients and plan the event accordingly. The main goal of an event planner is to ensure that the event satisfies the needs and expectations of clients before the event occurs.
An event manager is an individual who is involved throughout the event planning process while also being present during the event. They will handle any issues that may arise on-site while the event is happening. Unlike the event planner who handles the event setup, such as choosing venue, an event manager ensures the entire event runs smoothly without any hiccups.
An event planner translates the client’s vision into reality by deciding the how, when, who, what, and where. This means that the pre-planning that happens before executing the event is done by an event planner.
Here are some of the core responsibilities of an event planner:
As an event manager, they are in charge of ensuring the event gets executed flawlessly. They manage the entire event during and after, tackling challenges and other issues along the way.
There are some common core responsibilities of an event manager, including:
To simplify the key differences between event manager and event planner, we’ve included some of the core aspects in a table below:
Although skills between an event manager vs event planner may overlap, there are some common skills each of these roles should possess, including:
For smaller events, an event planner and manager can often overlap, as one person can effectively handle both roles. However, for large-scale events with thousands of guests, there have to be separate individuals handling both roles. This ensures that the entire event runs smoothly as there are more details and aspects involved.
When choosing between an event planner vs an event manager, it all depends on the needs and requirements of your event. For instance, if you require event planning from scratch, you can hire an event planner to make it easier for you. But if you’ve already handled the vendor selection and other decisions, you only need an event manager to carry out the plan accordingly.
One thing to take note of is that if you’re hosting a large event, it’s always best to hire both roles to ensure your event runs smoothly.
Read more about 8 Best Event Planning Tips For Successful Events here.
If you wish to run a successful event, it’s important to understand the difference between an event manager and an event planner. However, to make it easier, you can also consider hiring a team that can handle both roles!
For instance, partnering with The Magnet Group means that you only need to communicate with one person! You can let the team handle the rest of the planning for you. The Magnet Group is an all-in-one solution dedicated to providing professional event planning and management services in Malaysia. Get in touch with us today!
