Event Planning Coordinator

SPJA•Corona, CA

4d•$22 - $23•Onsite

About The Position

SPJA is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to celebrating and uplifting the unique and deep culture that surrounds Japanese animation. Our roots originated from Cal Animage Alpha, an anime club at UC Berkeley, which co-sponsored the first Anime Expo in 1992, along with its predecessor Anime Con in 1991. Since then, SPJA has grown exponentially in its endeavors, with Anime Expo becoming the largest anime convention in North America, as well as establishing B2B conference Project Anime, and partnering with World Cosplay Summit to organize its US preliminary. With each unique event we produce, our purpose never strays – we aim to promote, celebrate, and educate the public about Japanese animation, manga, video games, and traditional culture. The ideal Event Planning Coordinator is a team player who liaises with internal and external key stakeholders during the event planning process to execute key deliverables and ensure projects adhere to scope, schedule, and budget.

Requirements

Minimum 2 years event planning experience
Familiarity with SketchUp and/or CAD
Ability to remain calm under pressure and maintain a customer-service mindset.
Understanding of financials, budget, forecast, variance, and related reports.
Excellent computer skills, including Microsoft Office and online software programs.
Advanced knowledge of Excel.
No commitments to other conventions.
Must be able to perform required tasks and manage staff at conventions away from SPJA office.

Nice To Haves

Professional certification such as CaPM is desirable but not required.
Respect for anime, Japanese culture and its lifestyle, and familiarity with fandom communities is a plus.

Responsibilities

Handle the day-to-day administration and coordination of several SPJA events, including our main flagship event, Anime Expo which draws over 100,000 attendees every year.
Own every aspect of event planning - including vendor relationships, contract administration, volunteer recruitment and issues resolution.
Draft event and room layout in accordance to venue guidelines and regulations.
Book venues, schedule guests, and manage the full cycle of contract management.
Participate in the development of original content for our events. Frame up new ideas for approval of senior management.
Serves as point of contact for all day-to-day communication with third party vendors, industry partners and sponsors.
Helps create operational budgets.
Keeps budgets and timelines under control.
Identifies different staffing solutions for events. Provides onboarding training for respective departments.
Other duties as assigned by management from time to time.