Core Event Roles: Who Does What on an Event Team?

EVENT PLANNING GUIDE

Core Event Roles: Who Does What on an Event Team?

Updated on September 25, 2026 | Written by Rachella Thomas

If you’re new to event planning, one of the first things you’ll discover is how many different jobs go into a single event.

Don’t let the list of job titles overwhelm you. You don’t necessarily need a different person for every role.

At a large event, dedicated teams might handle operations, production, marketing, safety, and programming. At a smaller event, one person might cover several of these areas.

What matters is that someone is responsible for every part of the event.

Understanding the core event roles will help you work out what needs to be done, where responsibilities sit and where you might need specialist support.

Here are seven of the roles you’ll come across most often.

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1. Event Manager / Event Director

The person responsible for bringing the whole event together. They oversee the event plan, team, budget and delivery, while keeping everyone working towards the same objectives.

Typical responsibilities:

• Setting event objectives

• Managing the planning timeline and budget

• Briefing and coordinating the event team

• Liaising with clients, stakeholders and key partners

• Overseeing event delivery

• Making final decisions when required

Pro Tip: Even with a small event team, someone needs to take overall responsibility for the event. Clear leadership makes it much easier for everyone else to understand where decisions sit.

2. Operations or Logistics Manager

The person responsible for turning the event plan into a workable on-site operation. They coordinate the practical details required to get everything in, set up, operate, and take it down again.

Typical responsibilities:

• Bump-in and bump-out planning

• Venue and site coordination

• Supplier and vendor logistics

• Deliveries and vehicle access

• Infrastructure, power, waste and fencing

• On-site operational troubleshooting

For larger or more complex events, operations may be divided across several people or specialist areas.

3. Production Manager

The Production Manager oversees the technical elements required to deliver the event, particularly staging, audio, lighting, vision, and show production.

Typical responsibilities:

• AV, lighting and technical equipment

• Stage builds and technical infrastructure

• Production schedules and technical run sheets

• Managing technical crew

• Rehearsals and sound checks

• Show calling and technical cues

Pro Tip: On smaller events, some production responsibilities may sit within the Operations role. However, technical production requires specialist knowledge, so know when you need experienced support.

4. Marketing & Communications Lead

Responsible for how the event is presented, promoted and communicated to the people you want to reach.

Their work often begins well before event day and continues through registration, attendance and post-event communications.

Typical responsibilities:

• Event branding and messaging

• Website and ticketing information

• Social media and digital marketing

• Advertising and promotional campaigns

• Signage and wayfinding

• Audience and stakeholder communications

• Media and public relations where relevant

5. Safety & Risk Manager

Responsible for helping the event identify, plan for and manage safety and operational risks.

The level of specialist support required will depend on the event. A small indoor event has very different requirements from a large public festival, outdoor event or complex temporary site.

Typical responsibilities:

• Developing and reviewing risk assessments

• Safety and emergency planning

• Coordinating with venues, authorities and relevant specialists

• Monitoring event-day safety

• Crowd management planning

• Incident and emergency procedures

• Supporting compliance with applicable requirements

For complex events, you may also need specialist safety, security, emergency management, or crowd management expertise.

6. Volunteer or Staff Coordinator

If your event relies on casual staff or volunteers, someone needs to make sure they know where to be, what to do and who to go to when they need help.

Typical responsibilities:

• Recruitment and onboarding

• Allocating roles and responsibilities

• Training and briefing

• Preparing rosters and shift information

• Event-day check-in and communication

• Managing breaks, meals, uniforms and general welfare

• Responding to staffing issues during the event

A well-briefed event team can make an enormous difference to how smoothly the day runs.

7. Creative Producer / Program Curator

For events built around performances, speakers, entertainment or programmed content, this role helps shape what the audience will actually experience.

Typical responsibilities:

• Developing the event program

• Booking artists, performers or speakers

• Coordinating program requirements

• Working with MCs and presenters

• Managing show calls and transitions

• Making sure the program supports the overall event objectives and experience

Depending on the event, this role might be called a Creative Producer, Program Manager, Content Producer, Artistic Director or Curator.

Other Event Roles You May Need

These seven roles certainly don’t cover everyone involved in delivering an event.

Depending on the event, you may also need people responsible for:

• Ticketing and accreditation

• Catering and hospitality

• Sponsorship and partnerships

• Guest and VIP management

• Accessibility

• Sustainability

• Security and crowd management

• First aid and medical services

• Site management

• Transport and traffic

• Photography and content

• Registration and front-of-house

• Exhibitors, vendors or stallholders

The right mix depends on the scale, format, location, audience and complexity of your event.

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Final Thought

When building an event team, no single structure works for every event.

A conference for 200 people, a community festival and a gala dinner will all require different combinations of people, skills and responsibilities.

If you’re planning your first few events, don’t start by trying to fill every job title on this list. Start by identifying the work that needs to be done.

Then ask:

• Who is responsible for it?

• Do they have the right skills and experience?

• Does everyone else know that they’re responsible for it?

If you can answer those three questions across the major areas of your event, you’re already building a much stronger event team.

As your events become larger or more complex, you’ll start to recognise where responsibilities need to be separated and where specialist expertise needs to come in.

That understanding comes with experience. For now, knowing what needs an owner is a very good place to start.

New to event planning? Explore more of our free event planning guides and resources to learn how professional events are put together, one part at a time.

→ If you found this useful, feel free to share it with a fellow event planner or your event network. They’ll appreciate you passing it on.

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Meet Your Mentor

Rachella Thomas is an award-winning event producer with more than 26 years of experience delivering major events. Her work includes the Australian Open, Commonwealth Games Queen’s Baton Relay, Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, and other renowned large-scale events and festivals.

Rachella founded Event Kit, where she turns decades of professional event know-how into practical tools for event planners worldwide.

Learn More → ABOUT

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