Event Planner

Job Description

Title: Event Planner, Events and Programming

Reports to: Director, Events and Programming

Job Summary: The Event Planner supports the Events and Programming team in delivering exceptional event experiences designed to amplify and advance Heritage’s strategic priorities. The Events and Programming team produces over 5,000 events annually, from high-level roundtables and public programs in our Washington, D.C. headquarters to donor gatherings and multi-day conferences across the country. This individual is responsible for managing the entire lifecycle of events of varying scale to include initial strategy, full-scale logistics, promotion, onsite production, and post-event analysis.

Job Duties:

• Event Strategy Formulation – Communicate and collaborate effectively with internal partners at Heritage and occasional external partners on multiple projects, aligning all planning activities with the stated mission and objectives. Regularly assess and refresh existing event components and provide creative solutions for new event concepts.
• Event Production – Seamlessly plan and execute program and logistics and coordinate high-profile speakers, venue logistics, audio visual production, security protocols, volunteers and support staff supervision, and vendor logistics. Support and oversee junior staff members in their tasks related to the event. Propose and implement new ideas to improve the event planning and execution processes.
• Venue & Vendor Selection – Research venues and vendors, draft RFPs, and negotiate contracts in a manner that is consistent with industry best practices and aims to protect Heritage’s interests. This process may include conducting site visits to ensure venues continually uphold Heritage’s standard of excellence and meet the specific programmatic needs of the event.
• Speaker Management – Craft speaker invitation letters, conduct outreach to speakers, track external speaker invitations, brief speakers onsite, and maintain contact information to better collaborate with internal partners on invite priorities and coordinated outreach for the organization.
• Event Communication – Develop and edit event marketing materials, including invitations, programs, agendas, websites and online presence, and onsite collateral that capture and communicate The Heritage Foundation’s mission.
• Event Evaluation – Advise stakeholders in using their resources more effectively and setting future strategy by conducting after action reviews and compiling post-event reports and survey results.
• Event Budget & Expenses – Submit personal purchasing card expense reports, process invoices, produce event revenue and expense reports, generate invoices for external client events, exercise budget discipline by making cost-effective decisions and carefully monitoring expenses throughout the planning process to adhere to established budgets, and determine new and innovative ways to reduce event costs.
• Cross-Functional Support – Provide support across the Events & Programming team on an ad-hoc basis, which includes cross-training on multiple platforms and processes.
• Professional Development – Regularly seek out continuing education especially on event and program management best practices, trends, and new inspiration by reading publications, attending seminars, and consulting with other industry professionals. Stay informed on current events and policy priority updates in order to suggest new featured speakers and programming ideas.

Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor’s Degree
• Experience: 3-5 years of experience in event management
• Communication: Effective written and verbal communication skills; ability to communicate clearly and concisely with all levels of the organization and external stakeholders
• Technology: Microsoft Suite; ability to master new software; experience with event registration platforms and donor management software preferred

Other Requirements:

• Critical Thinking: Ability to think critically and handle emergency situations, demonstrating sound judgment under pressure, and to proactively propose and execute creative solutions to business challenges.
• Organization: Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail; proven ability to handle multiple projects while setting appropriate priorities to achieve goals
• Teamwork: Exceptional teamwork and customer service skills
• Availability: Capacity to travel and work nights and weekends when necessary (up to 25% travel as needed)
• Mission Alignment: Understand and support the Heritage mission and vision for America, and the department’s goals and objectives