Senior Meeting Planner

General Overview:

The Senior Meeting Planner will provide full-service meeting and event planning support to a portfolio of events as assigned by the Manager, Meeting Logistics.

This position will function as part of an “event team” assigned to an events portfolio and serve as logistics project manager for Rotary’s International Convention.

Meeting support may include: consultation and event needs assessment, budget development and forecasting, Request for Proposal (RFP) development, vendor bid analysis, contracting for vendor services, space allocation and management, meeting specification development and communication, invoice reconciliation, and other meeting needs. For some meetings this position may support registration, housing and transportation needs.

The RI Convention annually attracts between 15,000 – 50,000 attendees, and requires a minimum of 240,000 – 340,000 square feet of exhibition space and up to 60 concurrent meeting rooms per event. Annual budget responsibility is between USD $4 million – USD $6 million.

Specific Duties:

Operations:

• Contributes to overall project management for meetings including development, review, and revision of project management timelines. 
• Implements and revises space allocations for all meeting venues, including offices, exhibits and meeting rooms as necessary; updates meeting planning work order software for all meeting space. Also tracks and allocates space for ancillary meeting space. 
• Serves as the point person in gathering and managing the meeting specifications and preparation of function and production schedule. 
• Initiates, negotiates and implements vendor agreements according to policies & procedures for furniture rental, office equipment rental, simultaneous interpretation (SI) equipment rental, audiovisual, catering, floral, and other vendors as assigned. Supervises and monitors negotiations for other vendors used by the section as assigned for the general sessions, workshops, and pre-convention meetings. 
• Supervises and monitors all on-site office and meeting room setups at meetings, including all on-site supply/equipment and audiovisual needs for staff. 
• Tracks all orders and invoices for expenses including decorating, audio visual, office equipment, SI, communications equipment, food and beverage. Coordinates post-meeting billing reconciliation, and reclassifying expenses. 
• Liaises with RI Global Communications to coordinate interpreter services for the general sessions, workshops, and pre-convention meetings. Liaises with RI Corporate Governance team to coordinate simultaneous interpretation needs for offsite Board of Directors and/or Board of Trustee meetings. 
• Prepares floor plans for all areas of the convention including office setups using special software (Meeting Matrix). Creates overall venue floor plan for distribution in staff packets. 

Food and Beverage:

• Prepares arrangements for all food & beverage functions, including final guarantees, room setup, decorations, signage needs, entertainment needs, regular vendor communication, on-site supervision and review of catering master accounts for Convention. 
• Collaborates with Donor Relations on all aspects of event coordination and logistics for all major donor events in conjunction with convention including, contracting, site selection, food and beverage, vendor selection and coordination, and entertainment. 
• Supervises all food and beverage arrangements for all identified meetings including ticketed meal events for up to 4,000 people, VIP services, coffee breaks, staff, stage area needs, and vendor meals as required. 
• Works with appropriate convention venue staff to oversee food and beverage outlets in convention venues during period of the event. 

Administrative:

• Creates and maintains department vendor contact lists, maintains all department annual plans (SharePoint time lines) and critical dates’ documents. 
• Prepares monthly reports on area activities and assists in preparation of quarterly reports for the department manager. 
• Aids in development of and updates to department procedure manuals and convention manual annually. 
• Participates in site visits, convention committee meetings working in conjunction with vendors, volunteers and related staff, as required. 
• Aids in preparation of site visit agendas and reports, Committee Advance Memoranda, Minutes and Board Items as required. 
• Develops and maintains resource/historical section files (paper and electronic) for all vendor, equipment and related logistical items. 
• Implements Board and Trustee actions as related to responsibilities. 
• Assists the department manager with other projects, as assigned. 

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in work experience required.

Knowledge and Skills:

Required:

• Experience working in a Convention Center with citywide events of more than 10,000 attendees. 
• CMP, CMM, PMP or related certification 
• Experience defining vendor specifications, negotiating pricing, and executing vendor agreements for meeting services and equipment. 
• Strong project management, organizational, administrative, and problem-solving skills 
• A team player who can collaborate and build consensus within cross-functional areas. 
• Strong (internal and external) customer service skills 
• Excellent interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills. 
• Ability to manage multiple priorities with attention to detail 
• Computer literacy and knowledge of Microsoft software 
• Ability and willingness to travel domestically and internationally. 
• Ability to demonstrate cultural sensitivity when working in an international environment. 
• Ability to travel to and work on-site at Convention for several weeks at a time, if necessary, required. 
• May also support planning on other Rotary meetings and events.

Preferred:

• Knowledge of event management software 
• Knowledge of floor plan design software “Meeting Matrix” 
• Experience working with Simultaneous Interpretation equipment 
• Fluency in a foreign language.