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Public Events Manager

Full-Time • Armada, MI • Reports to Public Events Leadership • Blake’s Orchard & Cider Mill

Who We Are & About This Role

Since 1946, Blake’s Orchard & Cider Mill has been a cornerstone of Michigan agriculture and agritourism: an 80-year family operation with deep roots in Armada and a genuine growth ambition. Our mission is to cultivate growth in our people, our community, and our business. We host thousands of guests every year across festivals, seasonal events, and signature experiences that have made Blake’s one of Michigan’s most beloved destinations.

Events are central to all three of our pillars. Farm, Community, and Family: they come to life when the gates open, the music starts, and guests make memories they come back to relive. The Public Events Manager is the person who makes that happen, and who genuinely loves doing it.

This is not a role for someone who tolerates the chaos of event day. It is a role for someone who is energized by it. You thrive in the intensity of a busy festival weekend, you bring heat to your team when the stakes are high, and you measure your own success by whether the event succeeded, not whether your to-do list got done. You plan well, you execute with urgency, and you hold yourself and the people around you to a standard that shows.

You report into Public Events leadership and operate as a full owner of your events: the planning, the coordination, the execution, and the follow-through.

If festivals are your thing, if you love this work, and if you bring the kind of energy that makes a team raise their game, we want to hear from you.

Your Role With Blake’s: Key Responsibilities

Event Planning & Coordination

You own your events from the first planning meeting to the post-event debrief. Achievement & Accountability: the plan is yours, the outcome is yours.

• Plan and manage assigned events from concept through execution: build timelines, coordinate logistics, assign responsibilities, and track every moving part

• Manage vendor relationships for your events including entertainment, rental equipment, food and beverage partners, decor, and supplies

• Develop and maintain event run-of-show documents, staffing plans, and vendor contact sheets

• Coordinate with Marketing on event promotion, signage, and guest communication in advance of each event

• Support the annual events calendar planning process in partnership with Public Events leadership

On-Site Execution

When event day arrives, you are on the floor and you are all in. Passion & Positivity are not soft skills here: they are the energy that keeps a team sharp through a twelve-hour festival day and makes guests feel it when they walk through the gates.

• Lead on-site setup, execution, and breakdown for all assigned events

• Manage event-day staffing teams of varying sizes; assign roles, run briefings, and keep the floor moving

• Identify and resolve issues in real time: vendor delays, weather adjustments, staffing gaps, guest concerns

• Ensure every aspect of the guest experience meets Blake’s standards from arrival through departure

• Conduct post-event walkthroughs and document outcomes, issues, and improvements for future planning

Team & Staff Management

You do not just manage staff on event day, you drive them. Teamwork & Character is what holds a crew together under pressure, and your energy is what sets the ceiling for how hard and how well your team performs.

• Recruit, schedule, and supervise event staff and volunteers for assigned events

• Run pre-event staff briefings that set clear expectations and genuine energy: your team should leave the huddle ready to deliver

• Hold people to a standard during the event and debrief honestly after: recognize strong performance, address gaps directly

• Build a team environment where intensity and pride in the work are the norm, not the exception

• Communicate proactively with Public Events leadership on staffing needs, cross-event coordination, and team performance

Guest Experience & Standards

Blake’s Family pillar means every guest belongs here the moment they arrive. Your events are where that promise is either kept or broken.

• Hold every event to a consistent standard of guest satisfaction: cleanliness, flow, hospitality, and attention to detail

• Handle guest concerns directly and ensure timely, appropriate resolution

• Bring a Community mindset to every event: these gatherings matter to the people who attend them, and that should be felt in how they are run

• Incorporate guest feedback into planning and execution improvements across future events

Operations, Compliance & Continuous Improvement

Good events are built on good process. Integrity & Commitment means the documentation gets done, the compliance boxes get checked, and the lessons from each event actually improve the next one.

• Ensure all assigned events comply with insurance, legal, health, and safety requirements

• Maintain accurate records for event logistics, vendor agreements, and post-event reporting

• Contribute to a culture of Learning & Innovation on the events team: bring forward ideas, flag what isn’t working, and share what is

• Communicate proactively with Public Events leadership on event status, risks, and needs. Trust & Communication means no one is caught off guard

What Great Looks Like: Qualifications

Backgrounds that succeed here look different: events, hospitality, venue operations, production, agritourism. What is non-negotiable is that you love this work. You are energized by festival weekends, not drained by them, and the people around you feel the difference.

Required

• Proven experience planning and executing events: you have done this, you know what hard looks like, and you came back for more

• Demonstrated ability to lead and energize a team on-site during live, high-volume events

• Strong organizational skills: you manage multiple timelines, vendors, and moving parts without losing track of any of them

• Clear, direct communicator in writing and in person

• You make decisions under pressure, without freezing, without passing the problem up the chain unnecessarily

• Genuine enthusiasm for festivals, seasonal events, and the kind of high-energy guest experience that Blake’s is known for

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and standard productivity and scheduling tools

• Availability to work weekends and holidays as required by the event calendar

Preferred

• 2+ years of experience in event management, hospitality operations, or guest experience

• Experience managing seasonal events with variable staffing and guest volume

• Background in agritourism, farm-based events, or outdoor event operations

• Familiarity with event permitting, vendor contracts, and compliance requirements

How You’re Rewarded: Compensation & Benefits

Competitive base salary, performance-based incentive, 401(k) with match, full health/dental/vision benefits, PTO, and all the perks of working at one of Michigan’s most beloved farms. Full details shared during the interview process.

What’s Next: How to Apply

Don’t just send a resume into a void. Reach out on LinkedIn, visit a location, experience one of our events, and show us you want in. We can’t wait to meet the right person.

Blake’s Orchard & Cider Mill is an equal opportunity employer.