Senior Events Manager

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION:

The Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) is the state's leading economic development organization with a streamlined mission to grow and strengthen Arizona’s economy. The ACA uses a three-pronged approach to advance the overall economy: recruit, grow, create – recruit out-of-state companies to expand their operations in Arizona; work with existing companies to grow their business in Arizona and beyond; and partner with entrepreneurs and companies large and small to create new jobs and businesses in targeted industries.

ABOUT THE ROLE:

The Senior Events Manager is primarily responsible for providing strategic event management, execution, and tracking for all events on behalf of the entire organization. This individual is responsible for the ACA’s special events, as well as monitoring and supporting the ACA’s sponsored statewide sponsorships and event partnerships. In addition, this role supports the various trade shows and conferences, which features Arizona’s presence both nationally and globally.

The Senior Events Manager is highly organized, detail-oriented and acquainted with Arizona’s ecosystem of business and economic development events. This individual must be able to perform under pressure, embrace tight deadlines, and have comfort with last-minute, unanticipated changes – all while maintaining a positive, professional, and proactive attitude. This is an in-office role based in Phoenix, AZ with the potential for a hybrid work schedule after 90 days.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• ​​​​​​Manage all meeting logistic aspects including, and not limited to, budgeting, air and ground travel, hotel and venue site selection and contracting, food and beverage, audio visual, temporary staff, décor and entertainment, activities, special events, off-site events, and trade shows/exhibitions.
• Oversee the event launch and ensure flawless execution; coordinate and monitor event timelines and ensure deadlines are met.
• Serve as a point of contact with external and internal stakeholders with determination to exceed customer service expectations in all aspects of meeting planning; provide up-to-the-minute status updates to relevant staff.
• Utilize and maintain all existing meeting planning templates, including meeting specs, budget, production schedules, rooming list, manifests, and payment logs, for example.
• Perform advance site visits to scout potential locations for upcoming events; serve as site/location liaison with scheduling, security, and contracted event staff.
• Travel, as needed, to provide on-site assistance for assigned events; assist with managing on-site production and clean-up for events as necessary; some out-of-state and international travel is expected.
• Manage all contracted vendors through meeting completion.
• Create, modify, and manage online registration websites and mobile applications, as needed.
• Provide post-meeting support including reporting and billing reconciliation of invoices and meeting expenses.
• Occasional virtual meeting management including platform recommendation and creation, oversight, and execution.
• Must be comfortable working event-related hours, from early mornings to late nights, and occasionally over the weekend.

COMPETENCY, EDUCATIONAL & EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, public relations, or a related field of study.
• Minimum five (5) years of work experience in meeting/event planning and execution in a directly related role.
• Proven advanced event planning and organizing/project management skills for small, large, and complex events.
• Proficient with social media platforms, event management and event booking software and MS Office software programs including PowerPoint, Word and Excel, and virtual event platforms including Zoom and MS Teams.
• Successful record of managing multiple projects with demonstrated ability to work independently in rapidly changing environments; demonstrated ability to work under pressure and within tight deadlines.
• Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills; highly collaborative team approach to work.
• Demonstrated client service skills: ability to work well with individuals across diverse teams and cultures.

HIGHLY PREFERRED SKILLS, ABILITIES & QUALIFICATIONS:

• Specialized experience supporting high-profile events and public appearances, preferably on a political campaign or in a government setting is highly desired.
• Proven ability to communicate, influence, establish trust, and demonstrate results with multiple stakeholder groups.
• High detail orientation and able to attend closely to minor issues and questions, and with focus on accuracy and completeness.
• Ability to effectively cope with change, can shift gears comfortably, can decide and act without having the total picture, comfortably handles risk and uncertainty.
• Dependable -- more reliable than spontaneous.
• Adaptable/flexible -- enjoys doing work that requires frequent shifts in direction.
• Forward Thinking – can anticipate the implications and consequences of situations and take appropriate action to be prepared for possible contingencies.