Director of Development Events

Director of Development Events

Summary

Reports to: Senior Director of Development

Status: Full-Time, Exempt

The Nashville Symphony holds annual fundraising events to help meet annual budget targets for the institution as well as other events to cultivate and thank our donors. This position oversees those efforts and is responsible for strategy and implementation of development events in conjunction with Senior Director of Development. This role requires strong project management, communication and leadership skills, with a focus on creating high-impact events that engage donors and supporters.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

• Event Planning and Management:
  • Develop, plan, and execute a comprehensive calendar of fundraising events including Fashion Show, Symphony Ball, and Spirits of Summer.
  • Manage event logistics, including venue selection, vendor coordination, permits, catering, audiovisual setup, and entertainment working close with key internal and external partners.
  • Ensure events are aligned with the organizations fundraising goals and branding strategies.
  • Work closely with other departments (communications, artistic, production, etc.) to ensure successful event outcomes.
  • Oversee every aspect of event production from start to finish - collaborating with production, PR, marketing, IT, graphics and ticketing teams to ensure successful event outcomes.
  • Draft and execute event production Outlines, timelines, and scripts.
  • Provide event support to the Director and Assistant Director of Donor Relations and Volunteer Services for other Development events (Stradivarius Society Dinner and all other Development events, including Founders Hall).
• Donor Engagement and Relationship Management:
  • Foster a collaborative relationship with event chairs, providing both administrative assistance and creative thought to their efforts.
  • Collaborate with the development team to secure event sponsorships, donations, and in-kind contributions.
  • Develop strategies to maximize donor engagement before, during, and after events.
• Budgeting and Financial Oversight:
  • Develop and manage event budgets, ensuring cost-effective solutions without compromising quality, in conjunction with overall budgeting process for Nashville Symphony
  • Track event expenses and revenue to ensure financial goals are met or exceeded.
• Additional Responsibilities
  • Manage partnership with outside vendors, particularly Hall Strategies
  • Act as liaison between designer/artists management teams and the Nashville Symphony
  • Assist in acquiring event sponsors
  • Continuously evaluate events, process and outcomes and make recommendations for adjustments and improvements
  • Collaborate with Ticketing around event tracking, ticket purchases, etc.
  • Conduct post-event evaluations, collecting feedback from donors, participants, and staff to identify areas of improvement.
  • Create comprehensive event reports, outlining successes, challenges, and actionable insights for future events.
  • Collaborate with the Director and Assistant Director of Donor Relations and Volunteer Services, Front of House staff and more to ensure volunteers and ushers are secured for events and trained for specific roles.
  • Other duties as assigned.

Work Requirements and Qualifications:

• Bachelors degree required.
• Two (2) plus years related experience and a proven track record of success
• Stellar organizational skills with attention to detail and ability to schedule priorities to maximize efficiency and institutional goals
• Experience managing a complex budget including revenue targets and expenses
• Must have strong competency with Microsoft Office products (Windows, Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint) and have the capacity to learn new software application programs as required
• Tessitura experience a plus
• Ability to work as a team member with a positive, helpful attitude in developing creative response and solutions to needs and issues
• Ability to work independently and use independent judgment while keeping supervisor informed of work activity and issues