Event Planner

Title:                         Event Planner

Reports to:              Director, Events & Programming

Job Summary:          The Event Planner supports the Events & Programming team in delivering exceptional event experiences designed to amplify and advance Heritage’s impact and mission. The Events & 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. The Event Planner primarily supports offsite special events, with occasional support on in-house events and is responsible for managing the entire lifecycle of each event including 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 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 and vendor logistics, audio visual production, security protocols, volunteers, and support staff supervision. 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, compiling post event reports, and survey results.
• Event Budget & Expenses – Submit personal purchasing card expense reports, process invoices, and produce event revenue and expense reports. 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; experience with event registration platforms and donor

                                    management software considered a plus.

other Requirements:       

• Mission Alignment: Understand and support the Heritage mission and vision for America, and the department’s goals and objectives.
• 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:   Ability to travel and work nights and weekends when necessary (up to 25% travel as needed).