Cultural attraction events and rentals coordinator job description
An events and rentals coordinator books and runs the weddings, company parties and after-hours rentals held in an attraction's galleries, gardens and grounds. They write the contracts, make caterers and renters follow the rules that protect animals and art, and help put on the yearly gala.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, museums, zoos and gardens · BLS, May 2025
Annual pay: 10th percentile $33,590, middle half $40,500 to $61,590, 90th percentile $77,940. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
Reports to
Chief Operating Officer
Department
Events
Schedule
Evenings and weekends, plus office days · Weekday tours and proposals; on site until the last vendor leaves. Busiest in wedding season and the holidays.
Cultural Attractions - Events and Rentals Coordinator
Company Name:
[INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE]
Department:
Events
Reports to:
Chief Operating Officer
Location:
[INSERT LOCATION HERE]
1. Position Summary
We're hiring an Events and Rentals Coordinator to book and run private events on our grounds. You sell and plan weddings, company events, birthday parties, and after-hours rentals, and you help run our fundraising events. You protect the [animals, artifacts, or plant collections] by holding renters and caterers to our site rules.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Answer rental inquiries, give site tours, and send proposals from the rental rate sheet.
Write contracts, collect deposits and final payments, and get certificates of insurance from renters and vendors.
Build event orders with timelines, floor plans, and setup needs for facilities, security, and caterers.
Hold vendors to site rules, such as no open flames or confetti and [no food or drink near collections or animal areas].
Schedule security and facilities staff for each event and bill extra staffing to the client where the contract allows.
Support the gala and donor events with the Director of Development, from vendor booking to day-of setup.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Return inquiries and follow up on open proposals.
Lead site visits for couples, companies, and event planners.
Update the event calendar so rentals don't clash with school programs, member nights, or maintenance.
Confirm details with caterers, rental companies, and the client in the week before each event.
Run events on site: setup, vendor arrival, the timeline, and teardown.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Rental revenue against budget: [your target].
Inquiries that become bookings: [your target].
Client satisfaction after the event: [your target].
Events with damage or incident reports: [your target].
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
[2+] years in event planning, catering sales, or venue management.
Experience with event contracts, deposits, and event orders.
Keeps track of many dates, vendors, and details at once.
Polite and firm when enforcing site rules with clients and vendors.
Available evenings and weekends for events.
6. Preferred Experience
Experience at a venue, hotel, museum, or other attraction.
Has used event booking software such as [your system].
Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) credential.
Knows local permit rules for serving alcohol at events.
7. Physical Requirements
Stand and walk through long event days, indoors and outdoors.
Set up tables, chairs, and decor up to [40] pounds.
Work outside in changing weather during events.
With or without reasonable accommodation.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Full-time. Many evenings and weekends, especially in [wedding and holiday seasons].
On site for events until the last vendor leaves.
Weekday office time for sales calls and planning.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Pay: [range and hourly or salary basis].
Additional pay: [overtime, bonus or incentive terms, or none].
Benefits: [health, dental, vision, retirement, paid time off, and when they start].
10. Company Culture and Overview
[Two or three sentences on what your company does, the area you serve, and the support a new events and rentals coordinator gets in the first 90 days.]
11. How to Apply
[Apply link or email]. Our process: [phone interview, in-person interview, and next steps]. Contact [hiring contact] if you need an accommodation during the application process.
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
What makes hosting events at an attraction different
A hotel ballroom is built for parties. Here the venue is a gallery, a garden or a path past animal habitats, and the collection comes first.
The collection sets the house rules
Renters want candles, confetti, fog machines and red wine. A museum may ban open flames and keep drinks out of the galleries. A garden may limit tent stakes and foot traffic on the beds, and a zoo may keep loud music and balloons away from animal areas. The coordinator writes these rules into the contract, walks every vendor through them, and stops a setup that breaks them.
Animal encounters are booked, not promised
Many zoos sell an animal visit as an add-on for birthday parties and private events. Federal rules for licensed exhibitors say covered animals may be shown only for periods and under conditions that suit their health and well-being. So the animal care team picks the animal and the length of the visit on the day. The contract promises an encounter, never a named animal, and the timeline has a backup. Source: 9 CFR 2.131: Handling of animals (Cornell LII).
Every bar needs a license behind it
Many attractions rely on licensed caterers to serve alcohol, and alcohol laws are set state by state. In California, for example, the state's alcohol agency must approve each catered event, and the approval has to be at the event. The coordinator collects that paper, plus each vendor's proof of insurance, before setup day. Source: California ABC: Caterer's permit.
Rental income can be a tax question
A nonprofit can owe tax on income from work outside its mission. IRS Publication 598 says rent for land and buildings is generally left out of that income. Rent for equipment usually isn't, and a payment for space can stop counting as rent when the site also serves the renter beyond what usually comes with renting space. So the coordinator bills the room, the rented tables and linens, and the staff on separate lines. The CFO decides how each is reported. Source: IRS Publication 598: Tax on unrelated business income of exempt organizations.
Rentals share the calendar with the mission
School trips, member nights, summer camps and repair closures all want the same lawn or hall. The coordinator checks the shared calendar before sending a proposal. A date is held only once the deposit is paid, so a wedding inquiry can't bump a donor event or take the education team's room.
How much cultural attraction events and rentals coordinators make
The closest BLS group for cultural attraction events and rentals coordinators is meeting, convention, and event planners. Meeting, convention, and event planners who work for museums, zoos, gardens, and historic sites earned a median of $49,170 a year ($23.64 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s below the $61,160 median for meeting, convention, and event planners in all industries. About 3,310 of the 142,860 meeting, convention, and event planners in that survey work for museums, zoos and gardens.
Paid by salary, or hourly with overtime for long event days. Some sites add a commission or bonus on rental revenue booked; if you do, put the rule in the offer letter, including what happens when an event cancels.
Museums, zoos and gardens
$49,170$49,170 median Middle half $40,500–$61,590 10th–90th $33,590–$77,940
All industries
$61,160$61,160 median Middle half $46,970–$78,790 10th–90th $36,830–$101,700
$0k$25k$50k$75k$100k$125k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Museums, zoos and gardens
$33,590
$40,500
$49,170
$61,590
$77,940
All industries
$36,830
$46,970
$61,160
$78,790
$101,700
BLS groups museums, zoos, botanical gardens and historic sites together. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Event sales experience: tours, proposals, follow-up and closing the date
Event orders detailed enough for facilities, security and caterers to work from
Polite firmness with renters, planners and vendors who push the site rules
Calm problem-solving on event night, from a late caterer to a sudden storm
Accurate contracts, deposits and invoices
Teach these on the job
The rules for each rental space and the reason behind each one
Your rate sheet, food and drink minimums, and what each package includes
Your booking software and the shared site calendar
How many security and facilities staff each event size needs, and how that is billed
Past galas' vendors, timelines and floor plans
How to brief the animal team or curators on an event
Bookings live in venue software such as Tripleseat or Priava, or in a ticketing system's booking tools, alongside a shared calendar and a floor-plan tool. Tell applicants which system they'd work in, and whether the job also sells events or only plans and runs them.
Cultural attraction events and rentals coordinator interview questions
They have their own page: 6 questions that test this job, what strong and weak answers sound like, and a work exercise to run with your finalists.
Cultural attraction events and rentals coordinator KPIs
Set targets from last year's bookings and go over them with the COO every quarter. A June full of weddings can hide a thin winter, so read the trend rather than any single event.
Rental revenue against budget
Booked and collected rental revenue each month against the budget line, kept apart from catering commissions and staffing fees. Count only events with a signed contract and a paid deposit.
Inquiries that become bookings
Signed contracts divided by qualified inquiries, by source: wedding listing sites, your website, planners or referrals. Record why lost leads said no, such as price, date, guest count or site rules.
Client satisfaction after the event
A short survey sent within a few days of the event, with one rating and one open question. Share comments about setup, vendors or staffing with facilities and security.
Events with damage or incident reports
Events with any incident report, from a scuffed display case to a guest injury or a guest in a closed animal area, divided by all events. Review each with facilities and security and update vendor rules.
Cultural attraction events and rentals coordinator FAQ
Who should run the gala, the events coordinator or development?
Development owns the guest list, sponsors, auction and asks. The events coordinator usually owns the venue side: vendors, floor plans, staffing and the run of show. Write that split into both job descriptions so nothing falls between the two desks in the gala's busiest month.
How much does a cultural attraction events and rentals coordinator make?
Meeting, convention, and event planners who work for museums, zoos, gardens, and historic sites earned a median of $49,170 a year ($23.64 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $40,500 and $61,590 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
What insurance should renters and vendors carry?
Ask your insurance broker what coverage and limits to require. Many venues ask caterers, rental companies and bands for a certificate of insurance that names the venue as an additional insured. Some also ask couples and private renters to buy event insurance. The coordinator tracks end dates so each certificate is still good on the event day.
Does an events and rentals coordinator need a CMP?
No. The Certified Meeting Professional credential from the Events Industry Council is a plus. It is earned through experience, education and an exam. For an attraction, a record of selling and running weddings and company events tells you more, so ask for a list of recent events and the guest counts behind them.
Should the coordinator be on site for every event?
Yes. The template keeps the coordinator on site until the last vendor leaves, because they know the contract and can stop a setup that breaks site rules. That makes for long nights in wedding season. Plan the week around them, such as a late start after a big event, and train a backup who can run an event when the coordinator is out sick or on vacation.
What should we ask in an events coordinator interview?
Ask about an event that went wrong and what they changed afterward. Then role-play an inquiry: a couple wants sparklers and a live band on the garden lawn after dark. Listen for how they say no to the sparklers, offer something that works, and still close the booking.
