Event Director

Advantage Sales & Marketing dba Advantage Solutions•Chicago, IL

8d•Remote

About The Position

Anheuser-Busch (Full Time 3 Month Temporary Position) Remote within the U.S. At our company, we grow people, brands, and businesses! We’re looking for a dynamic, strategic Event Director to lead the vision and execution of high-impact events and incentive programs for one of the world’s most iconic brands, Anheuser-Busch. This is a highly visible leadership role where you will shape unforgettable experiences, drive innovation, and deliver excellence at scale. If you thrive in fast-paced environments, love bringing big ideas to life, and have a passion for leading teams and delivering best-in-class experiences, this is your opportunity to make a lasting impact. The Company is one of North America’s leading sales and marketing agencies specializing in outsourced sales, merchandising, category management and marketing services to manufacturers, suppliers and producers of food products and consumer packaged goods. The Company services a variety of trade channels including grocery, mass merchandise, specialty, convenience, drug, dollar, club, hardware, consumer electronics and home centers. We bridge the gap between manufacturers and retailers, providing consumers access to the best products available in the marketplace today. Position Summary The Director, Event Production is responsible for managing the development and execution of experiential events. This will include management of event strategy ideation, vendors, internal teams, and client communication, as needed.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business Management, Marketing, Communications, or related field (or equivalent experience)
8+ years in event production, sourcing, project management, and budget ownership
Knowledge and experience in the MICE Industry
Proven success delivering large-scale experiential programs (CPG/beverage preferred)
Expertise in sourcing, hotel buying, vendor management, and global destinations
Knowledge of hotels and destinations in US and Globally
Outstanding communication, organization, and problem-solving abilities
Experience in Contract negotiations, specific to hospitality industry nuances and legal aspects, securing best rates, and favorable contract terms
High attention to detail and commitment to delivering excellence
Proficiency in Microsoft Office tools
Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience
Field of Study/Area of Experience: Business Management, finance, marketing communications
8+ years of experience in Event production, project management, budget development and management, client communications
Excellent written communication and verbal communication skills
Good interpersonal skills
Strong prioritization skills
Skill in supervising to include delegating responsibility, training and evaluating performance
Conflict management skills
Decision making skills
Ability to ensure a high level of service and quality is maintained
Ability to direct, lead, coach, and develop people
Ability to work effectively with management
Well-organized, detail-oriented, and able to handle a fast-paced work environment
Track record of building and maintaining customer/client relationships
Flexible and adaptable, able to change and alter according to changes in projects or business environment
Ability to work independently and prioritize duties with minimal supervision, in order to meet deadlines
Ability to complete multiple duties with accuracy shifting from one to another with frequent interruptions and competing deadlines
Strong computer skills including proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook, and web-browsers

Responsibilities

Report to Operations Director Anheuser-Busch
Own end-to-end delivery of large-scale events and incentive trips (concept through post-event analysis)
Manage budgets, forecasting, cost tracking, contracts, and ROI
Source, negotiate, and manage venues, hotels, and vendors; ensure performance and favorable terms
Evaluate proposals, contracts, addendums, and vendor responses
Act as point of contact for destination and vendor meeting requests
Lead timelines, priorities, and execution across multiple programs; adapt to changing needs
Partner cross-functionally with Client Services, Creative, Hospitality, and Production on planning, negotiations, and programming
Drive continuous improvement through process optimization and workflow enhancements
Maintain clear, proactive communication with clients and internal teams on timelines, roles, and deliverables
Build and maintain strong vendor and client relationships
Contribute to new business efforts (RFPs, RFIs, presentations, special projects)
Manage, coach, and develop team members
Pre-production, at-event, and after-event management.
Travel to events as needed to oversee event productions from set-up to tear-down.
Prepare post-event recaps and evaluations.
Budget development/management. Manages development of budgets working with clients and customers to identify event needs and cost structures. Ensures programs is successfully executed within budget.
Event strategy development. Partner with clients to understand event focus and develops overall event concept. Provides direction to team to ensure successful event.
Event vendor identification, management. Research and secure venues, planning layouts. Selecting vendors and negotiating with suppliers.
Management of direct reports and indirect reports brought in to various projects. Oversees team of associates providing direction and feedback regarding individual performance and team execution of each event.
Inventory management
Supervisory Responsibilities Direct Reports Hires, retains, trains, coaches, guides, directs, and develops direct reports using company-wide processes, tools and resources
Indirect Reports May delegate work of others and provide guidance, direction and mentoring to indirect reports