Meeting Manager

Educause

10h•$75,000 - $87,000

About The Position

The Meeting Manager assumes full responsibility for the planning, management, production, and execution of face to face events (ranging in size of 10-800 people) or online events, including the Online Annual Conference. Responsibilities generally include complex project management, detailed planning, contingency planning, troubleshooting, executing and evaluating association conferences from inception to completion. This position develops and manages all related budgets associated with the meeting planning process and leads the ops teams. The Meeting Manager works with other staff, member volunteers, program committees and presenters; liaises with hotel suppliers, related vendors, and builds a positive and professional image for all EDUCAUSE events. In this role, the Meeting Manager must be a creative problem-solver, an excellent communicator with exceptional project management abilities, confident in decision-making, and able to remain composed under pressure.

Requirements

Required Bachelor’s degree. Training in related field such as Hospitality Management,or Hotel Management is preferred.
Requires a minimum of eight years’ experience in meeting planning; hotel or convention center environments.
Event industry knowledge
Online Conference knowledge
Requires excellent oral and written communication skills
Requires high attention to detail with exceptional organizational skills
Knowledgeable and proficient in budget development and management
The ability to manage multiple projects with good team facilitation skills
Knowledgeable in basic accounting
The ability to prioritize tasks
Requires sound judgment, and good intuition
The ability to be a self- starter and motivated
Requires good interpersonal skills.
Skills and proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite
Must be available to travel
Must be able to work outside of normal office hours, including evenings and weekends, as needed
Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
Physical demands of travel such as sitting for long periods, handling luggage, time zone changes, and adjusting to new environments.
Scheduled working hours either in the employees time zone or EDUCAUSE core working hours or core working hours to be determined with the supervisor.
Be available and responsive during scheduled work hours.
Any time off or change in working hours must be pre-arranged according to department guidelines and consistent with the rules applicable to employment (e.g., vacation, sick, personal, leave of absence).

Nice To Haves

A Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) certification is preferred.

Responsibilities

Works with the event stakeholders to ensure the event strategy will meet event objectives and align with organizational objectives, when applicable.
Designs and builds the event components in conjunction with stakeholders and vendors, but has the acumen to know when decisions can be made unilaterally.
Responsible for the full scope of event project management, creating a detailed timeline, and adhering to strict deadlines to ensure successful execution of event logistics.
Oversees and manages all aspects of meeting logistics, including but not limited to registration, food and beverage, audio/visual, exhibits/corporate displays, floorplans, website/marketing review, internet requirements and connectivity, security, rigging, electrical, and on-site operations. Develop detailed logistical meeting specifications and effectively communicate those plans to all vendors and facilities to ensure a successful conference or event.
Updates meeting information in EDUCAUSE database (netFORUM) ensuring information is accurate.
Oversees the entire event on-site or online and serves as liaison for the association and participants during the event to address and resolve concerns or issues.
Advise on external online learning trends and effective practices that support continuous improvement, event attendance growth, participant engagement, participant satisfaction, and cost effectiveness.
Analyze post-event data, including attendee and exhibitor feedback, satisfaction and net promoter scores, and other metrics or indicators to identify trends and insights to provide actionable recommendations for improving the planning, execution, and outcomes of future events.
Working with the Sr. Director of Conferences and the Sr. Meeting Manager, manages assigned functions for the in-person Annual Conference, in addition to the Online Annual Conference.
Leads and manages conference ops team composed of internal stakeholders and those responsible for a segment or function of the planning and execution of the event.
Facilitates regular scheduled monthly or bi-weekly meetings
Develops timelines and establishes metrics to ensure deadlines are met for all event tasks.
Consults with team members to troubleshoot challenges; recommends, provides, and implements logistical solutions
Creates, formalizes, and submits RFPs to include preferences of conference stakeholders as well as historical outcomes of previous or similar events
Compile, assess, and prioritize the facility and vendor recommendations resulting from the RFP.
Draft and present proposals of facility and vendor recommendations to event stakeholders and in collaboration with the Sr. Director of CE.
Analyzes information and preferences to determine favorable locale, facility, and vendor selection.
Establish and communicate expectations with vendors regarding hotel accommodations, audio visual needs, food and beverage, security, decorating, and special requests.
Negotiate and/or look for cost-saving measures with vendor quotes.
Develop, propose, and manage the event budget with stakeholders, ensuring revenue, expenditures, profitability and additional financial targets contribute to the financial fitness of the event, and prioritize the allocation of resources.
Maintains awareness of budgetary limitations as well as the impact on revenues relative to adjustments to expenses during negotiations.
Oversees the expense management to ensure revenue goals are met or exceeded.
Manages the process for re-forecasting the budget for the Online Annual Conference by tracking actual revenue and expenses that will affect the budget.
Carefully review detailed invoices for accuracy, ensuring they are correctly coded and processed in alignment with the budgeted natural accounts.
Participate in EDUCAUSE events and activities as needed. Travel may be required to support EDUCAUSE conferences/events, site visits, and external events relevant to the position.
Act as a departmental liaison with employees, members, volunteers, volunteer groups, and clients.
Supports members in a manner that facilitates their growth, engagement, and enhances their EDUCAUSE experience.
As a frontline user of EDUCAUSE systems and data services, complies with data quality standards; adheres to data governance policies, procedures, and processes for ensuring data integrity. May act as the application or data collection lead for the department.
Assists EDUCAUSE with support or production of other activities or events (such as Board Meetings, Home Week, PL events, etc.).
Represent EDUCAUSE in a professional manner at all times; engage with co-workers in a civil, caring, respectful way; and advance the mission and vision of EDUCAUSE
Duties, responsibilities and activities may change or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.

Benefits

Medical, Dental, and Vision
2-for-1 employer match to your 403(b) retirement plan; up to 10% of your base salary
Employer-paid Life and AD&D, Short‐Term Disability, and Long‐Term Disability
15 days of vacation and 6 days of personal time annually
9 paid holidays
One week of paid time off when offices are closed between Christmas and New Year’s Day
36-hour work week (without any reduction in pay) amounting to 26 additional days of paid time off each year
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Emergency Travel Assistance
Professional development assistance
Monthly connectivity reimbursement