Event Management Experience – Rotational Internship

About the role

Facilities: Erie Insurance Arena, Bayfront Convention Center, UPMC Ball Park, Warner Theatre.

Reports to: Various Erie Events department heads.

Hour range: Paid opportunity.

Erie Events is the hub of Erie’s downtown entertainment and cultural district, operating four unique venues in the heart of downtown. Through a paid internship program, Erie Events is committed to feeding the future by providing students with hands‑on learning experiences in hospitality and live entertainment.

The Event Management Experience is a two‑semester rotational internship (September – May) designed to give participants practical exposure to multiple areas of the business, including Box Office, Food & Beverage, Operations, Event Coordinating, and Security/Production/Guest Services.

Qualifications

• Junior or senior enrolled in a university.
• Strong desire to learn along with professional drive.
• Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Flexible schedule; available to work nights, weekends, and holidays.

Rotational Experiences & Responsibilities

Erie Insurance Arena – Food & Beverage Experience

• Assist food & beverage management during events that need assistance and problem solving.
• Work with the team for event set‑up, including prep sheets and sign‑in sheets.
• Assist with end‑of‑event reporting and recordkeeping.
• Learn and assist with employee arena scheduling in UKG.
• Assist management with ordering and food costing.
• Collaborate with building leaders regarding menu development.
• Assist with month‑end reporting and reconciliation.

Erie Events – Box Office Experience

• Learn about box office operations, including sales.
• Place holds, set up presales and sales links per show instructions.
• Observe, learn, and create a show build.
• Verify the floor is properly set and numbered correctly.
• Work with show promoters to determine if holds can be released.
• Issue payment to promoters or collect bank‑wire information to send proceeds.
• Manage complimentary tickets from promoters.
• Prepare box office statements and settlements.

Erie Events – Security/Production/Guest Services Event Experience

• Complete assigned projects and research related to safety, security, emergency preparedness, and risk management.
• Attend security meetings and briefings to gain experience in event security operations.
• Become familiar with venue access control, restricted areas, credentials, and employee/vendor access.
• Assist with reviewing incident reports and identifying trends or recurring security issues.
• Assist with monthly safety inspections of Erie Events facilities and document identified concerns.
• Assist with preparing security briefings, post orders, and event‑specific instructions.
• Assist with setting up and securing the Erie Insurance ramp for hockey games and other events.
• Rotate with Guest Services to learn patron assistance, customer service, ADA considerations, and crowd management.
• Rotate with Production to learn event set‑up, show operations, credentials, and backstage operations.
• Learn emergency evacuation, shelter‑in‑place, lockdown, and reunification procedures.
• Assist with security deployment planning for events.
• Learn the venue security screening process, including metal detectors, bag checks, and handheld wands.
• Assist with event risk assessments and learn how security concerns are identified and addressed.
• Review Erie Events emergency response plans and assist with updates or implementation when necessary.

Bayfront Convention Center – Event Coordination Experience

• Complete property tours of Bayfront Landing.
• Attend client site visits.
• Learn the process of contracting various events.
• Detail an event and manage the distribution process.
• Learn the basics of prospecting for sales and how to close a sale – Sales Process 101.
• Follow up on leads for the Bayfront Convention Center.
• Develop customer‑service skill set.
• Learn how to utilize internal CRM sales software – Microsoft Dynamics.
• Attend weekly BEO (Banquet Event Order) meetings and gain a thorough understanding of the processes.
• Overview of budgets, revenue generation, and PACE reports.
• Sales space overview – what fits where, space maximization.
• Overall briefing of sales market segment breakdown, goals, and accountability.