Director of Events & Special Projects
About The Position
The Director of Events and Special Projects will assume a dual role of providing leadership in Event Services and assuming the primary role on Special Projects as assigned. Currently, this position will take on the primary role of leading the communication on the status Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC) expansion project to clients with the focus of managing client expectations and identifying solutions to mitigate the construction impact to the client experience. This in-office role will deliver on customer service to ensure successful retention of booked business. Additionally, this director role will lead and drive excellence in operation and service levels within the Event Services team.
Requirements
- A minimum education level of: High School Diploma or its equivalency (Bachelor of Arts/Sciences Degree Preferred)
- Years of related work experience in Event Management or Project Management: 5+ years
- Must be able to effectively plan and schedule trade shows, conventions, and other events.
- Must understand construction impacts to event and venue operations.
- Competent in planning and successfully executing complex, large-scale events utilizing a minimum of 700,000 square feet of space and varying in scope.
- Experience in leading and developing a high-performing team of managers.
- Must be organized and detail oriented.
- Must excel in critical thinking and be a creative problem-solver.
- Ability to maintain calm and decisive judgement under challenging situations.
- Must have excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Possess superior interpersonal abilities when interacting with broad spectrum of stakeholders.
- Must be able to coordinate and schedule multiple timelines.
- Must be able to move around the facility remaining on the event floor for extended periods of time.
- Must be able to multitask in stressful, highly fluid situations.
- Knowledge of building policies, city codes and fire codes as they pertain to event management.
- Experience with union labor within the live event or trade show industry.
- Must have reliable transportation.
- Required variable work schedule such as late hours, early mornings, extended hours, holidays, and weekends.
Nice To Haves
- Bachelor of Arts/Sciences Degree
- Business, Venue, Hospitality or Entertainment Management
- Industry certifications: Certified Venue Professional (CVP), Certified Exhibition Manager (CEM), Certified Meeting Professional (CMP).
- Previous management experience in a convention center highly preferred.
- Experience in similar construction project, a plus.
- Knowledge of Momentus, iPlan, AutoCAD and Microsoft Office or similar software.
Responsibilities
- Focused on pending, tentative, and licensed business, work closely with LACC Sr. Leadership, LACC Event Services and the construction partners (PCL & Webcor) to understand and troubleshoot challenges clients may be faced with during the LACC expansion project. Partner with LA Tourism Expansion Liaison to deliver collective and consistent response to citywide clients. Participate in site visits as needed.
- Continue as main point-of-contact to clients on all construction related topics onsite during events to ensure execution of commitments made by LACC and to address event challenges related to construction activities as they may arise. Identify solutions and offer alternative plans to client challenges through critical and strategic thought process and effectively communicate these plans to clients.
- Attend all coordination meetings and walkthroughs with the construction team to comprehend construction plans against event scheduling. Proactively manage upcoming event needs and maintain solid documentation related communication and necessary follow-up.
- Lead the development of the Event Services team by focusing on consistency in SOPs and supporting the growth of the team.
- Assume the coordination, planning, and execution of up to (4) major events annually as assigned.
- Responsible for a team of 3-4 Event Manager I & II, including training, professional development, and performance reviews.
- Complete special projects & other assigned duties.
Stand Out From the Crowd
Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.
What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
Industry
Food Services and Drinking Places
Education Level
High school or GED
Number of Employees
1,001-5,000 employees
