Event Manager Jobs in Madison, WI (NOW HIRING)

• Market Event Director – Madison / University of Wisconsin

Social House Vodka
Location: Madison, Wisconsin
Job Type: Full-Time
Schedule: Field-based; evening and weekend availability required
Compensation: Competitive base salary plus performance-based incentive opportunity

About Social House Vodka

Social House Vodka is a premium American vodka brand built around bringing people together and creating memorable experiences.

We are growing our Wisconsin market through hospitality, community engagement, University of Wisconsin and alumni relationships, events, retail and restaurant activation, and direct consumer engagement. We are looking for a highly motivated Market Event Director based in Madison to help bring the Social House brand to life throughout the University of Wisconsin community and the broader Madison market.

About the Role

The Market Event Director is responsible for building local awareness, relationships, consumer engagement, and account demand through high-quality events and market activation.

This is not simply an event-planning position.

The right candidate will understand Madison, Wisconsin culture, and the University of Wisconsin community. They will build relationships with alumni, restaurants, bars, retailers, chefs, mixologists, community leaders, event organizers, and other influential local partners.

The role also includes recruiting and managing Brand Ambassadors, supporting priority accounts, capturing consumer relationships, creating content, and turning market activity into measurable opportunities for Social House.

University of Wisconsin graduates are strongly preferred, but not required. Candidates without a UW degree should be able to demonstrate meaningful knowledge of and relationships within the University of Wisconsin and Madison communities.

What You Will Do

• Build and manage a calendar of Social House events and activations throughout Madison and the surrounding market.
• Plan and execute tastings, dinners, watch parties, alumni programs, retail tastings, restaurant activations, corporate events, charitable events, and community programs.
• Develop strong relationships with University of Wisconsin alumni, alumni chapters, hospitality professionals, restaurants, bars, retailers, chefs, mixologists, corporate partners, event organizers, and community leaders.
• Help activate Social House around football, basketball, hockey, volleyball, homecoming, alumni events, and other important Wisconsin occasions.
• Identify new event, account, partnership, and hospitality opportunities.
• Recruit, train, schedule, and manage a dependable local Brand Ambassador team.
• Coordinate event venues, product, staffing, displays, supplies, invitations, setup, execution, and follow-up.
• Ensure every activation reflects Social House's brand standards.
• Capture qualified consumer contacts and support approved Social House loyalty and community programs.
• Coordinate photographs, videos, event recaps, cocktail concepts, food pairings, and other reusable content.
• Support restaurant and retail account introductions, staff education, signature cocktails, menu opportunities, tastings, placements, and reorders.
• Work closely with Social House's Wisconsin market leadership, distributor partners, accounts, and Company leadership.
• Maintain an accurate event calendar, relationship pipeline, Brand Ambassador roster, budget tracker, and follow-up list.
• Provide timely event reporting and participate in regular market-performance reviews.

Initial Market Focus

The initial focus of the position will be Madison and the University of Wisconsin community.

Priority programs will include:

• University of Wisconsin and alumni activations
• Football and game-day programs
• Homecoming
• Watch parties
• Restaurant and bar activations
• Chef and mixologist programs
• Featured cocktails and menu programs
• Retail tastings
• Corporate and alumni events
• Charity, gala, golf, country-club, and community programs
• Brand Ambassador activations

As the Madison market develops, the role may expand to support Milwaukee, Green Bay, Appleton, and other priority Wisconsin markets.

What Success Looks Like

Success is measured by more than the number of events completed. We will evaluate performance based on:

• Quality and consistency of event execution
• Relationships developed within the University of Wisconsin and Madison communities
• Qualified consumer contacts generated
• New event, account, and partnership opportunities
• Brand Ambassador performance and reliability
• Quality content generated from market activity
• Menu opportunities, placements, and reorders influenced
• Repeat invitations and recurring partnerships
• Budget management and timely follow-up
• Overall contribution to Social House's growth in Wisconsin

Qualifications

The ideal candidate has:

• Experience in hospitality, events, restaurants, field marketing, experiential marketing, partnerships, community engagement, or a related field
• Strong familiarity with Madison and the University of Wisconsin community
• Existing relationships in Madison hospitality, alumni, corporate, charitable, sports, or event communities, or the ability to build those relationships quickly
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills
• Confidence conducting outbound outreach and approaching new decision-makers
• Strong organization and follow-up discipline
• Experience coordinating events, people, vendors, and multiple priorities
• The ability to recruit, train, motivate, and manage part-time or event-based team members
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Comfort using email, spreadsheets, social media, and basic CRM or workflow tools
• Reliable transportation and the ability to travel throughout the Madison market
• Availability for evenings, weekends, football games, homecoming, and other important activation periods
• Must be at least 21 years old

Experience in beverage alcohol is helpful but not required.

Preferred Background

University of Wisconsin graduates are preferred, but not required.

We are especially interested in candidates who:

• Understand Wisconsin traditions and the University of Wisconsin community
• Have relationships within the UW alumni network
• Know Madison's restaurant, bar, hospitality, and event communities
• Have participated in university, alumni, athletics-adjacent, charitable, or community organizations
• Can authentically represent Social House within the Madison market

The Person We Are Looking For

You may be a strong fit if you:

• Naturally bring people together
• Know where Madison residents and Wisconsin alumni eat, drink, socialize, and gather
• Enjoy developing relationships as much as executing events
• Are comfortable picking up the phone and creating opportunities
• Take ownership without waiting to be told every next step
• Stay organized when several events and priorities are moving at once
• Understand that a great event should produce relationships, content, consumer engagement, and business opportunities afterward
• Want to help build Social House in Wisconsin rather than simply manage individual events

Growth Opportunity

Social House is building a market-based activation organization across several priority states. Successful Market Event Directors will have opportunities to assume broader market responsibility as Social House expands its Wisconsin distribution, University of Wisconsin programs, hospitality relationships, loyalty initiatives, and consumer community.

Join us and help build Social House in Madison and across Wisconsin.